Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is an automobile rally held in Kenya. It started in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. For many years, it was part of the World Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, and it returned in 2021. People think of it as one of the most challenging and exciting races in the World Rally Championship, and it is very popular in Africa. Starting in 2003, there is also a historical event called the East African Safari Rally that happens every two years.

History

The Safari Rally began on May 27, 1953, as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was renamed the East African Safari Rally in 1960 and became the Safari Rally in 1974. From 1973, it was part of the World Rally Championship.

The rally covered about 5,000 kilometers and had many types of roads, such as soft sand, fast farm tracks, and very rough paths up and down the Great Rift Valley. In rainy weather, the roads could become thick mud. Drivers competed on open roads, and the winner was the one with the least penalty time between time checks.

Historically, the rally was known for its fast speeds, but the tough terrain meant that reliable and careful driving often led to victory. In later years, teams used helicopters to scan ahead for animals or vehicles on the route.

Teams built strong cars with special features like bullbars and snorkels for river crossings. In the 1990s, Toyota Team Europe had a team in Kenya to prepare their cars. Repairs during the rally added time for the drivers. Later, tyre mousse allowed tires to keep working even with a puncture, so drivers could push harder.

In 1996, the rally changed to a special stage format and stopped allowing helicopter servicing. It had long stages, much longer than most rallies. The rally was dropped from the WRC in 2003 because of money and organization issues.

From 2003, the rally joined the African Rally Championship and was modernized with shorter stages and closed roads. Plans were made to return it to the World Rally Championship. In 2019, it was announced that the 2020 event would join the WRC, but it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Safari Rally returned to the WRC in 2021 after an eighteen-year break, held in Kenya in the Rift Valley in Naivasha, Nakuru County. Sebastian Ogier and Julien Ingrassia won in a Toyota Yaris WRC, and the Safari Rally is scheduled to stay in the WRC until 2026.

Winners

Kenyan drivers Shekhar Mehta and Carl Tundo have both won the Safari Rally five times. Mehta’s first win was in 1973, and he won again from 1979 to 1982 when the rally was part of the world championship. Tundo won in 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2018 when the event was part of the African Rally Championship. Tundo also stood on the podium twelve times, more than another Kenyan driver, Ian Duncan, who had nine podium finishes.

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 classic Rally is a special car race for older vehicles. It began in 2003 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first big rally. This race happens every two years and covers a very long distance of over 5,000 kilometres. Only cars made before 1985 are allowed to join. In 2017, two drivers, Richard Jackson and Carl Tundo, tied for the win because they finished at the same time.

* The race planned for 2021 was pushed back to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.