1973 Safari Rally

Last updated
1973 Safari Rally
21st East Africa Safari Rally

Round 4 of the 1973 World Rally Championship season

Contents

  Previous event Next event  
Host countryFlag of Kenya.svg  Kenya
Rally base Nairobi, Kenya
Dates run April 19, 1973 April 23, 1973
Length 5,300 km (3,300 miles)
Stage surface Gravel
Overall distance 5,300 km (3,300 miles) (with 56 points of "time control")
Results
Overall winner Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya.svg Lofty Drews
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun
Crews 89 at start, 18 at finish

The 1973 Safari Rally (formally the 21st East Africa Safari Rally) was the fourth round of the inaugural World Rally Championship season. Run in mid-April in central Kenya, the Safari was a markedly different rally from the other dates on the WRC schedule. About 5300 km of gravel roads comprised the course, though there were not distinct special stages as in other rallies, but instead the course was uncontrolled. The rally was considered very punishing, and thus many of the successful teams were specifically focused on it, leading to a different set of front-runners than led most other rallies. The rally was won by a local driver, Shekhar Mehta.

World Rally Championship rallying championship series, highest level of rallying competition

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 14 three-day events driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is split into 15–25 special stages which are run against the clock on closed roads.

Kenya republic in East Africa

Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors. At 580,367 square kilometres (224,081 sq mi), Kenya is the world's 48th largest country by total area. With a population of more than 52.2 million people, Kenya is the 27th most populous country. Kenya's capital and largest city is Nairobi while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa. Kisumu City is the third largest city and a critical inland port at Lake Victoria. Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret.

Special stage (rallying)

A special stage (SS) is a section of closed road at a stage rallying event. Racers attempt to complete the stage in the shortest time. A race on a special stage is coordinated such that each competing racer begins after a set interval, to reduce the chance of impedance by other competitors. Each special stage is a relatively short section, usually up to about 30 miles in length. A rally usually comprises approximately 15–30 special stages. The driver with the lowest overall time for all special stages in an event is the winner.

Report

In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. Like the drivers, the cars were different for Africa than for other rallies. As a result, the successful types did not mirror the results of other rallies on the circuit, and Datsun and Peugeot both made strong showings. Additionally, cars were not broken into separate groups or classes as in other rallies, so only overall results were classified. Time was not measured as the total elapsed through special stages as with other rallies, but instead a penalty was assessed at each time control for not meeting the target: total penalty time was the measure of who was in what place.

Datsun automobile brand of Nissan

Datsun is an automobile brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. By 1986 Nissan had phased out the Datsun name, but re-launched it in June 2013 as the brand for low-cost vehicles manufactured for emerging markets.

Peugeot French automotive brand manufacturing subsidiary of Groupe PSA

Peugeot is a French automotive manufacturer, part of Groupe PSA.

