Harry Hunt and his navigator, Steve McPhee/ HANDOUTGreat Britain’s Harry Hunt says the East Africa Safari Classic Rally is unlike any rally he has ever competed in after claiming his maiden victory in the 12th edition of the Classic Rally in Diani.
Hunt, alongside his navigator Steve McPhee, clocked a cumulative time of 19:48:06.4 aboard their Porsche 911 to seal this year’s coveted title after a relentless, attritional battle across
Kenya’s unforgiving terrain.
Evgeny Kireev of Cyprus steered his way to second place with a cumulative time of 20:12:05.8, while Jourdan Serderidis of Greece completed the podium after stopping the clocks at 20:50:54.8.
It was heartbreak for Team Kenya and Baldev Chager, who had clung to the overall lead for the final four days of the gruelling endurance test.
Earlier on the final day, Chager and his navigator, Gareth Dawe, were cruelly forced out of contention following an accident 20 kilometres from the finishing line, snatching away a near-certain triumph.
Chager had been enjoying a commanding run and was nearly 40 seconds clear of Hunt at the 80km split, underlining the dominance of his charge before disaster struck.
Both Chager and Dawe emerged unscathed.
Their retirement brought a dramatic and unexpected end to an authoritative rally effort, reshaping the final outcome of the event in the most brutal fashion.
During the opening four days of rallying, Kenyan Piers Daykin had held sway at the top of the leaderboard before mechanical issues forced him to hand over the reins to Chager.
The highest-placed Kenyan crew at the rally was Farhaaz Khan and his co-driver Tauseef Khan, who clocked 21:36:56.0 to finish an impressive seventh overall in their Porsche 911, the only Kenyan entry inside the top 10.
Hunt was not only making his maiden appearance at the Classic Rally but was also piloting the iconic 911 for the very first time.
“We had hope, we didn’t think it was actually doable to win. But it’s a long event and anything is possible,” Hunt said.
“On the second day, I think we started 17th overall, but we slowly clawed our way back.”
Hunt highlighted the sheer complexity and brutality of the Safari Classic compared to other events he has contested.
“This event does not compare to anything I have done in the past. The stages are so tough and you have to keep on adjusting your pace every time,” he said.
He reserved special praise for his co-driver, McPhee, as well as the warmth of the Kenyan fans throughout the rally.
“Steve, my co-driver, did an amazing job — all the notes and controlling the pace, he was brilliant.
“The atmosphere and the people have also been so amazing.”
Tauseef Khan, who also serves as co-driver to two-time African Rally Champion Karan Patel, was overjoyed after their seventh-place finish.
“We did it. We finished inside the top 10, seventh overall and as the best Kenyan crew at the Classic Rally.
“Absolutely grateful to be here in this position. It feels so amazing to set a goal and achieve it,” Tauseef said.
