Finally, Safari Rally cars roll off KICC ramp

The 2017 Safari Rally finally revvs off Friday morning from the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi.

The competition, making its return to the African Rally Championship series after a two-years hiatus, will start at 8am. After the start from the KICC, the cars will then head for the Southern Bypass along the Uhuru Highway to make their way to Langata Road before reaching Jamhuri Park.

The Jamhuri Park section will be the first of the five spectator stages to be tackled in the course of the day.

As per the provisional starting order, the former African champion, Jassi Chatthe of Kenya, will head the list of 49 crews made up of international drivers from as far as Finland, Zambia, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania in addition to the local drivers.

“To be first on road is one of the most tasking endeavour for any driver in the competition. It is like one is cleaning the road for the following cars especially when passing heavily populated areas. I have personally not admired that position but it has to be done,” said Chatthe, who is also a former African Rally Champion.

Chatthe will be followed by Baldev Chager (car number 2) and Ian Duncan (car number 3), who have accomplished themselves as great winners of the Safari Rally on several occasions.

They will be in the Lancer Evo10s, making it a hat-trick of the Mitsubishi models occupying the top-three positions.

Manvir Baryan, fresh from winning the Mombasa Rally last month, is seeded at number four in one of the super rally cars, a Skoda Fabia, which is considered a lot faster and quicker compared to the heavier Mitsubishi Lancers.

Chager earlier expressed his fears for the new breed of cars such as the Skoda, which is lot lighter and faster. The driver to watch will be Finland’s Tapio Laukkanen.

Although seeded at number seven and in a lesser fancied Subaru Impreza, the Finn is well known for his aggressive style of driving with nothing but victory in his mind set.

DETERMINED TO DO WELL

Ladies in the game, though few in numbers, are also determined to do well against their male counterparts.

Tuta Mionki, one of the five female competitors in Friday’s event, said she was excited to be at the starting ramp.

“It is sweet and sour for me to be doing the event with the aim to do better than the 14th place in the 2014 Safari Rally," said Mionki.

“The sour part is that there are many women out there who would like to be part of this beautiful sport but financially it’s not possible. I thank my drivers for having given me the chance to play the sport,” said Mionki, who is navigating Eric Bengi in car number 33.

Jasi Singh of Zambia, who is also the former ARC Champion, is seeded at number nine in a Subaru Impreza.