" To the eleven Crews of Fellow Competitors on this Rally, who finished in front of us, we were waiting for the Rain!! be thankful it was “Not Wet” or you might have seen our Tail Lights!"

- Chris Angell and Mike B. Car No. 27



Chris Angell and Mike Bowen, both Locals from Mombasa Kenya, Driving the thirty year Old, little Red DATSUN Car No 27 were thrilled with their Result of 12th Overall and 2nd in Class, in the December 2003 Classic East African Safari Rally. They ended up the Best Kenyan Finishers from the Coast province, beating several ex Kenya Rally Champion’s and past World Rally Drivers/Winners.

Their story started with an Excellent Run on the First Day putting them in 14th Overall position against very stiff Competition. On Day Two, in the Early Morning at the Top of the Famous Taita Hills, while the Cars were being Bunched to 3 Minute Intervals, they felt like the uninvited “Guests at a Party” as their little underpowered Car sat sandwiched between Five Factory prepared Escorts and As many Porsches 911 Models in front of them and a similar number of each of these makes behind them. Count Down and down the Mountain they went at break neck speed showing Mike in the Hot seat a few Big 3,000 ft Drops way too close for his liking and ending the Special Stage just “One Second” slower than the Big 3.5 Litre Rover who had the legs on the Very Fast, top speed last 7-8 kilometres from the Roughest 40 kms to the Smoothest section of the Rally.

One Second off a top ten Position on this Special Stage and all looked set to upset the Big Guns again. Into the next Special Stage Makindu to Emali and a Buried Rock pulled up by a the Diff of a Leading Car lay in wait for Chris to Decapitate his Prop shaft universal Joint. Hopes of a Top Ten position Destroyed by just “One Rock” out of the Millions on the 5,000klm East African route that required careful negotiating. Unlucky, Yes but Lucky, Yes as the Safaricom Mobile Phone Worked, just in Network and the Rescue with a New Prop shaft was arranged and out of the Bush, Rhino Charge Direct Line driving, Local knowledge from Hunters Lodge off the Route came a New Prop shaft and was fitted just as the tail enders raced past, Having lost some 30 plus places on the Road but Rescued loosing 100 Minutes Only. At the next Control the Section was completed with the controllers after Mid Day, asking? Did you really enter the Section at Nine a.m. this Morning!! Had they the Crew Not been given a spare Prop shaft by the seller and Brother in law of Chris, at the time of Purchase of the Car, a Day instead of only under two hours on the side of the Road, would have been Lost! Day two Ended in Nanyuki down in 26th Position. The Rest of the Event was spent clawing back the Time Lost, moving up an average of three Positions each day, perhaps a record in itself, on this Rally.

Other Exciting moments in the Rally were up on the Karbanet to Tenges/Saos Twisty Road Section where the time lost going up hill on the First 30 kms meant a Fast Race down along the Twisty Escarpment that Chris Knows better than anyone! From Many Cycling Safaris his family have run, on this very same Road. Other than the Drops that Mike saw far too close it was interesting to note that the Brand New Tyres they fitted to the Car the Night before Now had No tread left on them at all, before the Gods Bridge Kerio Valley Section, where again they were close to a top ten time despite the rear suspension crying enough going up the famous fluorspar escarpment. A Shock absorber was borrowed a few Road penalties and Home for the Night to the Eldoret Camp site. Perhaps their biggest scare was half a controllers Signature on the time card, soon confirmed O.K. by the organisers.

The Cherangani Hills saw our second flat burst Tyre on the Rally and this after the Front Struts now needed replacing after 1,000 competitive Miles and a similar distance of Road mileage. The One Service crew did the needful near Kitale, then a 100 Mile an Hour dash across the Border into Uganda on a Road Section of nearly 300 kms to arrive on our Minute at the Next Control after the Cherangani Hills control point.

The next Uganda Section was done carefully into Kampala all with no distance trip that day. A big Water crossing or lake had to be negotiated and we watched in surprise to see the Scoda Speed through this water like a speed Boat.

Next Day back into Kenya and a Dash to the Masai Mara. Broken suspension and temporary repairs saw this crew Rush into the Masai Mara having only 29 Minutes left near Narok to cover a dreadful 53 Kms and arriving in the Mara loosing only four Minutes. This has to be a record time down this famous road known by Chris extremely well. Under normal circumstances the car would break, like so many did on this Road Section. The Kericho section before was Hell and Rougher than words can describe, with caked Compacted Hard Mud. Earlier that Day, there was a slight delay in the Ugandan Mud Hole to remove the Big Boulder placed there by excited Spectators. It took three people to roll it out of the Track.

Over the Mau Escarpments after the rest day saw our “Mountain Goat of a Car” at Home.
A good time and the prospect of a Very Good Time around the Delemares Estates shattered by a Fellow Slow Competitor’s DUST who refused to give way to the Charged up Driver. Once the Dust settled & apologies were heard all around.

Tanzania beckoned and With a Drivers Gut, having succumbed to the African Tummy Bug of Different Water’s for a week all hell let loose on the African Road side’s as dehydration set in. Red Bull gives you wings, was so true as a top ten Time, was again posted on a first ever run through the Famous Usumbara Mountains. Quite Rewarding.

Thank goodness for the Drivers, fellow competitors who slowed us waved us down, at the Blind Drift, Biggest Ditch in all of Africa, as it was approached at full speed!! Our Story could have been different.

Last day and onto Mombasa and the Finish having completed every Section on the rally.

Chris had a personal score to settle with the long event, as at the Age of 19, Twenty-Five years before he had been in the Last Car to Be Time Barred from the Event right at the End. “TWELTH WAS JUST REWARD”. Second in class he can add to his 1st in class in the Safari Rally of 1997 and third in 1995. Chris would like to dedicate this great achievement, to the many kind Friends and Family and Sponsors that have supported a Career in the Sport that has evolved around no fewer than Thirty Plus Safari Rallies, as Controller, Participant, Service Manager, Route opener and Spectator. Especially to his Wife Janine, the Easter Rally Widow for so many years, alone with the kids, over the Rally and her brave effort of completing the 1996 event and to the “Alam Family” for their Past support in 1979 and to their beloved “Tanveer Alam” who paid the highest price in Rallying, when he lost his life, to the Sport. Also to Mike Bowen for helping realise a Dream on this Classic Event, after his London to Sydney and London to Mexico, similar long runs. Lastly, George Angell for all his valuable input on this Event taking the Place of Max and Stewart, Janine, Laura & Lyn in years gone by. To Aziz, Karua, and
Chege a big thank you.

To the eleven Crews of Fellow Competitors on this Rally, who finished in front of us, we were waiting for the Rain!! be thankful it was “Not Wet” or you might have seen our Tail Lights! Most of our Night stops were spent, wondering what to service on the Car. It was brilliant, so reliable and strong. A limit of 30-45 Minutes to an Hour of service per Night would have seen the Little Red Datsun up in a possible podium Finish. Perhaps another Day!!!

Chris Angell and Mike B. Car No. 27

Points Missed. Snoring Contest in the Mara, Lions In the room !!
Tanga: Beds apart A/C !! Window, Wall ! One towl,. !!
Animals in the Bush, Mike changes Tyres.
Uganda Policeman puts front wheel back on after it parted company.!!
Wrong slot !! // Ulu/Tarangiri.
Fuel left in the Bush. Rumuruti.
Weight loss. 12 lb +, Great just in time for Christmas Lunch.
Escort Pass’s us on the Hill & gone.!!

Fergus and Rachel Robley - CAR NO. 44