Results

1973 Safari Rally results
FinishPenaltyCar #Driver
Co-driver
CarMfr.
points
16 m : 46 s1 Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta
Flag of Kenya.svg Lofty Drews
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 240Z 20
26 m : 46 s9 Flag of Sweden.svg Harry Källström
Flag of Sweden.svg Claes Billstam
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1800 SSS
38 m : 47 s7 Flag of Sweden.svg Ove Andersson
Flag of France.svg Jean Todt
Flag of France.svg Peugeot 504 12
49 m : 14 s19 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Tony Fall
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Wood
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1800 SSS
512 m : 7 s28 Flag of Kenya.svg Peter Huth
Flag of Kenya.svg John McConnell
Flag of France.svg Peugeot 504
613 m : 10 s17 Flag of Kenya.svg Hugh Lionnet
Flag of Kenya.svg Phillip Hechle
Flag of France.svg Peugeot 504
714 m : 3 s20 Flag of Zambia.svg Satwant Singh
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg John Mitchell
Flag of Japan.svg Mitsubishi Colt Galant 4
814 m : 34 s23 Flag of Kenya.svg Robin Ulyate
Flag of Kenya.svg Ivan Smith
Flag of Italy.svg Fiat 125 S
914 m : 37 s27 Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Kirkland
Flag of Kenya.svg Bruce Field
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1600 SSS
1015 m : 5 s44 Flag of Kenya.svg Jim Noon
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Rager Barnard
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1600 SSS
1116 m : 16 s18 Flag of Kenya.svg Joginder Singh
Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Samuels
Flag of Japan.svg Mitsubishi Galant
1217 m : 57 s15 Flag of Tanzania.svg Zully Remtulla
Flag of Tanzania.svg Nizar Jivani
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1800 SSS
1318 m : 58 s Flag of Kenya.svg Pat Neylan
Flag of Kenya.svg Lofty Reynolds
Flag of Japan.svg Mazda RX-2
1419 m : 8 s3 Flag of Kenya.svg Vic Preston Jr.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bev Smith
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ford Escort RS1600
1520 m : 0 s Flag of Kenya.svg Brian Barton
Flag of Kenya.svg Chris Flyer
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 180B
1620 m : 12 s Flag of Kenya.svg Davinder Singh
Flag of Kenya.svg David Doig
Flag of Japan.svg Mitsubishi Galant
1720 m : 19 s Flag of Kenya.svg Ewart Walker
Flag of Kenya.svg Anton Levitan
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1600 SSS
1820 m : 52 s Flag of Kenya.svg John Rose
Flag of Kenya.svg Steve Rose
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 1600 SSS
Retired (mechanical)2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roger Clark
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jim Porter
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ford Escort RS1600
Retired (mechanical)4 Flag of Finland.svg Hannu Mikkola
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Davenport
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ford Escort RS1600
Retired (mechanical)5 Flag of Poland.svg Sobiesław Zasada
Flag of Poland.svg Marian Bień
Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 911
Retired (accident)6 Flag of Finland.svg Rauno Aaltonen
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Paul Easter
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 240Z
Retired (accident)8 Flag of Tanzania.svg Bert Shankland
Flag of Kenya.svg Chris Bates
Flag of France.svg Peugeot 504
Retired (mechanical)10 Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård
Flag of Sweden.svg Hans Thorszelius
Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 911
Retired (mechanical)11 Flag of Kenya.svg Edgar Herrmann
Flag of Germany.svg Hans Schüller
Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 240Z
Retired (excluded)14 Flag of Kenya.svg Perre Parsons
Flag of Kenya.svg Jim Cowper
Flag of France.svg Peugeot 504
Retired (accident)16 Flag of Finland.svg Timo Mäkinen
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Henry Liddon
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ford Escort RS1600
Retired (mechanical)22 Flag of Kenya.svg Jack Simonian
Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Doughty
Flag of Italy.svg Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV
Retired (mechanical)25 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bill Fritschy
Flag of Kenya.svg Kim Mandeville
Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 911
Retired (accident)29 Flag of Kenya.svg Peter Shikuyah
Flag of Kenya.svg Kim Gatende
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ford Escort RS1600

Source: Independent WRC archive [1]

Championship standings after the event

1973 World Rally Championship for Manufacturers points standings after round 4
After round 4TeamSeason end
PositionPointsPositionPoints
152 Flag of France.svg Alpine Renault 1147
222 Flag of Japan.svg Datsun 634
322 Flag of Italy.svg Fiat 284
420 Flag of Sweden.svg Saab 542
513 Flag of Italy.svg Lancia 1317
612 Flag of France.svg Citroën 733
12 Flag of France.svg Peugeot 1613
812 Flag of the United States.svg Ford 376
98 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 927
106 Flag of Germany.svg Volkswagen 1515
115 Flag of Germany.svg Opel 1125
124 Flag of Germany.svg BMW 828
4 Flag of Japan.svg Mitsubishi 174
113 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Škoda 183
132 Flag of Sweden.svg Volvo 444

Related Research Articles

Wales Rally GB largest and most high-profile motor rally in the United Kingdom

The Wales Rally GB is the largest and most high-profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. It is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and was formerly a round of the MSA British Rally Championship and is based in North Wales. From its first running in 1932 until the 53rd event in 1997, it was known as the RAC Rally until adopting its current name in 2003 except in 2009 when it was Rally of Great Britain.

Carlos Sainz Spanish racecar driver

Carlos Sainz Cenamor is a Spanish rally driver. He won the World Rally Championship drivers' title with Toyota in 1990 and 1992, and finished runner-up four times. Constructors' world champions to have benefited from Sainz are Subaru (1995), Toyota (1999) and Citroën. In the 2018 season he is one of the official drivers of the Team Peugeot Total.

