•The cars will start Day 2 at Shelembwa then cross over to Tanzania with a stage at Oldonyo-Longido near Namanga border.
•The cars will start Day 2 at Shelembwa then cross over to Tanzania with a stage at Oldonyo-Longido near Namanga border.
Kenyan rally ace Baldev Chager in a Porsche 911 led the opening day of the 2019 East African Safari Classic Rally from the start to end as the historic event went into its first overnight rest.
The reigning 2019 ARC Safari Rally winner drove like a man possessed and opened a massive 7.30.7 minute lead from Kabras Sugar Racing teammate Onkar Rai.
Onkar Rai, the winner of the Nakuru and Meru Rallies this season, was placed second overall in another Porsche 911 while Sweden’s Stiq Blomqvist and Jorge Fourunder who went to bed in third and best placed foreign crew— giving Porsche another major score. The Swede is a former winner of the world’s best-known rally.
At the close of the first day, 54.8 seconds separate Onkar and Blomqvist and it will be interesting to see how the race for podium positions pan out in the first half of the event which will traverse Kenya and Tanzania. The cars will start Day 2 at Shelembwa then cross over to Tanzania with a stage at Oldonyo-Longido near Namanga border.
Shelembwa is a 47km stage and very new to the classic. It begins off on fast and narrow roads, making it quite challenging. After Shelembwa, cars cross into Tanzania to tackle the 71 km Sanya-Ol-Donyo Longido which has a new start location and begins with a combination of fast open into the slow twisty rocky road.
Some very big jumps and drops at 8km Longido Monduli is an endurance stage which is exceptional and starts over a big road with fast-flowing bends and spectators should expect very high speeds here with the occasional blind concrete drift just to keep the crews awake. The event is being sponsored by Safaricom, Vivo Energy, Saravo Hotels, DT Dobie and Bidco Africa among others.
Hundred of rally spectators lined up along Mombasa-Malindi road to catch a glimpse of the historic cars.
The rally was flagged off from Whitesands Beach Hotel by Mombasa County Deputy Governor William Kingi. Kenya Motor Sports chairman Phinnes Kimanthi and sponsors Safaricom’s Mpesa marketing manager Rachael Njoroge and Mombasa County Sports Chief Executive Officer Rajab Babu were present.
East African Safari Rally Ltd director, Raju Kishinani said the cars will for the first time since 2003 make it to Tanga, Tanzania. “After Tanga, the cars will take the longest drive back to Voi in Coast region before heading back to Mombasa to the final stage,” said Kishinani.
He said he was impressed to see newcomers giving a stiff challenge to the experienced drivers. “For the past eight years since the revival of the rally in 2003, we have witnessed new champions emerge,” said Kishinani.
Safaricom representative Njoroge said the firm was happy to be associated with the rally. “Sponsoring this year’s rally is part of our company’s responsibility to support sports in the country and we shall continue exposing talents in all sports,” said Njoroge.
Provisional Results (Day One)
1.Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Kenya) Porsche 150.18
2.Onkar Singh Rai(KEN)/ Drew Sturrock(GBR) 159.30.1
3. Stig Blomqvist(SWE)/Jorgen Fornander(SWE) 157.48.5
4. Kris Rosenberger (AUT)/Nicola Bleicher(DEU) Porsche 158.43.5
5. Osian Pryce(WAL)/Dale Furniss (WAL) Ford Escort 159.30.1
6. Gilberto Sandretto (ITA)/Fabrizia Pons (ITA) 163.14.1
7. Tejveer Singh Rai(KEN)/Gavin Laurence (KEN) 163.56.9
8. Philip Kadoorie(HKG)/Ryan Champion (GBR) 165.17.8