Test of endurance: Rally crews cover 3,000km in nine days
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.
What you need to know:
- The rally, hosted after every two years, will be held next in 2025.
- The rally was under the leadership of Joey Ghose, assisted by Renzo Bernardi (Clerk of the Course) and Raju Chagger (Event Director).
After nine days of riveting action, the East Africa Classic Rally finally came to an end on Monday.
Despite the rally delivering some of the toughest stages due to heavy rains pounding the country, competitors and organisers were happy with the competition.
The rally, hosted after every two years, will be held next in 2025.
The rally was under the leadership of Joey Ghose, assisted by Renzo Bernardi (Clerk of the Course) and Raju Chagger (Event Director).
Ghose is a former rally navigator who did well at the height of his active rallying days before he took over as the leader of the world famous East African Safari Classic Rally.
“Sections had been challenging but always with a view that competitors' safety was paramount. The organising team did a great job. All was in control,” Bernardi told Nation Sport.
Italy’s Eugenia Amos and his navigator Paolo Ceci made history as the fourth foreign crew to win the East African Safari Classic Rally since its inauguration in 2005. They were in a Porsche 911.
They were followed home by the former winner of the Classic Rally, Baldev Chagger, in yet another Porsche 911. Ian Duncan was the other local driver to finish in the top 10. The former winner of the rally was driving a Datsun 280Z.
Despite numerous mechanical problems in the rally, all the three cars entered by the Aircraft Leasing Services Team (ALS) managed to finish the rally.
ALS Team leader Aslam Khan lost six hours after his Porsche went to the Service Park for a complete engine change.
“Like I had said, my aim was to finish the rally in whatever position. I am very happy with myself and my team which also did well,” Aslam told Nation Sport.
Apart from Aslam and his brother Arshard in a Porsche 911, the rest of the team included Farhaaz Khan/Keith Henrie (Ford Escort) and Shakeel Khan/Assad Mughal (Ford Escort).
“I feel great with our achievement. We set out for a top 20 finish and ended up 15th overall. We need more seat time and definitely looking forward to the next classic event,” Shakeel said.
Other local crews to finish the grueling rally included Rajesh Maini, Asad Anwar, Eric Bengi, Piers Daykin and Glen Edmunds.
The ladies crew from the Republic of Czech, Olga Lounova and Lilia Khousnoutdinova, also finished the rally on their debut. They were driving an Opel Ascona.
The total distance of the 2023 route was over 3000km, run over nine days.
The total competitive distance was approximately 2,100km, while the transport distance was 1,900km. The rally started and finished in Mombasa.
All competing cars were manufactured before 1985, two-wheel drive with normally aspirated engines.
Among the finishers were 22 Porsches, 13 Datsuns, 12 Ford Escorts, three Opels, one Toyota and one Mercedes.
