Safari Rally
Checkpoint in the 1972 rally.
The Safari Rally is a rally race held in East Africa. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika,[1] as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Safari Rally. It was one of the most prestigious and celebrated rallies of its time, as well as one of the toughest.
The Safari Rally was notorious for being by far the most difficult rally in the WRC championship to win- some had said that winning this particular rally was the equivalent of winning three other rallies. The arduous conditions such as the constantly changing weather and the very rough roads- often rife with sharp rocks made life very difficult for team personnel- repairs were constantly having to be made to the cars and a lot of time would be often lost- and all this work had to be done in sometimes intense heat and humidity.
The event adopted the special stage format in 1996. From that edition until 2002, it featured over 1000 km of timed stages, with stages well over 60 km long, unlike most rallies which had under 500 km of total timed distance. This meant that the winner's total time was above 12 hours in 1996 and decreased to two seconds shy of 8 hours in 2002.
The event was part of the World Rally Championship calendar for many years until being excluded after 2002 due to the lack of finance and organisation in 2003. The Kenyan government is trying to get the rally's WRC status restored. Since 2003 the event has been part of the African Rally Championship organised by the FIA. It is currently known as the KCB Safari Rally after its sponsor, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB).
Local driver Shekhar Mehta is the most successful in the event with five outright victories (1973, 1979–1982).
Contents
1 Past winners
2 East African Safari Rally (classic)
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
Past winners
Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Jean-Claude Lefèbvre won the 26th Safari Rally driving a Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé
| Year | Rally Name / Dates | Winning Driver | Co-driver | Winning Car | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1st Coronation Safari Rally |  Alan Dix | Johnny Larsen | Volkswagen Beetle | |
| 1954 | 2nd Coronation Safari Rally | D P Marwaha | Vic Preston Sr | Volkswagen Beetle | |
| 1955 | 3rd Coronation Safari Rally | Vic Preston Sr | D P Marwaha | Ford Zephyr | |
| 1956 | 4th Coronation Safari Rally | Eric Cecil | Tony Vickers | DKW | |
| 1957 | 5th Coronation Safari Rally | Gus Hofmann | Arthur Burton | DKW | |
| 1958 | 6th Coronation Safari Rally | Arne Kopperud Morris Temple-Boreham | Kora Kopperud Mike Armstrong | Ford Zephyr II (Lion class) Auto Union 1000 (Leopard class) | |
| 1959 | 7th Coronation Safari Rally | Bill Fritschy | Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 | |
| 1960 | 8th East African Safari Rally | Bill Fritschy | Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 | |
| 1961 | 9th East African Safari Rally | John Manussis | Bill Coleridge David Bekett | Mercedes-Benz 220SE | |
| 1962 | 10th East African Safari Rally | Tommy Fjastad | Bernhard Schmider | Volkswagen 1200 | |
| 1963 | 11th East African Safari Rally | Nick Nowicki | Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404 | |
| 1964 | 12th East African Safari Rally | Peter Hughes | Bill Young | Ford Cortina GT | |
| 1965 | 13th East African Safari Rally | Joginder Singh | Jaswant Singh | Volvo PV 544 | |
| 1966 | 14th East African Safari Rally |  Bert Shankland | Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 | |
| 1967 | 15th East African Safari Rally | Bert Shankland | Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 | |
| 1968 | 16th East African Safari Rally | Nick Nowicki | Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404[2] | |
| 1969 | 17th East African Safari Rally | Robin Hillyar | Jock Aird | Ford Taunus 20M RS | |
| 1970 | 18th East African Safari Rally | Edgar Herrmann |  Hans Schüller | Datsun 1600 SSS | |
