The KCB Machakos Rally will kick off on Saturday morning with both the scrutineering of rally cars and the official inspection of the rally route by the drivers.
The Kenya Motor Sports Club in Nairobi’s South C will host the scrutineering of the rally cars, while the drivers will be out on the route of the rally to check and make their own pace notes.
The main rally will start on Sunday morning from the Rally Headquarters at Lisa Park in Machakos County. Lisa Park will also host the main Service Park.
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Joey Ghose, the Managing Director of Minti Motorsports UK, will take part in the 2021 East African Safari Classic Rally to be held in November .
Minti Motorsports UK are the new owners of the world’s best known world’s Marathon Raid Rally which will cover over 10 days across the Kenyan territory.
Ghose, who was a well-known rally navigator in the Kenya National Rally Championship before exchanging seats and moving to Dubai, will enter a Nissan 240RS to be navigated by Imran Khan.
“I did a few seasons in the UAE and then mostly in East Africa. Best result was 5th in the Top Fry Classic in 2018 in a Ford Escort Mark 1. I started rallying when I was 17. I have only entered one East African Safari Classic Rally in 2019,’’ said Ghose, 59.
Ghose added: “The greatest event was the Safari Rally from 1970 to 1990. Those, to me, were the real years of the test of man and machine. One had to do between 5000 and 6,000kms over five days with few hours of sleep, while we were expected to drive even at night.
But most importantly homologation was very strict and considered the privateer as well, 5,000 units of each of rally cars had to be produced by the manufacturers and even for the ‘special’ exemptions 400 units had to be made. This made rallying cheaper and works parts were available for privateers which enabled them to be competitive against the works cars.”
“I started off in a very old Datsun 1000, then a Datsun 1600 sss, Datsun 1200 Pick-up, numerous Datsun PA 10’s, Mitsubishi Lancer, Ford Escort, Subaru RX and Impreza, a Nissan 240RS and recently a VW Polo R5. My favorite is the Datsun PA 10; it’s just a super car to drive.”
First run in 2003, the legendary East Africa Safari Classic Rally is a nine-day rally covering up to 5,000km across the region.
Safari Classic rekindles the spirit of the original Safari Rally, which put East Africa on the motorsport map and earned an unassailable reputation as the world’s toughest rally. BY DAILY NATION
