Legendary Biasion named special guest for Classic Rally

World renowned former Safari Rally winner, Miki Biasion will be the special guest as the Classic Rally gets set to be flagged off Friday morning.

Biasion, who won the Safari Rally in 1988 and 1989 in a Lancia Delta, makes his first visit to Kenya as a guest of the East African Safari Classic Rally organisers.

Biasion is also the former World Rally Champion.

"I am really excited to be in Kenya. I love the country and the people. The country is beautiful, and the people are really friendly. I won the Safari Rally twice and it is a wonderful history," said Biasion. "The Classic Rally is a great event and the cars are historic. I want to meet the drivers and see the cars."

The latest edition of the Mini Classic Rally is set to be flagged off from the Nakuru Sarova Hotel at 8am for the beginning of the three-day marathon event that will end in Eldoret.

Crews will tackle three long competitive stages on each of the three days of the competition.

The event will cover a total distance of approximately 1,000 km retracing many of the Classic Safari Rally routes between Nakuru and Eldoret environments.

All Competitive sections are gravel roads, which are ‘open’ to general traffic. The event is divided into three stages per day over three days.

Day One of the competition will comprise of the following: TC1-TC2 118.84kms - Competitive 90.21kms- Transport 28.63kms; TC2-TC3 141.29kms - Competitive 39.82 kms- Transport 22.44kms; Total Competitive 208.77 Kms Transport 193kms, Total mileage 402.63kms.

A total of 31 cars representing drivers from across the globe will be taking part in the marathon Raid rally.

Kenyans Baldev Chager and Carl Tundo look favourites for top honours in their respective Porsche 911 and Triumph TR7 rally cars.

Aslam Khan,  who has contested the event on many occasions in the past, will not be competing this time round. 

Instead his nephew Farhaaz Khan will drive his Porsche 911. Aslam’s brother Arshad, who is also Farhaaz’s dad, will navigate his son.

The ALS team is also represented by Shakeel Khan and his navigator Assad Mughal in a Ford Escort MK1.

Dr. Raj Jutley, who has performed high level duties in the sport of rallying, will navigate Rajay Sehmi driving a Porsche 911.

Jutely is a well renowned specialist as a heart surgery (cardio-thoracic surgery).

Victoria Commercial Bank and Kenya Breweries will join hands to sponsor this year’s Mini Classic Rally to be organised by the East African Safari Classic Rally.

Start List: 

1.Baldev Chager/Gareth Dawe (Porsche 911)

2.Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Triumph TR7)

3.Piers Daykin/Tariq Malik (Datsun 280Z)

4.Raaji Bharij/Ravi Soni (Ford Escort MK1)

5.Ian Duncan/Anthony Nielsen (Datsun 280Z)

6.Geoff Bell/Tim Challen (Datsun 280Z)

7.Remon Vos/Stephane Prevot (Porsche 911)

8.Jonathan Somen/Richard (Ford Escort MK2)

9.Farhaaz Khan/Arshad Khan (Porsche 911)

10.Malcolm Destro/Lloyd Destro (Datsun 280Z)

11.Rajay Sehmi/Raj Jutley (Porsche 911)

12.Rommy Bhamra/Harvey Jutley (Datsun 260Z)

13.Steven Parkinson/Russell Parkinson (Ford Escort MK2)

14.Eric Bengi/Gatimu Mindo (Datsun Violet GT)

15.Kavisi Evans Kavisi/Absalom Aswani (Datsun Violet GT)

16.Robert Calder/Gavn Laurence (Datsun 280Z)

17.Shakeel Khan/Assad Mughal (Ford Escort MK1)

18.Toby Wright/Douglas Rundgren (Ford Escort)

19.Malcolm Rich/Adrian Cavenagh (Ford Escort MK2)

20.Rajesh Maini/Devan Bhundia (Ford Escort MK1)

21.Hamza Anwar/Adnan Din (Datsun PA10)

22.Asad Anwar/Rob Warmisham (Toyota Levin)

23.Maxine Wahome/Tuta Mionki (Datsun 1600SSS)

24.Lola Verlaque /Edward Verlaque (VW Golf MK1)

25.Azar Anwar/Jansher Sandhu (BMW 535)

26.Ghalib Hajee/Riyaz Ismail (Porsche 911)

27.Sam Karangatha/Steve Nyorri (Datsun 180B)

28.Nish Lakhani/Teeku Patel (Datsun 1600 SSS)

29.Bart Vanhaverbeke/Steven Vyncke (Mercedes)

30.Tariq Khan/Zah Shah (Datsun 1600 SSS)

31.Jose Sardinha/Glen Castle (Mitsubishi Lancer)