Safari Rally

Last updated
Safari Rally
Kenya KCB Rally Naivasha 3.jpg
StatusActive
GenreMotor Sport event
Date(s)June
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s) Great Rift Valley
Country Kenya
Inaugurated1953
Website https://www.safarirally.ke/

The Safari Rally is an automobile rally held in Kenya. It was first held in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The event was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. It is historically regarded as one of the toughest events in the World Rally Championship, and one of the most popular rallies in Africa. From 2003, a historical event (East African Safari Rally) has been held biennially.

Contents

History

It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, [1] 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. From 1973, the rally was part of the World Rally Championship. [2]

The 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) route featured a variety of roads and terrain - from fesh fesh (very fine powdered sand), fast farm tracks, and very rough roads up or down the Great Rift Valley. In heavy rain, roads would often turn into thick, deep mud. [2] [3] The event was run on open roads, with all of the route being competitive mileage. [4] The driver with the lowest accumulation of penalty time between time controls was declared the winner. [4]

The rally was historically one of the fastest events in the world championship with average speeds over 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). [5] However, the roughness of the terrain and the long stages meant that the winner was often the most reliable or the fastest cautious driver. [2] [6] In later years, top rally teams would use helicopters to fly ahead of the cars to warn of animals or other vehicles on the rally route.

Checkpoint in the 1972 rally. EAS1973.jpg
Checkpoint in the 1972 rally.

Teams built specially strengthened cars for the event, with bullbars, snorkels (for river crossings) and bright lights to warn wildlife. [6] [7] In the 1990s, Toyota Team Europe had a full-time test team in Kenya, preparing and testing the rally cars for the event. [8] [7] During the rally, repairs had to be regularly made to the cars, which added to the elapsed time of the competitors. [9] In later years, tyre mousse - allowing tyres to maintain functionality despite a puncture - allowed drivers to tackle the event flat out, despite the length of the event. [6]

In 1996, the event adopted the special stage format, and servicing cars from helicopters was prohibited. [2] From that edition until 2002, it featured around 2000 km of timed stages, with stages well over 60 kilometres (37 mi) long, unlike most rallies which had under 500 kilometres (310 mi) of total timed distance. This meant that the winner's total time penalty was above 12 hours in 1996 and decreased to two seconds shy of 8 hours in 2002. Despite this, the rally continued to be run on open roads. [10] The event was excluded from the WRC calendar due to a lack of finance and organisation in 2003. [2]

Modern event

From the 2003 edition, the event became part of the African Rally Championship. [10] The event was modernised, with shorter stages and running on closed roads - like other events in the World Championship. [11] Two editions of the rally - 2007 and 2009 - were also part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. In 2013, President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta announced a plan to return the Safari Rally to the world championship. [12]

On the 27 September 2019, it was announced that the 2020 edition would be part of the World Rally Championship. This event was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] The Safari Rally eventually made a comeback to the WRC in 2021 after an eighteen-year hiatus from the 24–27 June, with a successful event held in Kenya on the floor of the Rift Valley in Naivasha, Nakuru County. [13] Sebastian Ogier and Julien Ingrassia emerged as winners in their Toyota Yaris WRC. [11] The Safari has a WRC contract until 2026. [12]

Winners

Kenyan drivers Shekhar Mehta and Carl Tundo have been the most successful competitors, with five outright victories each. Mehta won first in 1973, then consecutively from 1979 to 1982 - all while the event was part of the world championship. Tundo won five editions when the event was part of the African Rally Championship - the 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2018 events. Tundo has also finished on the podium twelve times, ahead of fellow Kenyan Ian Duncan with nine podium finishes. [14]

YearRally Name / DatesWinning DriverCo-driverWinning CarStatus
19531st Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Alan Dix Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Johnny Larsen Volkswagen Beetle  
19542nd Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg D P Marwaha Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Vic Preston Sr Volkswagen Beetle  
19553rd Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Vic Preston Sr Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg D P Marwaha Ford Zephyr  
19564th Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Eric Cecil Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Tony Vickers DKW  
19575th Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Gus Hofmann Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Arthur Burton Volkswagen Beetle  
19586th Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg T. Brooke
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Arne Kopperud
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Morris Temple-Boreham
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Peter Hughes
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Kora Kopperud
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Mike Armstrong
Ford Anglia 100E (Impala class)

Ford Zephyr II (Lion class)

Auto Union 1000 (Leopard class)
 
