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2005 East African Safari Rally
Final Leg (Saturday 10th December)

COLLINGE TAKES SECOND VICTORY IN EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY

After 1,602.88 kilometres of competition over some of the most gruelling and challenging roads in Kenya and Tanzania, the all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan claimed their second consecutive victory in the East African Safari Rally, the world’s most historic rally. The Datsun 260Z crew took the lead after the third leg and finished the event back in Mombasa with nearly 26 minutes in hand. Former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, the early leader, finished second in the Historic Motorsport Escort RS1600, with Frederic Dor, in the Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911, third overall.

Today may have been the final leg but it was no cruise to the finish for the 30 remaining contenders in the second East African Safari Classic. The leg took the crews from Voi into the famous Taita Hills for the first of four competitive sections that could easily have proven to be the sting in the tail. After a further three sections, the crews arrived back at Diani Beach, Mombasa, for the finish after completing 170.70 competitive kilometres in a total distance of 347.04 kilometres. In total, the route covered 4,496.28 kilometres through East Africa.

After suffering with engine problems yesterday, Collinge was back on full power for the final leg. He cruised to the finish, delighted to have won his final rally before retiring from the sport.

“It means a lot to go out like this in our last rally; I’m thrilled,” said Collinge. “I knew it would be tougher this year but the victory is much better than in 2003, as this year we were up against three former World Rally Champions. I thought it was possible to win before the start though, we felt quite confident. We managed to fix the valve retainer last night but our engine problems have been very un-Datsun; it just shows how tough the car is that you can thrash it on five cylinders for a day. I have to say thank you to the control officers; hats off to those guys for a great job.”

Former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist was lucky to make the finish after breaking the steering rack today. He and co-driver Ana Goni were however happy to finish second in the Escort. “It’s been quite a normal Safari, just like the old days,” said Blomqvist, who won two of today’s sections. “It would have been difficult to win; it was impossible to beat the Datsuns in the ‘70s and it’s the same now. But I’m happy with the result and the car’s been good other than one day of problems.”

Frederic Dor, who finished second in the 2003 event, was equally delighted with third position in the lead Porsche. The Frenchman won two of the day’s sections and finished just over five minutes adrift of Blomqvist. “I’ve really enjoyed it, everything’s been perfect,” he said. “Our only problem has been the roll in the Delamere Estate.”

London City insurance broker John Lloyd was relieved to have finished after crashing in the final leg of the 2003 event. He finished a fine fourth overall in the second Tuthill Porsche 911. Australian Graham Alexander moved one position up the leaderboard today after a furious battle to the finish with Iain Freestone and Björn Waldegård, who finished sixth and seventh respectively.

Commenting on the success of the 2005 East African Safari Classic Rally, Event Director Mike Kirkland said: “I’m totally delighted that everyone has enjoyed themselves so much. They’ve seen our beautiful country and everyone is saying they want to come back on holiday. To have all these happy people in Kenya means a great deal to everyone involved; Kenya has been delighted to host everyone and looks forward to welcoming everyone back again soon.”

Over the last 10 days, the East African Safari Classic has also embraced a humanitarian side by pledging charitable donations along the route, benefiting a number of schools in Kenya.

Overall Results – 2005 East African Safari Rally

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 15hr 49min 18sec
2. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 16hr 15min 05sec
3. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 16hr 20min 35sec
4. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 16hr 41min 49sec
5. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 17hr 04min 33sec
6. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 17hr 04min 55sec
7. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 17hr 05min 23sec
8. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 17hr 59min 44min
9. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage Datsun 260Z 19hr 02min 17sec
10. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett BMW 2002 ti 19hr 14min 08sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 9

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh – S/RI – Porsche 911
“Our first day without problems! It’s been a fantastic Safari though; you have to expect problems but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, even the four hours each night as a mechanic! I think of the old days, passing through such beautiful places, and it amazes me that everyone we have met seems to have loved what I’ve done in Kenya over the years. The competitive sections absolutely compare to the old days, with great stages, and the road sections are easy but not stupidly easy. It’s been fast like hell at times though; 130 kph in the last section. All the effort that we put into this has been worth every minute.”

