Kenya’s Thriving Motorsport Scene: A Look into Rupal Racing
Kenya is witnessing a motorsport renaissance, and at the forefront of this development are the Rupal brothers, Simar and Karan. Their passion for speed is not just a personal hobby but a driving force behind Kenya’s burgeoning motorsport scene.
“Away from rallying, we have track time attack and drag racing events here in Kenya,” remarks Karan as he guides us through his bustling garage in Nairobi’s industrial district. “The calendar this year is packed because we now have three major clubs in Kenya that are organizing events. At Rupal Racing we mainly focus on drag racing, and I think this year there are going to be seven or eight competitions. We do have clients who take their cars on track, but our shop cars are all built for straight line speed.”
In this vibrant environment, Subaru Imprezas reign supreme, with a few Mitsubishi Evos adding to the mix, keeping alive a classic rivalry. Photography: Greg Potts
“Subarus and Kenya go way back,” Karan explains, delving into the roots of this automotive passion. “Rallying is how Subaru built such a following here. Back in the day it was always Impreza vs Evo, and there’s still so much love for those cars. We were kids in the 1990s and early 2000s when the competition between the two was so strong.”
Karan’s connection to Subaru is personal, tracing back to his first car, a first-generation GC8 Impreza. After studying engineering in India, he returned to Kenya, where his journey with Subarus truly began.
The Rupal Racing story began in 2016 when the brothers started building and racing their cars, initially using their backyard as a workshop. The brand quickly gained recognition, leading them to establish their own shop.
“I built my first engine in 2017. It was a basic forged engine, nothing too crazy, but it had forged conrods, forged pistons, aftermarket bearings and that sort of thing. That was for my own car.”
The evolution of the scene is marked by a shift from stock vehicles to high-powered machines. “Ten years ago, most cars on the scene were stock. You might have had a bolt-on turbo or a new intercooler, but nothing too serious. Now things are crazy. Everybody wants big power.
“Subarus always used to dominate, but then bigger and better cars started being imported. We have this rule in Kenya where you can’t import any car that’s more than seven years old. So, we started seeing six cylinder and eight cylinder engines. Then someone came along with a Nissan GT-R making 1,500bhp.
“That guy went and set a nine second time on the draggy about three years ago, and since then everyone has felt the pressure.” The Rupals are still crafting their answer to this challenge.
“The most powerful car we’ve built is actually my car,” Karan mentions with pride. “It’s another GC8 Impreza with a fully built EJ25.” This engine, a 2.5-litre flat-four boxer, is emblematic of their craftsmanship. “We rebuild the engines in-house and bore the 2.0-litre out to 2.5. Actually, we do just about everything in-house, from bodywork to interiors to turbocharging and exhaust fabrication. For GC8s we use the wiring and the six-speed manual gearbox from a second generation GDB. The original five-speed gearboxes break very easily.
“Maximum boost is around 45psi, and at that point my car will be making 900bhp using E85 fuel. I’ve owned it now for around seven years, but we’ve just converted it into a coupe. The doors and all of the rear panels are custom and made out of fiberglass, the windows are plastic and the interior is fully stripped. It weighs around 1,200kg and we’re about to mount a new turbo in place of one of the headlights because it’s too big to fit under the bonnet.
“If you’re talking Subarus, there’s not really anything close to this car in Kenya. No Impreza has reached my quarter mile time yet, but there are faster cars like that GT-R and a nine second BMW M340i.
“So far, I’ve only done a 10.5 second run, but that was on useless tyres on a dusty road. I’ll definitely go under 10 seconds with a good setup. For me, this is my perfect drag racing car.”
Simar’s equally impressive Blobeye sits in the garage, awaiting its next transformation, while Karan is working on turning another GC8 into a unique two-door estate. Despite a few missing parts, Karan remains determined to finish the project.
“Last year we were very busy and I couldn’t make time for this project, but I want to finish it this year. It’s been sitting here for some time now and I really need it moving. I want to use it on weekends. I don’t currently have a working Subaru that I can drive on the road.”
Rupal Racing is not limited to Subaru models; the brothers also provide maintenance on various makes and models, including CVT rebuilds for modern Subarus. Yet, first and second-gen Imprezas are the most common at their shop.
Despite the progress, Karan notes a significant challenge: “The only downside to motorsport in Kenya right now is the cars are getting more modern and much faster, but we don’t have any circuits or properly prepped drag strips.”
Karan remains hopeful that infrastructure will catch up with ambition: “We can get permits to close public roads for a couple of days, but it’s not perfect. One day if someone builds us a nice strip or a new circuit, then things will go wild. Right now, we have fast cars all around, but we don’t have anywhere to let them go properly. It needs someone to wake up one day and think ‘I’m ready to invest’.”
Original Story at www.topgear.com