Road conditions force Karan Patel to withdraw from Pearl Rally

Kenyan driver Karan Patel has withdrawn from the 2023 Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, citing poor road conditions of the competitive stages. 

The rally, which is the third round of the 2023 African Rally Championship, is scheduled to take place this weekend, from May 5 to May 7 in the Eastern parts of Uganda, specifically in Jinja district.

Patel, who drives a Ford Fiesta R5, struggled to conquer the muddy and wet stages of the Pearl Rally last year, settling for 10th position overall after he was caught out by a sloppy corner on the first day of action. 

He was expected to have an intensive battle with Mangat this year, but his withdrawal means that the competition will be less fierce.

However, he was expected to be among the favorites this year, for the rally after winning his home event, the Equator Rally, last month, and leading the African Rally Championship.

Despite this, Patel has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Pearl Rally after conducting a recce of the event. 

He cited the poor road conditions, which he deemed to be below the standard expected for an international event, as the reason for his withdrawal.

In a statement released to his partners, fans, and supporters, Patel expressed regret at having to retire from the event.

He acknowledged the disappointment that his withdrawal may cause, but emphasized that the safety of his team and the integrity of his racing machine must come first.

"We regret to announce our retirement from the 2023 Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally," a statement said.

"As a team, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the event, as the conditions impact the competitiveness and excitement of racing and pose high risk of significant damage to our car."

"We understand that this decision may disappoint our partners, fans and supporters who were eagerly anticipating our participation."

The statement added: "However, as a team, we believe that our safety and the integrity of our racing machine must come first."

"We would like to express our appreciation to the organizers of the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally for their efforts in organizing the event, and our fans and supporters for their unwavering dedication."

Thirty crews are gearing up to take on the ultimate challenge in the upcoming rally, with only six of them now eligible to score the ARC points.

This year's edition will see fewer foreign crew entries than last year, with only one foreign crew remaining in contention - Rio Smith from Kenya.

The rally will cover 12 stages over two days of action. Saturday's leg will be the longest of the rally covering 155 kilometres over eight competitive stages.

Sunday will cover four competitive stages including two passes over the Bujagali super special stage to bring the total competitive distance to 205.27 kilometres.

Patel's next rally is the Safari Rally Kenya that will run under the World Rally Championship, and he looks forward to taking on that event.