KENYA AIRWAYS
SUPPORTS THE 2009 CLASSIC SAFARI RALLY
Kenya Airways will
sponsor the fourth edition of the East African Safari Classic Rally
to be staged in November 2009.The deal which is one of the largest single
event sponsorship the company is doing will go towards supporting what
is regarded as one of the toughest motor rallies in the world and also
a heritage event in Kenya's motoring history.
Forty one local and international drivers have already signed up for
November's East African Safari Classic as Kenya Airways announced a
sponsorship package to keep the event's title sponsorship.
The KQ East African Safari Classic starts from Mombasa on 22nd November
2009 and covers approximately 4,300Km of which 1,900 will be competitive.
Kenya Airways Chief Executive Titus Naikuni said they are excited with
the regional outlook of the event considering Kenya Airways grew out
of the ashes of East African Airways as did the Classic Safari which
emerged as a revival of the old heritage East African Safari Rally.
Naikuni reckoned that with the growth of East African Community and
the concept to embrace Rwanda and Burundi , KQ would look forward to
seeing the Classic Rally going further a field and traversing these
regions.
"Kenya Airways is happy to be back on board to support the East
African Classic rally having been with the first event in 2003. Kenya
Airways has also supported the Safari Rally throughout its 58 years
history in some form or another and this is one of the best rallies
in the world," Naikuni noted.
Clerk of the Course, Surinder Thatthi said it was encouraging to received
41 entries in spite of the current economic recession the world has
had to contend with. He said 16 more entries are set to be forthcoming.
"If we get the 16 entries then we will have a total of 56 and will
have four more left to realize the maximum of 60," Surinder added
that they were unable to enlist more than 60 owing to accommodation
restrains.
Surinder observed that the KQ Safari Classic was a better and appropriate
way to market the country through sports tourism. "This Classic
Safari puts East Africa on the world map by showcasing images of the
scenic countryside terrain. It also boosts the Kenyan economy in the
sense that quite a lot is spent quite on hospitality as well as other
many aspects in tourist sites," Surinder added.
"The format of the rally will be four days of competition with
rest halt in the famous Amboseli National Park in the foothills of Mount
Kilimanjaro. This will be followed by another four days of competition
before the cars head for the finish on the sandy beaches north of Mombasa."
Former 5 times Safari Rally winner and rallying idol, Bjorn Waldegard
of Sweden is among the list of 41 cars that have already entered the
rally. He has entered this year's edition in a Porsche 911 prepared
and run by Francis Tuthill Porsche. The Swede, one of the greatest Safari
Rally drivers of all time and was the overall winner of the last edition
in 2007.
The organizers expect
60 cars to start the event in November.
Frederic Dor and Dider Breton from Switzerland who finished second in
2007 has entered his Porsche 911. Gerard Marcy who was the early leader
of the 2007 Classic Safari before the had problems and this year will
be with famous WRC co driver Stephane Prevot of Belgium also in a Porsche
911.
Ian Duncan, former winner of the Safari Rally will spearhead the local
interest driving a Ford Mustang with other drivers being Stefano Rocca
in a Datsun 240Z, Aslam Khan in a Ford Escort, Marzio Kravos in a Mercedes
450SLC and Ben Muchemi in a Datsun 260Z.
The 2007 event received
a massive Television and Print Media audience from around the world.
A 52-minute film of the event was also shown on DSTV throughout Africa,
Middle East, Channel 10 Australia, Eurosport, Rally Action Belgium and
Motors TV.
Although the details
of the actual 2009 rally route are secret until the rally starts, the
Safari organisers have released an outline of the rally with locations
of the night halts. The innovation this year is that three of the night
halts are used for two consecutive nights in Arusha, Amboseli and Naivasha.
Kenya Airways and
the East African Safari Rally Ltd are offering a "Rally Package
Tour" to visit and watch the event.
