Rally: Lota claims the Mombasa Cement opener

Reigning tarmac champion Javed Naushad Lota opened the 2026 Mombasa Motor Club (MMC) gravel season with victory in round one at Mombasa Cement last weekend, winning four of the five stages. He now says he is aiming for more victories this season.

Speaking on Wednesday, Lota admitted he faced a strong challenge from fellow driver Amit Vaja before his closest rival exited in CS5 due to a damaged front suspension arm. He said the win in Mombasa has set the tone for a successful 2026 campaign.

“I am glad to have won in Mombasa. Of course, it was a close contest with Vaja, but I am happy to come out on top,” said Lota, adding that he is ready to take on the busy MMC calendar and push for more wins.

The duel began tightly in CS1, with Lota clocking 0:07:10.000 to edge Vaja’s 0:07:15.000, taking the stage by five seconds. CS2 was even closer, as Lota posted 0:06:39.000 compared to Vaja’s 0:06:40.000, extending his lead by just one second.

In CS3, Lota pulled away, recording 0:06:28.000 against Vaja’s 0:06:47.000 to open a 19-second gap—the biggest margin between the two. Vaja responded in CS4, winning the stage with 0:06:37.000 compared to Lota’s 0:06:55.000, cutting the gap and keeping the contest alive.

CS5 proved decisive, with Lota once again the fastest, while Vaja failed to finish, bringing an end to what had been a tight battle.

Lota won the rally with a cumulative time of 0:26:25.000. Nikhil Davda finished second in 0:29:48.000, as Lota also claimed the 2WD category with a winning margin of 3 minutes and 22 seconds.

Third place went to Lota’s brother, Zuhair Lota, who clocked 0:41:37.000, finishing 15 minutes and 11 seconds behind the winner.

MMC Chairman Paras Pandya thanked all participants and outlined the club’s 2026 calendar, with Round Two set for the end of May, Round Three in July, Round Four in September, and the season finale in November.

He also confirmed that the next event will allow quad bikes and motorbikes to compete on the same route in a rally raid format, expanding the championship to include more disciplines.