•The event’s technical team is already checking the final section of the route on the Tanzanian side to make sure all is well
•Reports from the event's secretariat said the team has already surveyed stages on the Kenyan sector.
Image: COURTESY
Mud cars will be used to tow vehicles out of muddy situations at specific stages if torrential rains persist during East African Safari Classic Rally next month.
The event’s technical team is already checking the final section of the route on the Tanzanian side to make sure all is well. Reports from the event's secretariat said the team has already surveyed stages on the Kenyan sector.
The nine-day competition, to be sponsored by Safaricom, will zoom-off from Mombasa before traversing gruelling competitive stages across Kenya and Tanzania regions. The event will take place from November 27th to December 6th, 2019. Clerk of the course Raju Chagger said he is content with preparations on the ground thus far.
“I am happy that we are now putting final touches to our preparations ahead of the big event. The Safaricom deal will definitely go a long way in boosting the team’s logistical facet. We have done almost 1200km of route survey for the event which will kick off from Sarova Hotels in Mombasa,” said Chagger.
This year’s rally is set to cover more than 4,500km, showcasing the picturesque beauty of the East African landscape with vehicles racing through world-famous game parks with overnight stops at the region’s finest lodges and hotels. The event will run for four days in Kenya before crossing over to Tanzania where stages will run across four days with a finish aimed at Sarova Whitesands. Competitors are set to cover approximately 500km every day in competitive stages of between 50km and 160 km respectively.
Some of the teams that have already confirmed participation include Tuthill Porsche, Freestone Rally Services, Minti Motorsport Oman, Team Tido Race 4 Health, ALS Motorsport and Safari World Africa
The world-famous classic rally will take competitors through a gruelling nine-day showdown with the rest day programmed for Tanga. This year’s edition is split equally in both countries, with four days each in Kenya and Tanzania.
Mechanics will get a chance to rebuild the cars, within a set time of six hours. The rally first ran in 2003 and is now into its 9th edition.
On each of the day, the rally will consist of 3 competitive stages and transport road sections in between. On any given day of the rally, crews will be expected to cover between 390 – 500km (a combined distance of stage and transport). Classic rallying is all about endurance and crews should get ready for mammoth stages of up to 160km long stretch.
The East African Classic Safari Rally has been running every two years since 2003 and is open to two-wheel drive, naturally aspirated rally cars built before 1985.
The Safaricom deal will support operations, logistics and communication during the rally which will take place between November 27th and December 6th 2019.