Piers Daykin and navigator Lloyd Destro have successfully defended their Equatorial Rally title, sealing a commanding overall victory at the end of the final stage, Repeater Two – 4 Junction.
The Rocca Rally crew delivered a measured and dominant performance with a total time of 8 hours, 43 minutes, 34.4 seconds, finishing 36 minutes and 1 second ahead of second-placed Carl Tundo and Billy Tundo in the Triumph TR7 V8.
Third place went to Robert Calder and Gavin Laurence in the Datsun 280Z, finished 42 minutes, 39.7 seconds behind the winners and 6 minutes, 38.7 seconds off second place, rounding out the podium after a steady drive through a demanding weekend.
From start to finish, the 2026 Equatorial Rally proved both punishing and unpredictable, but at the front, Daykin and Destro remained untouchable, converting early control into a decisive and well-managed victory.
Daykin delivered a masterclass in dominance, winning six of the nine stages to firmly stamp his authority on the rally.
Speaking after securing victory, Daykin reflected on just how demanding the final stage proved to be.
“The last 60 kilometers was the toughest of the entire rally. Right from the start, there were so many stumps and rocks, and no room for error. Just getting through that section clean felt like an achievement on its own. To get here is an achievement, but to come out of that last section without a problem, you’ve done well.
Reflecting on both the personal significance of the moment and the broader future of the rally, he said:
For me, it’s even more special because it’s my birthday, so this feels like a gift to myself. And then to go on and win it… that really means a lot. Looking ahead, I think there’s an opportunity to improve how spectators experience the rally. For now, I’m just happy to have made it through and taken the win.
Carl Tundo, who finished strongly alongside his young co-driver, reflected on a rally that delivered both satisfaction and challenge in equal measure, praising the overall performance while pointing to the demands of the final day.
“Day one was good. Day two was good. Day three was just too long,” he said. “But the fact that he’s 13 and he did such an amazing job, that’s really something special. We had a bit of a mess in service trying to change the steering rack, which upset me, but once we got back out there, we settled in and started to enjoy it again. The last section though, it felt like an autocross track for 67 kilometres.”
Earlier in the day, Tundo, drove in commanding fashion in the first stage of the last leg, Ziwani Fence – Ziwani Canal stage (75.50 km), setting the fastest time of 53:06.9, while
Daykin reasserted full control on the demanding second stage of the day Lumo – Langa stage (121.30 km), and the last 66.50km stage CS09 Repeater Two – 4 Junction.
The Equatorial Rally 2026 was 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.
OVERALL PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Piers Daykin / Lloyd Destro – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – 08:43:34.4
2. Carl Tundo / Billy Tundo – Triumph TR7 V8 (Cl4) – (+36:01.0) – 09:19:35.4
3. Robert Calder / Gavin Laurence – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – (+42:39.7) – 09:26:14.1
4. Jonathan Somen / Jaden Somen – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+1:04:32.9) – 09:48:07.3
5. Rajesh Maini / Devan Bhundia – Datsun 280Z (Cl4) – (+1:11:12.2) – 09:54:46.6
6. Piotr Beaupre / Michal Zoll – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+1:25:33.0) – 10:09:07.4
7. Geoffrey Page-Morris / Dez Page-Morris – Datsun 260Z (Cl4) – (+1:45:35.7) – 10:29:10.1
8. Malcom Destro / Oliver Francombe – TomCat (Raid) – (+2:06:02.9) – 10:49:37.3
9. George Kyriazi / Max Green – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:07:50.5) – 10:51:24.9
10. Mark Tilbury / Herman Raijsenaars – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:29:12.0) – 11:12:46.4
11. Farhaaz Khan / Alfir Khan – Porsche 911 (Cl4) – (+2:29:39.2) – 11:13:13.6
12. Kyle Lucas / Kaya Tyack – Ford Escort Mk2 (Cl3) – (+2:30:44.3) – 11:14:18.7
13. Amman Shah / Rahil Shah – Datsun Violet GT (Cl3) – (+3:01:34.5) – 11:45:08.9
14. Ibrahim Namoya / Inda Craig – Toyota Platz (Raid) – (+3:28:52.5) – 12:12:26.9
15. Aslam Khan / Ishaq Taher – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+3:50:48.9) – 12:34:23.3
16. Shakeel Khan / Assad Mughal – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+4:40:19.5) – 13:23:53.9
17. Giancarlo Davite / Zahir Shah – Toyota Corolla 16V (Cl1) – (+4:42:59.2) – 13:26:33.6
18. Mukesh Jani / Shameer Yusuf – Datsun Violet GT (Cl3) – (+5:05:42.8) – 13:49:17.2
19. Bobby Chaudhry / Shabaz Anwar – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+6:00:32.0) – 14:44:06.4
20. Anthony Nielsen / William Bass – Ford Escort Mk1 (Cl3) – (+6:37:59.7) – 15:21:34.1
21. Russell Hughes / Melissa Shepherd – Ford Capri (Cl4) – (+8:11:15.9) – 16:54:50.3
