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 3 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 was the most successful in the event with five outright victories (1973, 1979–1982).

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 Kenya Alan Dix Kenya Johnny Larsen Volkswagen Beetle  
1954 2nd Coronation Safari Rally Kenya D P Marwaha Kenya Vic Preston Sr Volkswagen Beetle  
1955 3rd Coronation Safari Rally Kenya Vic Preston Sr Kenya D P Marwaha Ford Zephyr  
1956 4th Coronation Safari Rally Kenya Eric Cecil Kenya Tony Vickers DKW  
1957 5th Coronation Safari Rally Kenya Gus Hofmann Kenya Arthur Burton DKW  
1958 6th Coronation Safari Rally Kenya Arne Kopperud
Kenya Morris Temple-Boreham		 Kenya Kora Kopperud
Kenya Mike Armstrong		 Ford Zephyr II (Lion class)
Auto Union 1000 (Leopard class)		  
1959 7th Coronation Safari Rally Kenya Bill Fritschy Kenya Jack Ellis Mercedes-Benz 219  
1960 8th East African Safari Rally Kenya Bill Fritschy Kenya Jack Ellis Mercedes-Benz 219  
1961 9th East African Safari Rally Kenya John Manussis Kenya Bill Coleridge
Kenya David Bekett		 Mercedes-Benz 220SE  
1962 10th East African Safari Rally Kenya Tommy Fjastad Kenya Bernhard Schmider Volkswagen 1200  
1963 11th East African Safari Rally Kenya Nick Nowicki Kenya Paddy Cliff Peugeot 404  
1964 12th East African Safari Rally Kenya Peter Hughes Kenya Bill Young Ford Cortina GT  
1965 13th East African Safari Rally Kenya Joginder Singh Kenya Jaswant Singh Volvo PV 544  
1966 14th East African Safari Rally Tanzania Bert Shankland Tanzania Chris Rothwell Peugeot 404  
1967 15th East African Safari Rally Tanzania Bert Shankland Tanzania Chris Rothwell Peugeot 404  
1968 16th East African Safari Rally Kenya Nick Nowicki Kenya Paddy Cliff Peugeot 404[2]  
1969 17th East African Safari Rally Kenya Robin Hillyar Kenya Jock Aird Ford Taunus 20M RS  
1970 18th East African Safari Rally Kenya Edgar Herrmann Germany Hans Schüller Datsun 1600 SSS  
1971 19th East African Safari Rally Kenya Edgar Herrmann Germany Hans Schüller Datsun 240Z  
1972 20th East African Safari Rally
(30 Mar – 3 Apr)		 Finland Hannu Mikkola Sweden Gunnar Palm Ford Escort RS1600 IMC
1973 21st East African Safari Rally
(19 – 23 Apr)		 Kenya Shekhar Mehta Kenya Lofty Drews Datsun 240Z WRC
1974 22nd East African Safari Rally
(11 – 15 Apr)		 Kenya Joginder Singh Kenya David Doig Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
1975 23rd Safari Rally
(27 – 31 Mar)		 Sweden Ove Andersson Sweden Arne Hertz Peugeot 504 WRC
1976 24th Safari Rally
(15 – 19 Apr)		 Kenya Joginder Singh Kenya David Doig Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR WRC
1977 25th Safari Rally
(7 – 11 Apr)		 Sweden Björn Waldegård Sweden Hans Thorszelius Ford Escort RS1800 WRC
1978 26th Safari Rally
(23 – 27 Mar)		 France Jean-Pierre Nicolas France Jean-Claude Lefèbvre Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé WRC
1979 27th Safari Rally
(12 – 16 Apr)		 Kenya Shekhar Mehta Kenya Mike Doughty Datsun 160J WRC
1980 28th Safari Rally
(3 – 7 Apr)		 Kenya Shekhar Mehta Kenya Mike Doughty Datsun 160J WRC
1981 29th Safari Rally
(16 – 20 Apr)		 Kenya Shekhar Mehta Kenya Mike Doughty Nissan Violet GT WRC
1982 30th Marlboro Safari Rally
(8 – 12 Apr)		 Kenya Shekhar Mehta Kenya Mike Doughty Nissan Violet GT WRC
1983 31st Marlboro Safari Rally
(30 Mar – 4 Apr)		 Finland Ari Vatanen United Kingdom Terry Harryman Opel Ascona 400 WRC
1984 32nd Marlboro Safari Rally
(19 – 23 Apr)		 Sweden Björn Waldegård Sweden Hans Thorszelius Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1985 33rd Marlboro Safari Rally
(4 – 8 Apr)		 Finland Juha Kankkunen United Kingdom Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1986 34th Marlboro Safari Rally
(29 Mar – 2 Apr)		 Sweden Björn Waldegård United Kingdom Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica TCT WRC
1987 35th Marlboro Safari Rally
(16 – 20 Apr)		 Finland Hannu Mikkola Sweden Arne Hertz Audi 200 Quattro WRC
1988 36th Marlboro Safari Rally
(31 Mar – 4 Apr)		 Italy Miki Biasion Italy Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF Integrale WRC
1989 37th Marlboro Safari Rally
(23–27 Mar)		 Italy Miki Biasion Italy Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF Integrale WRC
1990 38th Marlboro Safari Rally
(11–16 Apr)		 Sweden Björn Waldegård United Kingdom Fred Gallagher Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 WRC
