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Legend Mehta tastes maiden glory in dramatic style and luck
In this file photo dated April 20, 1981, Kenyan driver Shekhar Mehta (left) hits the first ever Safari Rally hat-trick with his third victory in a row and fourth one in the five-day 5,500 kilometre contest. His compatriot Joginder Singh had had three non-consecutive victories. Here, Datsun team manager Wakasaka (centre) congratulates the Datsun 160J GT Violet all-Kenyan crew of Mehta and co-driver Mike Doughty at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre finish ramp in Nairobi.
What you need to know:
- Few noticed a small Peugeot 204 in 1969 East African Safari Rally driven by a little known driver by the name of Mehta from Uganda, navigated by Rob Combes
- Mehta’s family was forced to relocate to Kenya later to escape the politically-instigated targeting of Asian by brutal dictator Idi Amin who overthrew the democratically elected government of Milton Obote in 1971
- Mehta who passed on in 2006 aged 64, was to become the most successful Safari Rally champion ever with five victories, four of them successive (1979-82), always driving Datsun cars
The Shekhar Mehta star didn't start shining overnight. It was a slow process which burst into blinding light after two years before a lull.
Few noticed a small Peugeot 204 in 1969 East African Safari Rally driven by a little known driver by the name of Mehta from Uganda, navigated by Rob Combes. Mehta finished in 27th.
It is his compatriot Sospeter Munyegera and Giga Noormohamed who stole the show despite finishing in 31st position.
Munyegera and Noormohamed made history by becoming the first Africans to finish the rally since inception in 1953.
Mehta’s family was forced to relocate to Kenya later to escape the politically-instigated targeting of Asian by brutal dictator Idi Amin who overthrew the democratically elected government of Milton Obote in 1971.
Mehta bounced back in 1971 co-driven by Mike Doughty in a Datsun 240Z to place second before he faltered in 1972 when he finished 19th.
Most successful champions
Mehta, who passed on in 2006 aged 64, was to become the most successful Safari Rally champion ever with five victories, four of them successive (1979-82), always driving Datsun cars.
Everything changed for the better for the Ugandan-Kenyan in 1973 when he and Harry Kallstrom were involved in one of the hottest and closest races in history. They arrived in Nairobi dead even on points.
Navigated by Lofty Drews, Mehta staged a wonderful drive on the last day in Mount Kenya region.
The winner was decided in a tie-breaker rule of “Cleanest, Furthest” or simply put, victory given to the car that had gone furthest without penalties and with minimal body shell damages.
This was after Kallstrom of Sweden grabbed the lead with 70km to go when the rally leader Hannu Mikkola of Finland Ford Escort hit a bank and suffered irreparable damages. But Kallstrom lost the lead to Shekhar Mehta after getting bogged down in mud.
Mehta's 240Z was faster and arrived one minute ahead of Kallstrom in a Datsun 1800SS. But he incurred a minute penalty at scrutineering for missing a side light, leaving the two drivers tied on 406 points.
The tie break rule gave Mehta the advantage.