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres – GB/GB – Ford Escort
“We’ve had one hell of a battle today with Graham Alexander and Björn Waldegård; it’s been the three of us all day. What a fantastic last day though. We took it a bit carefully to get to the finish, but we’re second in class, second Escort and second British crew, so I’m happy, especially as we had no service crew for two days. We’ve enjoyed the whole thing, it’s been fantastic. We’ve spent the whole rally looking after the car and the plan was to be there or thereabouts and expect some attrition. Those I expected to be in front of us are, so we’re well pleased to have finished our second Safari Classic (the crew also finished sixth in 2003). Björn, though, what a true ambassador to rallying; a fantastic guy.”

10. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini – GB/GB – Porsche 911
“We didn’t break anything today, despite Paul telling me to take it easy about 50 times! We’ve been a bit nervous the last few days, but had a good time in the Taita Hills today, which were amazing. I’m absolutely delighted and it’s nice we’ve never been out of the top four. It’s been bloody good fun.”

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne – GB/GB – Ford Escort
The crew is reported to have had an accident in the final section but are unhurt.

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas – GB/GB – Ford Escort
“We had our first problem of the rally today, when the intercom broke in the second section, which was a pity as it was a lovely twisty section. We’ve had no punctures, no broken wheels, nothing; in 2003 we had seven broken wheels and 15 punctures! The car’s been perfect, even though the rally’s been much faster this year.”

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon – GB/GB – Ford Escort
The crew has been delayed during the leg for unknown reasons. They are however okay.

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen – GB/GB – Rover
“We had a puncture after the last section, the only one we’ve had all event. The Rover’s held together and we’re here! We’ve had lots of problems, but Andy and John - the service crew - have been brilliant. It was a very good rally, we’re pleased to be here and the marshals have all been excellent, thank you.”

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi – EAK/EAK – Mercedes 450 SLC
“We’ve had a fantastic day; in fact everything’s been fantastic and the car very good.”

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer – DK/DK – Porsche 911
“We made it, that’s fantastic! It’s been wonderful and rounded off with four fantastic stages today. The whole thing’s been great for us and the UN’s 2015 Millennium Development Goals. We’ve had lots of media coverage for the project which is great. Sportingly, it was sad we broke the engine in Leg 2, otherwise we could have been in the top 10. But, as soon as we put the 2015 number on the car, it wasn’t about a finishing position; that’s what it’s about being a protector of such important goals. It was also wonderful doing the event with my brother and it’s been 12 very exciting days where we’ve also become a lot closer.”

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall – A/GB – Ford Escort
“Not such a bad day for us, unlike yesterday when the clutch broke after the first section; we were lucky the second one was cancelled. This car has done London-México, London-Sydney, the Panama-Alaska, two Safaris and I was King of the Barbados Rally Carnival in 2003. Every one of those events I’ve finished in this car and so it’s retiring now! We’ve done the whole rally without a service crew, but that’s normal for me, and we’ve collected no road penalties either. The car’s pretty much as it was at the start and no one has put a hand on it other than Peter and I.”

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart – AUS/AUS – Datsun 260Z
“It’s been good, very enjoyable. It was tough, but for my first time in the Safari it was more or less what I expected. Our result is better than we thought it would be; I’ve not rallied for eight years.”

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek – D/CZ – Porsche 911
“We met a truck on a blind left corner in the second section today and ‘kissed’ it with the right rear of the car at high speed, passing it in the ditch. We were lucky it wasn’t anything more major. We’re very happy.” Adding to Jurgen’s comments, Jiri Kotek said: “I’m very happy to have been in such a powerful car, my first time, and it was exciting. We’re very very happy with the Proflex suspension and I have to thank them, as well as Silverstone tyres. We have used just one set of suspension for the whole event; absolutely fabulous. I also have to thank Francis Tuthill, who helped us prepare the car and gave us so much advice and instruction.”

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse – B/B - Porsche 911
“I’m so excited to have finished! It’s great to be here; the dream was always Mombasa and we did it. The car held together and it’s been no easy day today either. It was beautiful up in the Taita Hills and we then had two very fast sections; I was just praying for the car! But, we made it, despite wondering what to do today – whether to play it safe or go for it. I went for it; Dan said I was crazy!”

30. Jean-Michel Martin/Jean-François Chaumont – B/B – Porsche 911
“It’s been extremely difficult, more so than we expected. But we’ve experienced something each day and for a team who has never done the Safari, we’re happy. We’ve been changing the car throughout the event and it’s now better than it was at the start. A fantastic rally.”

