[ARC] KCB Safari Rally 2014

[J4MIE]

September 12-14th sees the next round of the African Rally Championship take place, the iconic Safari Rally, starting with a spectator stage in Nairobi before heading further North to the Mt Kenya region for the rest of the event.

I went to this event to take photos back in 2010 which was my first experience of Africa, African Rallying and African roads! What an eye opener....

Anyway, after making my competitive co-driving debut in a rally in Wales earlier this year, I will be heading over there to co-drive in the 2WD section of the event - Geoff has just bought a Toyota Levin to use which should be a lot of fun! :D

I don't think I'll have enough time for any updates during the event but will post a full report afterwards, will be on the lookout for photos and will get the in-car online as soon as possible afterwards.

Excited...? You bet!! :bounce:

[Zeakiwi]

If you don't bend the car too much you could ship the car on to New Zealand for the www.targa.co.nz (South Island tarmac roads this year) or the www.silverfernrally.co.nz ( back on the South Island gravel roads this year) later in the year.

[J4MIE]

This is very much a budget effort and the only event planned at the moment.

[J4MIE]

Provisional entry list:
ENTRY LIST: KCB Safari Rally 2014

Door No DRIVER/NAVIGATOR /Country/Make Group
1. 1-Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
2. 601- Mohammed Essa/Gareth Dawe ZAM/ZIM Subaru Impreza N16 N
3. 3-Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop EAK Proton Satria S2000 N
4. 2-Ian Duncan/ Amaar Slatch EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 9 N
5.. 604- Gary Chaynes/Romain Comas CIV Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
6 7-Rajbir Rai /Timothy Challen EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
7. 5-Quentin Mitchell/TBA EAK TBA N
8. 6-Jaspreet Chatthe /Dave Sihoka EAK/ZAM Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
9. 4-Azar Anwar /Julius Ngigi EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 8 N
10. 10-Manvir Baryan/Drew Sturrock EAK/UK Subaru GVB13 N
11. 17-Onkar Rai/Dez Page-Morris EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
12. 77-Alastair Cavenagh/Gavin Laurence EAK Proton Satria S2000 N
13. 41-Raaji Bharij /Jasneil Ghataure EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 9 N
14. 602-Jas Mangat/Tash Di Cangio EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
15. 9-Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 9 N
16. 18-Farhaaz Khan/Azhar Bhatti EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
17. 12-Issa Amwari/Job Njiru EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 9 N
18. 33-Asad Anwar/ Kashif Shiekh EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
19. 48-Imran Mogul/ Adnan Din EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
20. 605- Duncan Mubiru / Musa Nsubuga EAU Subaru Impreza N16 N
21. 15-Tejveer Rai/Zahir Shah EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
22. 603- Christakis Fitidis/Eric Nzamwita EAU/RWASubaru Impreza N12B N
23. 50-Steven Mwangi/Steven Nyorri EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
24. 35-Steve Gacheru/Gerald Maina EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
25. 46-Ghalib Hajee/Bharat Pattni EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
26. 21-Mahesh Halai/Ketan Halai EAK Subaru Impreza N12B N
27. 24-Don Smith/Bob Kaugi EAK Subaru Impreza N16 N
28. 47-Ronak Shah/Riyaz Ismail EAK Subaru Impreza N12B N
29. 43-Harpreet Sagoo/Gurveer Pandhal EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
30. 91-Amaanraj Rai/ Imran Khan EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 10 N
31. 58-Khalfan Athman/ Abdulaziz Athman EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 9 N
32. 88-Mohammed Noor/Hassan Saleh EAK Subaru Impreza N10 N
33. 16-Alasdair Keith/Tariq Malik EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
34. 82-Taiti Wachira/Mutuma Marimba EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 6 S
35. 85-Karan Patel/ Tauseef Khan EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
36. 70-Eric Njogu/ Tony Kimondo EAK Subaru Impreza N8 S
37. 81-David Kioni/ Mwangi Kioni EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
38. 67-Jonathan Somen/Richard Hechle EAK Ford Escort MK11 Classic
39. 101-Dennis Mwenda/Edward Njoroge EAK Toyota Sprinter GT 2WD
40. 61-Hussein Malik/George Mwangi EAK Mitsubishi Evolution 6 S
41. 23-Aslam Khan/Keith Henrie EAK Porsche Carrera 911 Classic
42. 117- Eric Bengi/Tony Gikuhi EAK Toyota RunX 2WD
43. 52-Rob Hellier/ Mike Huth EAK Datsun 160J Classic
44. 106- Gurmit Thethy/Depinder Kalsi EAK Volkswagen Golf MK3 2WD
45. 110- Leonardo Varese Kigondu Kareithi EAK Toyota Corolla RSI 2WD
46. 55-Rashid Kabi/Allan Muhindi EAK Subaru Impreza N8 S
47. 108- Nadeem Kana /James Mwangi EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 2WD
48. 80-Chandrakant C./Jonathan Kosgei EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
49. 32-Stanley Thuo/TBA EAK Subaru SPV
50. 84-Murage Wa Waigwa/ Tuta Mionki EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
51. 38-Ramesh Vishram / Rohit Bhudia EAK Ford Escort MK11 Classic
52. 98-Ranjeet Sehmi / Iain Freestone EAK Ford Escort MK1 Classic
53. 87-Nikhil Sachania /Charanjeev Singh EAK Mitsubishi Challenger SPV
54. 59-Rupesh Chouhan/Dhanraj Matharu EAK Land Rover Tomcat SPV
55. 97-Jonathan Jessel/TBA EAK Land Rover SPV
56. 83-Evans Kamau /Julius Mwanchuya EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
57. 119- Geoff Mayes/Jamie Mactavish UK Toyota Levin 2WD
58. 95-Sham Wason /Samir Wason EAK Subaru Legacy SPV
59. 96-Moez Malik /Steven Njenga EAK Subaru Legacy S
60. 78-Maxwell Masinde/Eric Nzuva EAK Subaru Impreza GC8 S
61. 113- Nishal Shah/ Avhit Bij EAK Volkswagen Golf MK2 2WD
62. 110- Alex Lairangi/Tony Gichohi EAK Volkswagen Golf MK2 2WD

Not many foreign crews......