1991 39th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar – 1 Apr)		 Finland Juha Kankkunen Finland Juha Piironen Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v WRC
1992 40th Martini Safari Rally
27 (Mar – 1 Apr)		 Spain Carlos Sainz Spain Luis Moya Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1993 41st Trustbank Safari Rally
(8–12 Apr)		 Finland Juha Kankkunen Finland Juha Piironen Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1994 42nd Trustbank Safari Rally
(31 Mar – 3 Apr)		 Kenya Ian Duncan Kenya David Williamson Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD WRC
1995 43rd Safari Rally
(14–17 Apr)		 Japan Yoshio Fujimoto Sweden Arne Hertz Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 2LWC
1996 44th Safari Rally
(5–7 Apr)		 Finland Tommi Mäkinen Finland Seppo Harjanne Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III WRC
1997 45th Safari Rally
(1–3 Mar)		 United Kingdom Colin McRae United Kingdom Nicky Grist Subaru Impreza WRC97 WRC
1998 46th Safari Rally
(28 Feb – 2 Mar)		 United Kingdom Richard Burns United Kingdom Robert Reid Mitsubishi Carisma GT Evolution IV WRC
1999 47th Safari Rally
(26–28 Feb)		 United Kingdom Colin McRae United Kingdom Nicky Grist Ford Focus WRC WRC
2000 48th Sameer Safari Rally
(25–27 Feb)		 United Kingdom Richard Burns United Kingdom Robert Reid Subaru Impreza WRC99 WRC
2001 49th Safari Rally
(20–22 Jul)		 Finland Tommi Mäkinen Finland Risto Mannisenmäki Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.5 WRC
2002 50th Inmarsat Safari Rally
(12–14 Jul)		 United Kingdom Colin McRae United Kingdom Nicky Grist Ford Focus RS WRC 02 WRC
2003 51st KCB Safari Rally
(9-11 Oct)		 Kenya Glen Edmunds Kenya Titch Phillips Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI ARC
2004 52nd KCB Safari Rally
(12–14 Mar)		 Kenya Carl Tundo Kenya Tim Jessop Subaru Impreza ARC
2005 53rd KCB Safari Rally
(15th – 17th Jul)		 Kenya Glen Edmunds Kenya Des Page-Morris Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII ARC
2006 54th KCB Safari Rally
(24 – 26 Mar)		 Kenya Azar Anwar Kenya George Mwangi Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI ARC
2007 55th KCB Safari Rally
(9-11 Mar)		 Zimbabwe Conrad Rautenbach Zimbabwe Peter Marsh Subaru Impreza N10 IRC & ARC
2008 56th KCB Safari Rally
(27–29 Jun)		 Kenya Lee Rose Kenya Piers Daykin Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
2009 57th KCB Safari Rally
(3–5 Apr)		 Kenya Carl Tundo Kenya Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX IRC & ARC
2010 58th KCB Safari Rally
(2–4 Apr)		 Kenya Lee Rose Kenya Piers Daykin Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
2011 59th KCB Safari Rally
(17–19 Jun)		 Kenya Carl Tundo Kenya Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
2012 60th KCB Safari Rally
(8–10 Jun)		 Kenya Carl Tundo Kenya Tim Jessop Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX ARC
2013 61st KCB Safari Rally
(5–7 Jul)		 Kenya Baldev Chager Kenya Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X ARC
2014 62nd KCB Safari Rally
(12–14 Sep)		 Kenya Baldev Chager Kenya Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X ARC
2015 63rd KCB Safari Rally
(4–5 Apr)		 Kenya Singh Chatthe Jaspreet Kenya Panesar Gurdeep Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 KRC
2016 64th KCB Safari Rally
(10–11 Jun)		 Kenya Singh Chatthe Jaspreet Kenya Panesar Gurdeep Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 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 Kenya Rob Collinge
Kenya Anton Levitan		 Datsun 240Z
2005 Dec 1 – Dec 10 Kenya Rob Collinge
Kenya Anton Levitan		 Datsun 260Z
2007 Nov 25 – Dec 3 Sweden Björn Waldegård
Sweden Mathias Waldegård		 Ford Escort Mk1
2009 Nov 22 – Dec 1 Kenya Ian Duncan
Kenya Amaar Slatch		 Ford Mustang
2011 Nov 20 – Nov 28 Sweden Björn Waldegård[3]
Sweden Mathias Waldegård		 Porsche 911
2013 Nov 21 – Nov 29 Kenya Ian Duncan
Kenya Amaar Slatch		 Ford Capri
2015 Nov 19 – Nov 27 Sweden Stig Blomqvist
Belgium Stéphane Prévot		 Porsche 911
2017 Nov 23 – Dec 1

See also

References

  1. ↑ The name Tanzania did not exist in 1953
  2. ↑ "Safari 68". Autocar. Vol. 129 (nbr 3777). 4 July 1968. pp. 6–9.
  3. ↑ International sportworld communication. "Safari glory for first world champion Waldegard". 29 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
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