32. Timothy Mammen/Jaspal Matharu – GB/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS
“We’re glad to be here at the finish. It was tough this year for us. The car normally behaves but we’ve broken so many things. She’s not been handling well either; always wanting to tip over, which we did once in Tanzania. It was rougher this year and more of a challenge than in 2003.”

33. Aslam Khan/Imran Khan – EAK/EAK – Datsun 180B
“It’s been wonderful. The car has been great and the sections good, especially up in the Taita Hills today. More competitive sections and less road mileage would be good, but we’ve enjoyed it.”

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett – EAK/GB – BMW 2002
“It was long, tiring and dusty, but a lot of fun. It was definitely worth doing. The rally was what I expected. We broke the engine mounting coming into Mombasa, that’s all today.”

37. Alastair Caldwell/Catriona Rings – GB/GB – Mercedes 280 SE
“We’ve been self-service the whole way and had two days out of the rally repairing the car. It’s been very good though, we’ve enjoyed it a lot. We also found some great people along the route who helped us enormously. One man worked on the car for us until 03:00 hrs as there were no garages open; he changed the whole front suspension which was a huge job. Then we had a problem with the fan and a lady came and helped us. It turns out she (Lynda Hughes) was the youngest female to ever finish the Safari! A fantastic family, who then towed us 40 kilometers to their house, put us up and helped us change the head gasket. We’d do the event again, but not without a service crew.”

39. Imtiaz Dewji/Iqbal Singh Sagoo – GB/GB – Datsun 240Z
“If we hadn’t had bad luck, we’d have had no luck at all! We found it tougher than in 2003, but also better in every way; no complaints at all. We rolled in the second leg in Tanzania but botched up the car in Dar es Salaam and since then have had gearbox and engine mounting problems in every section. Our service crew has also had its own problems, and we’ve only had them for 50% of the time.”

40. John Hills/Michael Tuckey – GB/AUS – Ford Escort
“It was a doddle….not! A great day for us; no problems. It’s a tough event and but for our problems in CS1, who knows, we could have been in the top 10, but that’s rallying.”

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage – EAK/EAK – Datsun 260Z
“We’ve very very pleased. I’m not sure what we expected, but we’re seriously chuffed to have finished. It’s been excellent with no problems today and we just drove to get to the finish. The car’s as sweet as it was at the start.”
 

2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 8 (Friday 9 December)

COLLINGE WITHIN SIGHT OF VICTORY IN EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY

The Datsun 260Z crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan continue to head the leaderboard in the East African Safari Rally. The all-Kenyan crew claimed the lead after the third day of competition and now have nearly 24 minutes in hand with just four competitive sections remaining. Stig Blomqvist, the early leader, maintains second in the Ford Escort RS1600 with Frederic Dor extending his lead over fourth-placed John Lloyd to 16 minutes.

Today's penultimate leg was another long day on the road for the crews, although the second scheduled competitive section was cancelled due to the volume of heavy machinery along the route. The crews left the Mount Kenya Safari Club at 06:00 hrs and arrived far south, in Voi, at 16:35 hrs. A 212 kilometre road section took them to the first and only competitive section of the day - the longest at 113.62 kilometres - before a long road section to the overnight halt at Voi Wildlife Lodge, north-west of Mombasa.

Collinge and Levitan were unable to repair their engine problem overnight, so the Kenyan duo has been forced to run on five cylinders throughout the day. They nevertheless won the section by nearly four minutes. "We obviously had a lack of power in the section; one of the inlet valves isn't working on one of the cylinders," said Collinge. "The section was very rough, but the suspension is awesome on these stages."

Former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has not been feeling at his best today, but the Swede still set second-fastest time to maintain his overall second position. "It was a bit rough in places, but I'm feeling happy," said the Escort RS1600 driver after a trouble-free day.

Frederic Dor consolidated his third position today, the Frenchman also enjoying a good day in the Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911. "No big problems, we just lot the 'trip after 20 kilometres'," he said. "We had to take it a bit carefully in the section as it was very fast with a lot of dry mud holes, which are difficult to see. I've been surprised by the speeds this year though."