| 1971 | 19th East African Safari Rally | Edgar Herrmann | Hans Schüller | Datsun 240Z | |
| 1972 | 20th East African Safari Rally (30 Mar – 3 Apr) |  Hannu Mikkola |  Gunnar Palm | Ford Escort RS1600 | IMC |
| 1973 | 21st East African Safari Rally (19 – 23 Apr) | Shekhar Mehta | Lofty Drews | Datsun 240Z | WRC |
| 1974 | 22nd East African Safari Rally (11 – 15 Apr) | Joginder Singh | David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR | WRC |
| 1975 | 23rd Safari Rally (27 – 31 Mar) | Ove Andersson | Arne Hertz | Peugeot 504 | WRC |
| 1976 | 24th Safari Rally (15 – 19 Apr) | Joginder Singh | David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR | WRC |
| 1977 | 25th Safari Rally (7 – 11 Apr) | Björn Waldegård | Hans Thorszelius | Ford Escort RS1800 | WRC |
| 1978 | 26th Safari Rally (23 – 27 Mar) |  Jean-Pierre Nicolas | Jean-Claude Lefèbvre | Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé | WRC |
| 1979 | 27th Safari Rally (12 – 16 Apr) | Shekhar Mehta | Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J | WRC |
| 1980 | 28th Safari Rally (3 – 7 Apr) | Shekhar Mehta | Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J | WRC |
| 1981 | 29th Safari Rally (16 – 20 Apr) | Shekhar Mehta | Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT | WRC |
| 1982 | 30th Marlboro Safari Rally (8 – 12 Apr) | Shekhar Mehta | Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT | WRC |
| 1983 | 31st Marlboro Safari Rally (30 Mar – 4 Apr) | Ari Vatanen |  Terry Harryman | Opel Ascona 400 | WRC |
| 1984 | 32nd Marlboro Safari Rally (19 – 23 Apr) | Björn Waldegård | Hans Thorszelius | Toyota Celica TCT | WRC |
| 1985 | 33rd Marlboro Safari Rally (4 – 8 Apr) | Juha Kankkunen | Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT | WRC |
| 1986 | 34th Marlboro Safari Rally (29 Mar – 2 Apr) | Björn Waldegård | Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT | WRC |
| 1987 | 35th Marlboro Safari Rally (16 – 20 Apr) | Hannu Mikkola | Arne Hertz | Audi 200 Quattro | WRC |
| 1988 | 36th Marlboro Safari Rally (31 Mar – 4 Apr) |  Miki Biasion | Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale | WRC |
| 1989 | 37th Marlboro Safari Rally (23–27 Mar) | Miki Biasion | Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale | WRC |
| 1990 | 38th Marlboro Safari Rally (11–16 Apr) | Björn Waldegård | Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 | WRC |
| 1991 | 39th Martini Safari Rally 27 (Mar – 1 Apr) | Juha Kankkunen | Juha Piironen | Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v | WRC |
| 1992 | 40th Martini Safari Rally 27 (Mar – 1 Apr) |  Carlos Sainz | Luis Moya | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD | WRC |
| 1993 | 41st Trustbank Safari Rally (8–12 Apr) | Juha Kankkunen | Juha Piironen | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD | WRC |
| 1994 | 42nd Trustbank Safari Rally (31 Mar – 3 Apr) | Ian Duncan | David Williamson | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD | WRC |
| 1995 | 43rd Safari Rally (14–17 Apr) |  Yoshio Fujimoto | Arne Hertz | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD | 2LWC |
| 1996 | 44th Safari Rally (5–7 Apr) | Tommi Mäkinen | Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III | WRC |
| 1997 | 45th Safari Rally (1–3 Mar) | Colin McRae | Nicky Grist | Subaru Impreza WRC97 | WRC |
| 1998 | 46th Safari Rally (28 Feb – 2 Mar) | Richard Burns | Robert Reid | Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evolution IV (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV) | WRC |
| 1999 | 47th Safari Rally (26–28 Feb) | Colin McRae | Nicky Grist | Ford Focus WRC | WRC |
| 2000 | 48th Sameer Safari Rally (25–27 Feb) | Richard Burns | Robert Reid | Subaru Impreza WRC00 | WRC |
| 2001 | 49th Safari Rally (20–22 Jul) | Tommi Mäkinen | Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.5 | WRC |
| 2002 | 50th Inmarsat Safari Rally (12–14 Jul) | Colin McRae | Nicky Grist | Ford Focus RS WRC 02 | WRC |
