By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Piers Daykin is coming back to defend his title. The Rocca Rally driver, who claimed victory at the inaugural Equatorial Rally alongside co-driver Lloyd Destro in a Datsun 280Z with a winning time of 7:13:37, returns to Taita Taveta from May 1st to 3rd knowing the field chasing him is significantly stronger this year.
Twenty-seven crews across seven nationalities have confirmed their entry for the 2nd Equatorial Rally 2026, organised by Equatorial Classic Rallying across the conservancies and ranches of Taita Taveta County. Kenya, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, India, the Netherlands and Rwanda are all represented, confirming the event’s growing reach beyond East Africa.
To challenge for Daykin’s title defence includes icon Ian Duncan, who lines up alongside co-driver Jaspal Matharu in a Datsun 280Z under the Ian Duncan Rally banner.
ALS Motorsports fields three crews. Farhaaz Khan, who pushed Daykin hard last year finishing second overall, returns with co-driver Alfir Khan in a Porsche 911. The team also fields Shakeel Khan with Assad Mughal and Aslam Khan with Ishaq Taher, both in Ford Escort Mk 1s.
SSS Rallysport Limited arrives with two international crews from Germany and India. Angleo Perez-Riemer and Konstantin Mastalka carry the German colours in a Datsun Violet GT, while Mukesh Jani from India partners Kenyan co-driver Shameer Yusuf in an identical machine.
Poland’s Zoll Racing enters Piotr Beaupre alongside Michal Zoll in a Ford Escort Mk 2, while Rwanda’s Giancarlo Davite joins with co-driver Zahir Shah in a Toyota Corolla 16V under the Gianca Rally Team banner.
Among the standout entries within the Equatorial Classic Rallying team is a father and son entry that adds a deeply personal dimension to the event.
Philip Kyriazi, owner of the iconic Teita Sisal Estate, whose land forms part of the rally’s own route, takes to those same roads in a Ford Escort Mk 2 alongside co-driver Max Green, son to another Kenyan rally great, Rory Green, while George Kyriazi lines up in a separate Ford Escort Mk 2 with co-driver Victor Okundi.
Included in the entries is Kenyan motorsport legend Anthony Nielsen, with decades of competitive experience in different motorsports disciplines, sitting with co-driver William Bass in a Ford Escort Mk 1.
The Equatorial Rally 2026 is organised by Equatorial Classic Rallying in partnership with the Taita Taveta County Government and host partners Lumo Community Wildlife Conservancy, Lualenyi Ranching Company Limited, Choke Conservancy, Kutima Ranch, Mgeno Conservancy, Mgeno Community and Gicheha Farm.
Full Entry List:
- Piers Daykin / Lloyd Destro. Rocca Rally. Datsun 280Z. Kenya.
- Ian Duncan / Jaspal Matharu. Ian Duncan Rally. Datsun 280Z. Kenya.
- Robert Calder / Gavin Laurence. Quest Performance Rallying. Datsun 280Z. Kenya.
- Richard Arrowsmith / Roger Midwood. Freestone RS. Ford Escort Mk 1. Great Britain.
- Farhaaz Khan / Alfir Khan. ALS Motorsports. Porsche 911. Kenya.
- Shakeel Khan / Assad Mughal. ALS Motorsports. Ford Escort Mk 1. Kenya.
- Jonathan Somen / Jaden Somen. Scuderia Dagoretti. Ford Escort Mk 2. Kenya.
- Malcom Destro / Oliver Francombe. Team Tomcat. Datsun 260Z. Kenya.
- Asad Anwar / Tej Sehmi. Africa Eco Motorsports. Ford Escort Mk 1. Kenya.
- Aslam Khan / Ishaq Taher. ALS Motorsports. Ford Escort Mk 1. Kenya.
- Russel Hughes / Mellisa Shepherd. Team Huzi. Ford Capri. Kenya.
- Bobby Chaudhry / Shabaz Anwar. Hellostraw Racing. Ford Escort Mk 1. Great Britain / Kenya.
- Kyle Lucas / Kaya Tyack. Team BRF. Ford Escort Mk 2. Kenya.
- Geoffrey Page-Morris / Dez Page-Morris. Quest Performance Rallying. Datsun 260Z. Kenya.
- Mark Tilbury / Herman Raijsenaars. TRT. Ford Escort Mk 2. Kenya / Netherlands.
- Ibrahim Namoya / Inda Craig. F and R Speed. Toyota Platz. Kenya.
- Onkar Kalsi / Qahir Rahim. Onkar Kalsi. Datsun 260Z. Kenya.
- Giancarlo Davite / Zahir Shah. Gianca Rally Team. Toyota Corolla 16V. Rwanda / Kenya.
- Angleo Perez-Riemer / Konstantin Mastalka. SSS Rallysport Ltd. Datsun Violet GT. Germany.
- Amman Shah / Rahil Shah. Kenya Sweets Rally Team. Datsun Violet GT. Kenya.
- Mukesh Jani / Shameer Yusuf. SSS Rallysport Ltd. Datsun Violet GT. India / Kenya.
- Rajesh Maini / Devan Bhundia. Team USN. Datsun 280Z. Kenya.
- Phillip Kyriazi / Max Green. Equatorial Classic Rallying. Ford Escort Mk 2. Kenya.
- Anthony Nielsen / William Bass. Equatorial Classic Rallying. Ford Escort Mk 1. Kenya.
- Peter Young / Zane Young. Young Ones. Ford Capri. Kenya.
- Piotr Beaupre / Michal Zoll. Zoll Racing. Ford Escort Mk 2. Poland.
- George Kyriazi / Victor Okundi. Equatorial Classic Rallying. Ford Escort Mk 2. Kenya.