John Lloyd maintains fourth in the second Tuthill Porsche, while Iain Freestone continues to hold fifth position, currently one position higher than his 2003 East African Safari Rally result. Australian Graham Alexander rounds off the top six in another Datsun 260Z. Safari Rally veteran Björn Waldegård, and co-driver David Cavanagh, were lucky to maintain seventh position, having driven the section with big steering problems.

Tomorrow (Saturday 10 December) may be the final leg but it will be no cruise to the finish for the 30 remaining contenders in the second East African Safari Classic. The leg takes the crews from Voi into the famous Taita Hills for the first of four competitive sections that could well prove to be the sting in the tail. After a further three sections the crews arrive back at Diani Beach, Mombasa, after completing a total of 170.70 competitive kilometers in a total distance of 347.04 kilometers.

Leaderboard after Leg 8

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 13hr 58min 49sec
2. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 14hr 22min 45sec
3. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 14hr 33min 46sec
4. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 14hr 49min 07sec
5. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 15hr 09min 37sec
6. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 15hr 11min 45sec
7. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 15hr 13min 39sec
8. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 15hr 44min 37sec
9. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 15hr 56min 13sec
10. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage Datsun 260Z 16hr 59min 16sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 8

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"We've driven 75 kilometres with the steering completely loose," said the Swede, indicating 4" of play in all directions as the steering column retaining bracket had failed. "Bloody hell; that was hard work!"

7. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes - B/B - Ford Escort RS
"We ran for 50 kilometres in John Lloyd's dust, but the car is feeling very nice after our electrical problems yesterday."

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort
""I spoke to one of my daughters last night and she told me it should be easy to win, just don't take your foot off!"

10. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini - GB/GB - Porsche 911
"That was a great fun section and the car's running beautifully."

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The section was as advertised! Just one puncture, otherwise fine for us."

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"I'm happy, again, and the car's running great."

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"There was a horrid smell of gearbox oil in the car, so there's obviously a leak. The section was rough in places, but good fun."

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"We lost the anti-roll bar yesterday and repaired the steering last night and picked up penalties going into Parc Ferme. Otherwise okay today, although we lost the intercom in the section."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"We hit a big ditch in the section, the car flew into the air and bashed down hard on the back end."

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"The goal; Mombasa!"

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"We've been keeping an eye on the oil gauge after yesterday's problems. The engine generally seems to be using a lot of oil, but we're still running!"

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"The section was very rough and loose, but the car's fine although the driver's a bit beaten around!"

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We've had slower cars in front of us and got stuck in dust twice for 25 kilometres. The front brakes were a bit in and out, but just because they were hot."

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"We're taking it easy, looking after the car to get to the finish now."

32. Timothy Mammen/Jaspal Matharu - GB/EAK - Datsun 1600SSS
"We had a good run with no problems, thank God!"

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett - EAK/GB - BMW 2002
"We're having fun! No problems at all today, just a lot of fun."

38. Hardev Singh Sira/Manjeet Singh Degun - GB/GB - Peugeot 504 Coupe
"We broken the steering and the head gasket went yesterday and we arrived at Mount Kenya at 03:00 hrs. Today we've had no problems, but it's straight to bed now."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"Excellent; a great fun section. We changed two shocks and the engine mounting yesterday and the car's now running very sweetly."
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2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 7 (Thursday 8 December)

BLOMQVIST POWERS INTO SECOND IN EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY

Local favourites Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan continue to lead the 2005 East African Safari Rally after the seventh day of competition over Kenya's unforgiving roads. The Datsun 260Z crew has just over 20 minutes in hand, however former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has been on a charge, powering into second after another long day of gruelling competition. Porsche 911 driver Frederic Dor has enjoyed a trouble-free run and the Frenchman moves into third position.

Today's seventh leg took the crews from Eldoret for another four sections and 214.57 competitive kilometres. The route initially headed north into the Cherangani Hills at heights of 3,050 metres, famous on the Safari Rally, before heading back south into the Kerio Valley. A new section then took them up the Laikipia Escarpment for some very steep climbs over tricky terrain before moving on to the spectacularly high-speed plains awash with holes and ruts. The route then headed to Nanyuki and the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club for the overnight halt.