19597th Coronation Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Bill Fritschy Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Jack Ellis Mercedes-Benz 219  
19608th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Bill Fritschy Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Jack Ellis Mercedes-Benz 219  
19619th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg John Manussis Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Bill Coleridge
Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg David Bekett
Mercedes-Benz 220SE  
196210th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Tommy Fjastad Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Bernhard Schmider Volkswagen 1200  
1963 11th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Nick Nowicki Flag of Kenya (1921-1963).svg Paddy Cliff Peugeot 404  
196412th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Peter Hughes Flag of Kenya.svg Bill Young Ford Cortina GT 
196513th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Joginder Singh Flag of Kenya.svg Jaswant Singh Volvo PV 544  
196614th East African Safari Rally Flag of Tanzania.svg Bert Shankland Flag of Tanzania.svg Chris Rothwell Peugeot 404  
196715th East African Safari Rally Flag of Tanzania.svg Bert Shankland Flag of Tanzania.svg Chris Rothwell Peugeot 404  
1968 16th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Nick Nowicki Flag of Kenya.svg Paddy Cliff Peugeot 404 [15]  
196917th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Robin Hillyar Flag of Kenya.svg Jock Aird Ford Taunus 20M RS  
197018th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Edgar Herrmann Flag of Germany.svg Hans Schüller Datsun 1600 SSS  
197119th East African Safari Rally Flag of Kenya.svg Edgar Herrmann Flag of Germany.svg Hans Schüller Datsun 240Z  
197220th East African Safari Rally
(30 Mar – 3 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Hannu Mikkola Flag of Sweden.svg Gunnar Palm Ford Escort RS1600IMC
1973 21st East African Safari Rally
(19 – 23 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta Flag of Kenya.svg Lofty Drews Datsun 240Z WRC
1974 22nd East African Safari Rally
(11 – 15 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Joginder Singh Flag of Kenya.svg David Doig Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
197523rd Safari Rally
(27 – 31 Mar)
Flag of Sweden.svg Ove Andersson Flag of Sweden.svg Arne Hertz Peugeot 504 WRC
197624th Safari Rally
(15 – 19 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Joginder Singh Flag of Kenya.svg David Doig Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
197725th Safari Rally
(7 – 11 Apr)
Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård Flag of Sweden.svg Hans Thorszelius Ford Escort RS1800WRC
197826th Safari Rally
(23 – 27 Mar)
Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Nicolas Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Lefèbvre Peugeot 504 V6 CoupéWRC
197927th Safari Rally
(12 – 16 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Doughty Datsun 160J WRC
198028th Marlboro Safari Rally
(3 – 7 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Doughty Datsun 160J WRC
198129th Marlboro Safari Rally
(16 – 20 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Doughty Nissan Violet GTWRC
198230th Marlboro Safari Rally
(8 – 12 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Shekhar Mehta Flag of Kenya.svg Mike Doughty Nissan Violet GTWRC
198331st Marlboro Safari Rally
(30 Mar – 4 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Ari Vatanen Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Terry Harryman Opel Ascona 400WRC
198432nd Marlboro Safari Rally
(19 – 23 Apr)
Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård Flag of Sweden.svg Hans Thorszelius Toyota Celica TCTWRC
198533rd Marlboro Safari Rally
(4 – 8 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Juha Kankkunen Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCTWRC
198634th Marlboro Safari Rally
(29 Mar – 2 Apr)
Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCTWRC
198735th Marlboro Safari Rally
(16 – 20 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Hannu Mikkola Flag of Sweden.svg Arne Hertz Audi 200 Quattro WRC
198836th Marlboro Safari Rally
(31 Mar – 4 Apr)
Flag of Italy.svg Miki Biasion Flag of Italy.svg Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF Integrale WRC
198937th Marlboro Safari Rally
(23–27 Mar)
Flag of Italy.svg Miki Biasion Flag of Italy.svg Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF Integrale WRC
199038th Marlboro Safari Rally
(11–16 Apr)
Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 WRC
199139th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar – 1 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Juha Kankkunen Flag of Finland.svg Juha Piironen Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v WRC
199240th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar – 1 Apr)
Flag of Spain.svg Carlos Sainz Flag of Spain.svg Luis Moya Toyota Celica Turbo 4WDWRC
199341st Trustbank Safari Rally
