Italian duo stay top as EA Classic Rally heads to Leg Seven
Baldev Chager, navigated by Gareth Dawe in a Porsche 911, goes over a railway crossing during Leg Six of the East African Safari Classic Rally in Kajiado on December 15, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Former winner of the EASCR and one of the best known local drivers, Baldev Chagger is ranked second in yet another Porsche 911
- Flash floods caused the cancellation of the second stage of Friday’s competition
- Musa Locho, the Chief Scrutineer in the EASCR, said everything was going well especially with several engine changes, many windscreens broken from stoning incidents and some due to accidents
Eugenio Amos of Italy, navigated by Paolo Ceci a Porsche 911, has maintained his lead in the East African Safari Classic Rally as the rally entered Leg Six on Friday.
There are three more days are left before one of the toughest rallies in the world comes to an end.
Former winner of the EASCR and one of the best known local drivers, Baldev Chagger is ranked second in yet another Porsche 911.
Another set of local drivers, Rajesh Maini and Daven Bhundia have pulled themselves into the top-10 of the competition driving a Ford Escort MK1.
The Datsun 280Z of Ian Duncan and Jaspal Matharu is lying in 10th position as cars prepare for the seventh leg on Saturday.
Flash floods caused the cancellation of the second stage of Friday’s competition. This is the third time in a row that the organisers of the East African Safari Classic Rally have had to cancel a stage of the competition due to poor weather. The Bulls Eye/Basil Stage was expected to be 76.45kms.
Former Safari Rally winning navigator, Dez Page-Morris is back in action and guiding his elder brother in the East African Safari Classic Rally. They are lying in 19th place.
Page-Morris helped Glen Edmunds win the 2005 Safari Rally. Page-Morris was originally based in Kenya before he migrated to the UK.
“I am navigating my elder brother Geoff Page-Morris in the Classic Rally. I'm happy to be back. We are driving a Datsun 260Z. The rally is good so far, rain has made it quite rough but we are just aiming for a finish,” Dez told Nation Sport.
Anthony Nielsen and Amaar Slatch are moving well despite a minor incident.
The crew was the victim of the poor behaviour of Evgeny Kirvee, who used abusive language and banged Nielsen’s car with fists after a mishap in one of the stages.
Former National Motocross Champion, Nielsen stayed calm in the car despite all the insults.
Stewards later fined Kirvee Sh750,000 for using abusive language.
“It was totally bad behaviour by the driver. He came to apologise later but the damage had already been done,” Nielsen told Nation Sport.
Meanwhile, both Nielsen and Slatch are getting used to their Ford Escort MK2. The car is moving well, and they are enjoying themselves aiming for a good finish.
Musa Locho, the Chief Scrutineer in the EASCR, said everything was going well especially with several engine changes, many windscreens broken from stoning incidents and some due to accidents. Car No 2 and 18 rolled but both were repaired and are still motoring.
“No bad news but we should have 58 cars running. Several cars have been scrutinised after engine change or heavy mechanical damage. Start list for today is 58 cars. The Morgans at number 60 and 61 have retired,” Locho told Nation Sport.
According to Locho, the smallest car in the rally is a Russian car, Trabant P60 with 600cc engine which is still motoring well.
Service Park Manager Joe Muchiri said he was happy despite the challenges in organising his area.
“All the service parks are under me at the end of each day. Each day 10 local marshals are deployed. The Service Parks are Vipingo, Amboseli, Naivasha, Nairobi, Voi and Ukunda. We have three teams of four marshals each. The Park is open to three cars from each team with four mechanics,” Muchiri told Nation Sport.
Saturday’s competition moves into leg seven with three more Competitive Stages.
The Stages are CS16 Meshenani Gate/Selengai 57.57 kms, CS17 Naserian/Mashuru (63.11kms) and CS18 Elenkay2/Isineti2 (73.33kms) respectively.
The total Competitive Distance will be 194.01kms while Transport Distance will be 116.65kms. Overhaul Distance will be 310.64kms.
The Top 20 positions at end of Leg Six
1. Eugenia Amos/Paolo Ceci (Porsche 911)
2. Baldev Chager/Gareth Dawe (Porsche 911)
3. Emile Breittmayer/Alexis Thomas (Porsche 911)
4. Kris Rosenberger/Nicola Bleicher (Porsche 911)
5. Journal Serderidis/Grégoire Munster (Porsche 911)
6. Bonamy Grimes/Martin Rowe (Porsche 911)
7.Phillip Kadoorie/Ryan Champion (Porsche 911)
8. Andrew Siddal/Gary McElhinney (Datsun 240Z)
9. Rajesh Maini/Devan Bhundia (Ford Escort MK1)
10. Ian Duncan/ Jaspal Matharu (Datsun 280Z)
11.Tony Wright/Douglas Rundgren (Ford Escort MK2)
12. Michael Holmqvist/EmilAxelsson (Porsche 911)
13. Patrice Perche/Julien Saunier (Porsche 911)
14. Mark Bentley/Ed Bentley (Ford Escort MK1)
15. Iain Dobson/Harry Stubbs (Ford Escort RS1600)
16. Anthony Nielsen/Ammar Slatch (Ford Escort MK1)
17. David Von Schindler/Per Bjokman (Porsche 911)
18. Josel Jobst/Luis Lobst (Porsche 911)
19. Geoffery Page-Morris/Dez Page Morris (Datsun 260)
20. Farhaaz Khan/Keith Henrie (Porsche 911)