Rob Collinge started the day with a 22 minute advantage over Gerard Marcy. The Kenyan was never outside the top six throughout the leg and won CS23 and CS25. "It's been reasonably traumatic," said Collinge. "We dropped onto five cylinders this morning and I reckon we've lost about six minutes."

Belgian Gerard Marcy started the day in second position, but has dropped down the order to 17th after a disappointing day. A broken alternator screw on the Escort initially delayed them and, despite repairs, they were again stopped in the final section with the same problem. So, second position has been taken by Stig Blomqvist and Ana Goni, the pair winning both CS22 and CS24 to move one place up the leaderboard in their Escort RS1600. "We've had no problems and I'm quite happy we've got through another day," said the Swede.

Frederic Dor has enjoyed a great day of competition, the Frenchman powering up the leaderboard from fifth to third overnight, just over 10 minutes adrift of Blomqvist. The pressure is however on Dor, as he and fourth-placed John Lloyd have been battling hard throughout the event and they are only split by 12 minutes with two days remaining and where anything can still happen. "We've had no problems at all today," said Dor.

Former World Rally Champion and Safari Rally veteran Björn Waldegård has moved two positions up the leaderboard, into seventh, despite more brake problems.

Friday's penultimate leg is another long day for the crews, leaving the Mount Kenya Safari Club at 06:00 hrs and arriving far south, in Voi, at 16:35 hrs. A 212 kilometre road section takes the crews to the first competitive section - the longest at 113.62 kilometres - before the final section of the leg from Nziu to Makindu. In total, the penultimate leg takes in 188.79 competitive kilometres over just two sections before the overnight halt at Voi Wildlife Lodge.

Leaderboard after Leg 7

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 12hr 55min 00sec
2. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 13hr 15min 15sec
3. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 13hr 25min 48sec
4. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 13hr 37min 37sec
5. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 13hr 58min 32sec
6. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 14hr 00min 55sec
7. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 14hr 02min 49sec
8. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 14hr 22min 23sec
9. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 14hr 33min 50sec
10. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage Datsun 260Z 14hr 40min 46sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 7

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
Juha Repo is confirmed to have had blood circulation problems. The Finn is however fine, resting in Nairobi and hoping to join the rally in Mombasa.

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"It's been an interesting day; fantastic places, beautiful and famous mountains, absolutely lovely. We slowed a fair bit today to preserve the car and survived okay. On extremely fast and rough roads like the last one (CS25) you need some speed, but you have to pace yourself as well. We lost the brakes again, for the fifth time, on the section, but at least we had the front brakes. A rear suspension bolt also came loose before CS24, but we managed to fix it for the section. It's just been another day at the office!"

7. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes - B/B - Ford Escort RS
The crew has been delayed with an alternator problem.

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The final section (CS25) was too fast and dangerous with so many holes. It's been a mixed day. We totally broke the front suspension on CS24 and managed to replace it, but with just 20 seconds to spare."

10. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini - GB/GB - Porsche 911
"We had a puncture in CS24, just after passing Gerard Marcy; it took a long time to change."

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"It's been a mixed day. The throttle linkage fell apart, but we managed to fix it. Then we broke the left rear suspension, so it was a bit bumpy on the last one!"

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The last section was rough and fast, the type of stage where you can smash the car to bits. The car got very very hot earlier and we had to slow; the temperature was off the clock."

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"No dramas for us today. We've been driving steadily as it was a make or break day."

18. Jayant Shah/Lofty Drews - GB/GB - Datsun 180B
"The car died on us six times in CS25; the battery, ignition, alternator - it just kept happening. The rest of the day's been beautiful and we're up for a beer tonight!"

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"It's been a fraught day. We had no brakes in CS24 and only the front left working through CS25. The oil pressure and brake pipes had rubbed together; it was very dodgy on the section. Every time I pressed the brakes, more fluid came out."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"We broke the rear cross-member in the second section today and it took us 3.5 hours to replace it. Still, we're here."

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"We fitted a new gearbox last night and I didn't take my foot off the floor throughout CS25!"

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"We're here! In CS24 (where Hall was driving) there were so many uphill sections where you needed big engine revs that we lost all the oil. The warning light came on, but we just had to limp through."

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"We've had no real problems, other than following in other people's dust."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We lost the rear brakes 20 kilometres before the finish of CS25."