(8–12 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Juha Kankkunen Flag of Finland.svg Juha Piironen Toyota Celica Turbo 4WDWRC
199442nd Trustbank Safari Rally
(31 Mar – 3 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Ian Duncan Flag of Kenya.svg David Williamson Toyota Celica Turbo 4WDWRC
199543rd Safari Rally Kenya
(14–17 Apr)
Flag of Japan.svg Yoshio Fujimoto Flag of Sweden.svg Arne Hertz Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD2LWC
199644th Safari Rally Kenya
(5–7 Apr)
Flag of Finland.svg Tommi Mäkinen Flag of Finland.svg Seppo Harjanne Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III WRC
199745th Safari Rally Kenya
(1–3 Mar)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Colin McRae Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicky Grist Subaru Impreza WRC97WRC
1998 46th Safari Rally Kenya
(28 Feb – 2 Mar)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Burns Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Reid Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evolution IV (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV)WRC
1999 47th 555 Safari Rally
(26–28 Feb)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Colin McRae Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicky Grist Ford Focus WRC WRC
2000 48th Sameer Safari Rally
(25–27 Feb)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Burns Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robert Reid Subaru Impreza WRC00WRC
2001 49th Safari Rally
(20–22 Jul)
Flag of Finland.svg Tommi Mäkinen Flag of Finland.svg Risto Mannisenmäki Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.5 WRC
2002 50th Inmarsat Safari Rally
(12–14 Jul)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Colin McRae Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Nicky Grist Ford Focus RS WRC 02 WRC
200351st KCB Safari Equator Rally Kenya
(9–11 Oct)
Flag of Kenya.svg Glen Edmunds Flag of Kenya.svg Titch Phillips Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI ARC
200452nd KCB Safari Rally Kenya
(12–14 Mar)
Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop Subaru Impreza ARC
200553rd KCB Safari Rally
(15th – 17th Jul)
Flag of Kenya.svg Glen Edmunds Flag of Kenya.svg Des Page-Morris Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII ARC
200654th KCB Safari Rally
(24 – 26 Mar)
Flag of Kenya.svg Azar Anwar Flag of Kenya.svg George Mwangi Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI ARC
200755th KCB Safari Rally
(9–11 Mar)
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Conrad Rautenbach Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Peter Marsh Subaru Impreza N10 IRC & ARC
200856th KCB Safari Rally
(27–29 Jun)
Flag of Kenya.svg Lee Rose Flag of Kenya.svg Piers Daykin Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
200957th KCB Safari Rally
(3–5 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX IRC & ARC
201058th KCB Safari Rally
(2–4 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Lee Rose Flag of Kenya.svg Piers Daykin Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
201159th KCB Safari Rally
(17–19 Jun)
Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
201260th KCB Safari Rally
(8–10 Jun)
Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
201361st KCB Safari Rally
(5–7 Jul)
Flag of Kenya.svg Baldev Chager Flag of Kenya.svg Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X ARC
201462nd KCB Safari Rally
(12–14 Sep)
Flag of Kenya.svg Baldev Chager Flag of Kenya.svg Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X ARC
201563rd KCB Safari Rally
(4–5 Apr)
Flag of Kenya.svg Singh Chatthe Jaspreet Flag of Kenya.svg Panesar Gurdeep Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 KRC
201664th KCB Safari Rally
(10–11 Jun)
Flag of Kenya.svg Singh Chatthe Jaspreet Flag of Kenya.svg Panesar Gurdeep Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 KRC
201765th Safari Rally
(17–18 Mar)
Flag of Finland.svg Tapio Laukkanen Flag of Kenya.svg Gavin Laurence Subaru Impreza WRX STi 4 D R4 ARC & KRC
201866th Safari Rally
(16–18 Mar)
Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 ARC & KRC
201967th Safari Rally
(5–7 Jul)
Flag of Kenya.svg Baldev Chager Flag of Kenya.svg Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 ARC & KRC
2020 68th Safari Rally
(16–19 Jul)
Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns
2021 68th Safari Rally
(24–27 Jun)
Flag of France.svg Sébastien Ogier Flag of France.svg Julien Ingrassia Toyota Yaris WRC WRC
2022 69th Safari Rally
(23–26 Jun)
Flag of Finland.svg Kalle Rovanperä Flag of Finland.svg Jonne Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 WRC
2023 70th Safari Rally
(22–25 Jun)
Flag of France.svg Sebastien Ogier Flag of France.svg Vincent Landais Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 WRC
2024 71st Safari Rally
(28–31 Mar)
Flag of Finland.svg Kalle Rovanperä Flag of Finland.svg Jonne Halttunen Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 WRC
2025 72nd Safari Rally
(20-23 Mar)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Elfyn Evans Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Scott Martin Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 WRC