Juha Kankkunen Finnish racecar driver

Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which were both once records in the series. Both Sébastien Loeb and Sébastien Ogier have since collected more world titles, but no driver has so far been able to repeat Kankkunen's feat of becoming a world champion with three different manufacturers, but Ogier has managed to match his feat of winning consecutive titles with different manufacturers.

Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is a rally race held in East Africa. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally. It was one of the most prestigious and celebrated rallies of its time, as well as one of the toughest.

Didier Auriol is a French former rally driver.

Harry Källström Swedish rally driver

Harry Källström, nicknamed "Sputnik", was a Swedish professional rally driver who debuted in 1957 and competed in the World Rally Championship in the 1970s. Prior to the forming of the WRC, Källström won the RAC Rally in a Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF in 1969 and 1970. In 1969, he also captured the European Rally Championship title.

The 1986 World Rally Championship was the 14th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 13 rallies, including all twelve venues of the previous season as well as the addition of the Olympus Rally. This marked the return of the WRC to the United States and North America, as well as the first world rally to be held on the western side of the continent. The December rally would also be the only WRC event to feature Group B competition in the United States.

Toyota Celica GT-Four

The Toyota Celica GT-Four was a high performance model of the Celica Liftback, with a turbocharged 3S-GTE engine, and full-time AWD. It was created to compete in the World Rally Championship, whose regulations dictate that a manufacturer must build road-going versions of the vehicle in sufficient numbers. These vehicles are referred to as "homologation special vehicles".

Ford World Rally Team 1978-2012 World Rally Championship manufacturer team

The Ford World Rally Team, also known as the Ford Motor Co. Team prior to 2005, is Ford Motor Company's full factory World Rally Championship team. In its current form, it has been a competitor since the 1997 season, when Ford Motor Company's motorsport arm selected the Malcolm Wilson Motorsport company to run its factory team, entering the Ford Escort World Rally Car. The new team took their first victory in the 1997 Acropolis Rally.

The Citroën Total World Rally Team is the Citroën factory backed entry into the World Rally Championship, run by Citroën Racing.

The 1974 Safari Rally was the second round of the shortened 1974 World Rally Championship season. It took place between 11 and 15 April 1974. The Safari Rally didn't use special stages at this time to decide a winner. Instead all of the route was competitive - with the driver with the lowest accumulation of penalty time between time controls being declared the winner.

Škoda Motorsport auto racing factory team by Škoda

Škoda Motorsport is the division of Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto responsible for motorsport activities. The team had competed as a manufacturer in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and World Rally Championship between 1999 and 2005. Now it competes in the European Rally Championship and WRC-2.

The 1998 Safari Rally was held between 28 February and 2 March 1998. It was the first World Rally Championship victory for Richard Burns and his co-driver Robert Reid after his teammate Tommi Mäkinen and fellow Briton Colin McRae both retired.

The 1998 Wales Rally GB (formally the 54th Network Q Rally of Great Britain was held between 22–24 November 1998 as the final round of the 1998 World Rally Championship season.

2018 Monte Carlo Rally

The 2018 Monte Carlo Rally was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 25 and 28 January 2018. It marked the eighty-sixth running of the Monte Carlo Rally, and was the first round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships. The event, which was based in the town of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France, was contested over seventeen special stages totalling a competitive distance of 394.74 km (245.28 mi).

2018 Rally Mexico

The 2018 Rally Mexico was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over four days between 8 and 11 March 2018. It marked the fifteenth running of Rally Mexico, and was the third round of the 2018 World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships. The event was based in the town of León in Guanajuato, and was contested over twenty-two special stages totalling a competitive distance of 344.49 km (214.06 mi).

2018 Rallye Deutschland

The 2018 Rallye Deutschland was a motor racing event for rally cars held over four days between 16 and 19 August 2018. It marked the thirty-sixth running of Rallye Deutschland, and was the ninth round of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and its support categories, the WRC-2 and WRC-3 championships. The event was based at Sankt Wendel in the countryside surrounding the Bostalsee in Saarland, and consisted of eighteen special stages totalling 325.76 km (202.42 mi) in competitive kilometres.

References

  1. "Safari Rally". juwra.com. Independent WRC archive. Retrieved 2017-03-16.