| 2003 | 51st KCB Safari Rally (9-11 Oct) | Glen Edmunds | Titch Phillips | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI | ARC |
| 2004 | 52nd KCB Safari Rally (12–14 Mar) | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Subaru Impreza | ARC |
| 2005 | 53rd KCB Safari Rally (15th – 17th Jul) | Glen Edmunds | Des Page-Morris | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII | ARC |
| 2006 | 54th KCB Safari Rally (24 – 26 Mar) | Azar Anwar | George Mwangi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI | ARC |
| 2007 | 55th KCB Safari Rally (9-11 Mar) |  Conrad Rautenbach | Peter Marsh | Subaru Impreza N10 | IRC & ARC |
| 2008 | 56th KCB Safari Rally (27–29 Jun) | Lee Rose | Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | ARC |
| 2009 | 57th KCB Safari Rally (3–5 Apr) | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | IRC & ARC |
| 2010 | 58th KCB Safari Rally (2–4 Apr) | Lee Rose | Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | ARC |
| 2011 | 59th KCB Safari Rally (17–19 Jun) | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | ARC |
| 2012 | 60th KCB Safari Rally (8–10 Jun) | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | ARC |
| 2013 | 61st KCB Safari Rally (5–7 Jul) | Baldev Chager | Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | ARC |
| 2014 | 62nd KCB Safari Rally (12–14 Sep) | Baldev Chager | Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | ARC |
| 2015 | 63rd KCB Safari Rally (4–5 Apr) | Singh Chatthe Jaspreet | Panesar Gurdeep | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 | KRC |
| 2016 | 64th KCB Safari Rally (10–11 Jun) | Singh Chatthe Jaspreet | Panesar Gurdeep | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 | KRC |
| 2017 | 65th Safari Rally (17–18 Mar) | Tapio Laukkanen | Gavin Laurence | Subaru Impreza WRX STi 4 D R4 | ARC & KRC |
| 2018 | 66th Safari Rally (16–18 Mar) | Carl Tundo | Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 | ARC & KRC |
Notes: IMC = International Championship for Manufacturers, WRC = World Rally Championship, 2LWC = 2-Litre World Cup, ARC = African Rally Championship, IRC = Intercontinental Rally Challenge, KRC = Kenya National Rally Championship
East African Safari Rally (classic)
The East African Safari Rally is a Classic rally event first held in 2003 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first running of the event. The event has since been held biennially.
| Year | Dates | Winning Driver / Co-driver | Winning Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dec 10 – Dec 19 | Rob Collinge Anton Levitan | Datsun 240Z |
| 2005 | Dec 1 – Dec 10 | Rob Collinge Anton Levitan | Datsun 260Z |
| 2007 | Nov 25 – Dec 3 | Björn Waldegård Mathias Waldegård | Ford Escort Mk1 |
| 2009 | Nov 22 – Dec 1 | Ian Duncan Amaar Slatch | Ford Mustang |
| 2011 | Nov 20 – Nov 28 | Björn Waldegård[3] Mathias Waldegård | Porsche 911 |
| 2013 | Nov 21 – Nov 29 | Ian Duncan Amaar Slatch | Ford Capri |
| 2015 | Nov 19 – Nov 27 | Stig Blomqvist  Stéphane Prévot | Porsche 911 |
| 2017 | Nov 23 – Dec 1 | Richard Jackson[4]
jointly with[5]
| Porsche 911 Triumph TR7 |
See also
Safari Rally (1978 film)
Safari 3000 (1982 film)
 |
|
References
^ The name Tanzania did not exist in 1953
^ "Safari 68". Autocar. Vol. 129 (nbr 3777). 4 July 1968. pp. 6–9..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ International sportworld communication. "Safari glory for first world champion Waldegard". 29 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
^ "Final Classification Safari Classic 2017". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
^ "Tundo and Jackson share Safari Classic victory". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Safari Rally. |
- KMSF official website
- African Rally Championship official website
- Race results since 1970 at Rallybase.nl website
- World Rally Archive – Safari Rally
- East African Safari Rally (classic) official website
- [1]