Notes: IMC = International Championship for Manufacturers, WRC = World Rally Championship, 2LWC = 2-Litre World Cup, ARC = African Rally Championship, IRC = Intercontinental Rally Challenge, KRC = Kenya National Rally Championship

East African Safari Rally (classic)

The East African Safari Rally is a Classic rally event first held in 2003 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first running of the event. The event has since been held biennially. [10] [16] The nine day event takes place over 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi), and is open to vehicles built before 1985. [17] The 2017 edition of the rally had joint winners, as both Richard Jackson and Carl Tundo had the same time. [18]

YearDatesWinning DriverWinning Co-driverWinning Car
2003Dec 10 – Dec 19 Flag of Kenya.svg Rob Collinge Flag of Kenya.svg Anton Levitan Flag of Kenya.svg Anton Levitan Datsun 240Z
2005Dec 1 – Dec 10 Flag of Kenya.svg Rob Collinge Flag of Kenya.svg Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z
2007Nov 25 – Dec 3 Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård Flag of Sweden.svg Mathias Waldegård Ford Escort Mk1
2009Nov 22 – Dec 1 Flag of Kenya.svg Ian Duncan Flag of Kenya.svg Amaar Slatch Ford Mustang
2011Nov 20 – Nov 28 Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Waldegård [19] Flag of Sweden.svg Mathias Waldegård Porsche 911
2013Nov 21 – Nov 29 Flag of Kenya.svg Ian Duncan Flag of Kenya.svg Amaar Slatch Ford Capri
2015Nov 19 – Nov 27 Flag of Sweden.svg Stig Blomqvist Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Stéphane Prévot Porsche 911
2017Nov 23 – Dec 1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Richard Jackson [20] Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ryan Champion

jointly with [18]

Flag of Kenya.svg Carl Tundo Flag of Kenya.svg Tim Jessop

Porsche 911

Triumph TR7

2019Nov 27 – Dec 6 Flag of Austria.svg Kris Rosenberger [21] Flag of Germany.svg Niki Bleicher Porsche 911
2022Feb 10 – 18 Flag of Kenya.svg Baldev Chager [22] Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Drew Sturrock Porsche 911

See also

References

  1. The name Tanzania did not exist in 1953
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Davenport, John; Deimel, Helmut (2003). Safari Rally 50 years of the toughest rally in the world. Reinhard Klein, Wilfried Müller, McKlein Photography Köln. Köln: Harms Verlag. ISBN   978-3-927458-08-6. OCLC   76627693.
  3. 1 2 Evans, David (17 June 2022). "Safari Rally Kenya ready to test the WRC's greatest like no other". Red Bull. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  4. 1 2 "juwra.com/About timing". Jonkka's World Rally Archive. Archived from the original on 8 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
  5. "Statistics - Event average speed". www.juwra.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  6. 1 2 3 Rhodes, Cynan (25 February 1999). "Safari Rally Kenya: Introduction". au.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  7. 1 2 "What would a modern Safari Rally car look like?". DirtFish. 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  8. "How tape cassettes sent Sainz to a dominant Safari win". DirtFish. 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2022-08-15. Grist had been in Kenya for weeks conducting much of TTE's testing and recce preparation for the Safari. Ericsson had headed to Mombasa for a holiday before the rally, leaving Grist in Toyota's team hotel in Nairobi. "Mikael and I had done the recce," said Grist. "In fact, we'd been around the entire 5000-kilometre route four times.
  9. "How Mäkinen ignored common sense to conquer the Safari". DirtFish. 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  10. 1 2 3 Kihaki, Mike (February 2022). "East Africa Safari Classic, a rich history of rallying". The Standard. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  11. 1 2 Howard, Tom (21 June 2022). "WRC Safari Rally: Everything you need to know". www.autosport.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  12. 1 2 Njenga, Peter (25 June 2022). "Safari Rally rich part of Uhuru Kenyatta legacy and Kenya's sporting history". The East African . Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  13. Sport (2021-12-28). "Kenya: Safari's Unique Experience Was a Sight to Behold for World Rally Teams". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  14. Shacki. "Safari Rally Hall of Fame". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.
  15. "Safari 68". Autocar . Vol. 129 (nbr 3777). 4 July 1968. pp. 6–9.
  16. "The "adventure" that marks a driver's return to rallying". DirtFish. 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  17. Duggan, Briana; Page, Tom (8 April 2022). "'It's just about you, the road and your maker': Inside the East African Safari Classic". CNN. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  18. 1 2 "Tundo and Jackson share Safari Classic victory". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Archived from the original on 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  19. International sportworld communication. "Safari glory for first world champion Waldegard". 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  20. "Final Classification Safari Classic 2017". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Archived from the original on 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  21. Shacki. "Stage times East African Safari Classic Rally 2022". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  22. Shacki. "Baldev Chager - Drew Sturrock - East African Safari Classic Rally 2022". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 2022-08-16.