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Amos in pole position as EA Classic Rally heads for finish

Cars waiting to be pulled out by tractors after getting stuck in mud for hours in Teita Sanctuary stage. Baldev Chager, the last local driver, is a mere 10 minutes behind Eugenia Amos of Italy with three more stages remaining. 
 

Photo credit: Anwar Sidi | Nation Media Group

By  Abdul Sidi

What you need to know:

  • The Final Leg will end up with three more Competitive stages. The stages will be CS22 Teita/Mackinon2 86.31kms, CS23 Vigurungani/Lunga Lunga 52.89kms and CS24 Mrima/Ukunda 46.52kms.
  • Total Competitive Distance will be 185.72kms while the Transport Distance will be 148.46kms. The Overhaul Distance will be 334.18kms.

It will be a big battle between Eugenia Amos of Italy and Kenyan Baldev Chager as the 2023 East African Safari Classic Rally comes to an end Monday

Baldev Chager, the last local driver to have won one of the toughest rallies in the world, is 10 minutes behind Amos with three more stages remaining and both driving similar Porsche 911 rally cars.

Amos has led the rally for the past four days, while Chager has been right on his heels in the second position in the nine-day competition.

Related

Chager, Ian Duncan and Kris Rosenberger are the only past Kenyan winners of the East African Safari Classic Rally, who are participating in the current round of the event.

The rest of the past winners of the East African Safari Classic Rally include 2003 and 2005 winners Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan (Datsun 240Z), 2007 and 2011 Bjorn Waldegard/Mathias Waldegard (Ford Escort and Porsche 911), 2009 and 2013 Ian Duncan/Amaan Slatch (Ford Mustang and Ford Capri), 2015 and 2019 Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Triumph TR7, 2017 Richard Jackson/Ryan Champion (Porsche 911) and 2021 Kris Rosenberger/Niki Bleicher (Porsche 911) and Baldev Chager/Sturrock Drew (Porsche 9111).

Rob Collinge, Ian Duncan, Bjorn Waldegard and Carl Tundo have each won two events since it was first held in 2003.

“Day was challenging, but a very exciting river crossing on stage 1. The rest of the stages were all good. We shortened the third stage slightly," said  Renzo Bernardi, the Clerk of Course

Raju Chagger, the Event Director, was excited that the rains have stopped.

“Due to weather we created a new route for Leg 8. Complete new books and time cards. Endurance stage of 138km to put them to test and see who comes out on top. Weather seems to follow me and I pray we get to the finish in one piece,” Chagger told Nation Sport.

The Final Leg will end up with three more Competitive stages. The stages will be CS22 Teita/Mackinon2 86.31kms, CS23 Vigurungani/Lunga Lunga 52.89kms and CS24 Mrima/Ukunda 46.52kms.

Total Competitive Distance will be 185.72kms while the Transport Distance will be 148.46kms. The Overhaul Distance will be 334.18kms.

Provisional Top-10 positions at end of Leg Eight

1. Eugenia Amos/Paolo Ceci (Porsche 911) 807mins:34.8secs

2. Baldev Chager/Gareth Dawe (Porsche 911) 817:43.6

3. Emile Breittmayer/Alexis Thomas (Porsche 911) 826:05.2

4. Kris Rosenberger/Nicola Bleicher (Porsche 911) 829:57.4

5. Bonamy Grimes/Martin Rowe (Porsche 911) 855:02.6

6. Ian Duncan/Jaspal Matharu (Datsun 280Z) 883:12.1

7. Patrice Perche/Julien Saunier (Porsche 911) 885:58

8. Andrew Siddal/Gary McElhinney (Datsun 240Z) 911:39.4

9. Journal Serderidis/Grégoire Munster (Porsche 911) 1086:44.8

10. Piers Daykin/Tariq Malik (Datsun 280Z),Rajesh 1318:32.5

In the headlines