[vino_93]

What's your car ? Number 119 ?

Good luck !

[J4MIE]

What's your car ? Number 119 ?

Good luck !

Yep that's us, I'm not sure how they come up with the numbers exactly!

I've tried to attach a pic of the car being prepped.

[J4MIE]

And here is an article in the local paper the other day.

[vino_93]

so is your driver from Zimbabwe or from UK ?

[J4MIE]

He is a Zimbabwean, but has a British passport, currently living in Tanzania!

[vino_93]

well, that's complicated :p

[J4MIE]

Just been informed that one of the stages on the final day has been shortened as recent rain has made it impassable! So looks like it is going to be a wet and muddy Safari Rally this year.

Not sure if I am glad about that or not...

[Jeppe]

Nice trip to you. Hope everything goes well and both of you get an experience of the life time!! Waiting for some updates about conditions and rallying...

[J4MIE]

Thanks Jeppe :up:

Hopefully I can get some updates in here during the event but definitely a write up afterwards, Geoff will be putting updates on twitter, I don't really use it but if you add me then you'll be sure of seeing them - @bigrallyfan

[J4MIE]

I think even the recce will be a challenge.... This is a photo from stage 1 today, apparently it's still raining!!

[J4MIE]

I've nearly arrived in Kenya, just a quick stop in Kigali, the car has been stickered today, scrutineering is first thing tomorrow morning while we go to do the recce!

[J4MIE]

Well we are all ready and set to head across to the start tomorrow morning. Only slight annoyance is the new intercom doesn't have an audio connection for the in-car camera, and the gopro mount needs a bit of work to get it at the right angle.

We start at approx 12pm tomorrow, but have to be in parc ferme at 7am...

[J4MIE]

Here is a page from my notes for SS2 tomorrow - looks quick!! :bounce:

[J4MIE]

Well, we were having a great event and really enjoying it. Ss4 (first stage on Saturday) we broke a rear shock near the finish over an extremely rough section. We had to get out and have a look, kept on going but as all of the road section times were extremely tight, the whole field were flat out on the road sections as well! :down: so we ended up arriving at the long 54km stage 9 mins late. We didn't back off too much through there, but we got through passing about 10 other cars that had stopped, and got to the next stage (super special) on our minute despite going flat out on the road section. We did that in exactly the same time as we did on Friday. Unfortunately we couldn't get the new shocks fitted in service so had to put the (by now both) broken ones back on.

The next stage was 29km and was the best stage we did of the whole event. Everything clicked, my notes were pretty much spot on and Geoff drove really well. The "max 2000, fast right into medium left through gate, max 2000" note have us a good breather mid stage and we were 32 seconds faster than the previous run :up: We even caught and passed the car in front and we were on 3 minute intervals!

Sadly though, as we left the start line of SS8 the propshaft sheared and it was game over for us. Still, we were happy we'd done more than half of the mileage and it wasn't either of our faults that we'd retired. We were even more gutted to discover we were 2nd 2WD after the previous stage...

Though they are trying to get it back to the WRC, I have to say at the moment is has no chance. The stages were great (maybe even too fast in places) but the super special had been changed from when we did the recce :( Luckily the weather was dry. The road timing was far too tight (an extra 15 mins was given to all sections today) and the roughest part of the route was the road section from end of SSS to service - which is FIA regulations to allow turbos to cool down apparently.

Anyway, fantastic experience and loved the crowds of people waving on the road sections, everyone is very enthusiastic about rallying over here. I hope I'll get the chance to do it again some day :)

Will try and get a few pics up later on.

[J4MIE]

35 of the 62 starters made it to the finish (no super rally!), apparently someone hit an elephant on the stage through the Londaiga conservancy! As we were last on the road and a few mins late into the stage, we did pass a herd of elephants very close by, and there were a few baboons sitting on the road in various places. We did have a couple of moments, first we went really wide after missing the braking for a fast right, luckily it was on a big grassy plain, we were about 80m off the road but managed to avoid the boulders and get back on. Second was in a slower section and again a bit quick into a slow right hander, however other cars had done the same, so weaved between the small trees and back on, probably quicker than taking the corner.

There was a Ugandan crew in an Impreza N16 that rolled on the final superspecial (think there was two other cars rolled there on previous runs of the stage), but they managed to get to the finish.

[vino_93]

And Chaynes is African Champion :)

[J4MIE]

I believe that it's gone to Madagascar for them to fight it out. Essay didn't start as there was issues getting parts through customs apparently.

[Grant_RSA]

Essa commented on Facebook that he doesnt have the budget to finish the season.

[J4MIE]

Ok thanks for info.

[J4MIE]

Just for anybody that's interested, the coverage of the rally is online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067uEKkxBHM&feature=youtu.be

Only featured once at 36:00, oh well :\