KQ East African Safari Rally begins

Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho flags off car number 3 Porsche 911 driven by Baldev Chager and co-driven by Ravi Soni from Kabras Sugar team at Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  Abdulrahman Sheriff

Writer

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The Eighth Edition of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally was flagged off on Thursday morning.
  • Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho flagged off the rally at Sarova Whitesands where 30 cars embarked on the day one 500 kilometres journey through the Old Tukai Lodge in Amboseli National Park.

  • Team Tido's Stig Blomqvist was the first off the ramp followed by local drivers Carl "Flash" Tundo, Baldev Singh Chager and Ian Duncan.

The Eighth Edition of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally was flagged off on Thursday morning.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho flagged off the rally at Sarova Whitesands where 30 cars embarked on the day one 500 kilometres journey through the Old Tukai Lodge in Amboseli National Park.

Team Tido's Stig Blomqvist was the first off the ramp followed by local drivers Carl "Flash" Tundo, Baldev Singh Chager and Ian Duncan.

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Among the common drivers who went over the ramp was 74-year-old Tanzanian oldie Jayant Shah, one of East Africa’s most accomplished rally drivers who is returning to the competition for the umpteenth time.

The first stage of the rally was a technical 94.07 km run through busy villages all the way from Kasava to Samburu.

Mackinon toTaita Grid was the second high speed run through the wildlife Savannah plains and wash ways totalling 90.53 km

Lastly was the 23.29km stretch which led the cars through to the first overnight stop at Olive Tukai Lodge.

How they started Thursday

1. Stig Blomqvist /Matias Edelson (Team Tido-Porsche 911/Sweden)

2. Carl Tundo /Tim Jessop (Triumph TR7/Kenya)

3. Baldev Singh Chager (Kabras Sugar Racing-Porsche 911/Kenya)

4. Ian Duncan (Ford Capri/Kenya)

5. Geoff Bell (Best Whyskey-Datsun 260Z/South Africa)

6. Jorge Perez Companc (Viking Motorsports-Ford Escort RS1800/Argentina)

7. Richard Jackson (Porsche 911/Britain)

8. Raaji Bharij (Intra Africa Insurance-Porsche 911/Kenya)

9. Onkar Singh Rai (Kabras Sugar Racing -Porsche 911-Kenya)

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