Safari Rally

The Safari Rally is a rally race held in Kenya. 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. Widely regarded as one of the most popular African rallies, it was set to make a return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2020 after an 18-year hiatus, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will instead return in the 2021 World Rally Championship.

For the 1978 action film, see Safari Rally (film).
Checkpoint in the 1972 rally.

The older version of 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, which added to the elapsed time of the competitors. Frequently, all this work had to be done in 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 kilometres (37 mi) long, unlike most rallies which had under 500 kilometres (310 mi) 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 excluded from the WRC calendar due to a lack of finance and organisation in 2003. Since 2003 the event has been part of the African Rally Championship, organised by the FIA.

On the 27 September 2019, The Safari Rally was readmitted into the WRC championship calendar starting with the 2020 rally between 16 and 19 July, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, instead making its return in 2021.

Local driver Shekhar Mehta is the most successful in the event with five outright victories, in 1973, and 1979 to 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 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 Volkswagen Beetle  
1958 6th Coronation Safari Rally T. Brooke
Arne Kopperud
Morris Temple-Boreham		 Peter Hughes
Kora Kopperud
Mike Armstrong		 Ford Anglia 100E (Impala class)

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
2019 67th Safari Rally
(5–7 Jul)		 Baldev Chager Ravi Soni Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X R4 ARC & KRC
2020 68th Safari Rally
(16–19 Jul)		 Cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns WRC

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]

Ryan Champion

jointly with[5]

Carl Tundo

Tim Jessop

 Porsche 911

Triumph TR7

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.
  4. "Final Classification Safari Classic 2017". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
  5. "Tundo and Jackson share Safari Classic victory". East African Safari Classic Rally. 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
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