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"It's been a good day. We've been gentler on the car; the end is near and the risk of breakage bigger. CS25 was incredibly fast, as fast as I dare go putting my mind away. It's been a lovely day though; great scenery and I can already taste the beer!"

30. Jean-Michel Martin/Jean-François Chaumont - B/B - Porsche 911
"The whole day's been very difficult; in fact the whole rally. We're trying to get to the finish and happy to be here. No mechanical problems, just a puncture this morning."

33. Aslam Khan/Imran Khan - EAK/EAK - Datsun 180B
"It's been an excellent day. We took a precautionary extra service this morning because we could hear a noise underneath the car, but it's all been beautiful, very good."

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett - EAK/GB - BMW 2002
"It's been a bit of a struggle today. We had a broken bolt in the gearbox cross-member but otherwise no major dramas."

40. John Hills/Michael Tuckey - GB/AUS - Ford Escort
"Excellent, no worries, and the stages have been pretty good."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"CS25 was hairy! We overtook another car and it's been a good day taking it a bit easier. The car's fine, but we need to check one or two things tonight."

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2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 6 (Wednesday 7 December)

COLLINGE EXTENDS ADVANTAGE IN EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY

The all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan have extended their lead after the sixth leg of the East African Safari Rally. Despite gearbox problems, Collinge - in the Datsun 260Z - has pulled out more than a 22 minute advantage over his nearest rival, Belgian Gerard Marcy. Third position is now held by 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, who has climbed one position up the leaderboard during the leg.

Yesterday was a welcome rest day for the crews in the Masai Mara. However with nine hours of permitted servicing time, most of the support teams were busy throughout the day. The competitive action then resumed this morning (Leg 6) with another big day covering a total of 609.01 kilometres. The route took the crews from the Masai Mara, north, for another three sections over 176.66 competitive kilometres. The first section (CS19) took them up the Mau Escarpment and was one of the toughest and roughest of the event, reaching altitudes of 2,900 metres. The route then took the crews through the famous Kerio Valley before the overnight camp at the Du Toits farm, 12 kilometres from Eldoret.

Collinge still continues to dominate the event, the experienced Kenyan winning one of today's three demanding stages (CS19). He does however continue to have gearbox problems, and will be changing the unit overnight. "The gearbox went at one kilometre from the Mara," said the overnight leader. "It was difficult to keep a rhythm knowing we'd lost third gear, but okay, we drove round it and kept going and didn't lose any time."

After an all-but trouble-free run in Leg 4, Gerard Marcy, piloting the leading Ford Escort RS1600, had his share of problems today. He nevertheless finished second in CS20 and CS21 to maintain his second position overnight. "We've had big problems," said the Belgian. "The clutch broke and we've been going slowly to make sure we don't break everything. It's been a hard day."

Former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has moved one position up the leaderboard after today's competitive sections and trails Marcy by just four minutes in this gruelling event. He won CS20 and was never outside the top four during the day. "It's been a rough day, but we've had no problems and the car's been fine," said the Swede.

John Lloyd and Paul Amandini have had a virtually trouble-free day and were never outside the top six in any of the competitive sections. They hold fourth overnight ahead of Frenchman Frederic Dor, who rolled and lost time in CS20 but won CS21. Sixth position is still held by Britain's Iain Freestone in the Ford Escort.

Safari Rally veteran Björn Waldegård has slipped one position into ninth, while former Toyota team-mate Juha Kankkunen has been forced to withdraw after co-driver Juha Repo fell ill during the night.

Thursday's seventh leg takes the crews from Eldoret for another four competitive sections and 214.57 competitive kilometres. The route initially heads north into the Cherangani Hills at heights of 3,050 metres, famous on the Safari Rally, before heading back south back into the Kerio Valley. A new section then takes them up the Laikipia Escarpment for some very steep climbs over tricky terrain before moving on the spectacularly high-speed plains. The route then heads to Nanyuki and the overnight halt at the famous Mount Kenya Safari Club for the overnight halt.

Leaderboard after Leg 6

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 10hr 27min 06sec
2. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes Ford Escort RS 10hr 49min 13sec
3. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 10hr 53min 13sec
4. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 10hr 56min 24sec
5. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 10hr 58min 42sec
6. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 11hr 19min 56sec
7. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 11hr 25min 23sec
8. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 11hr 27min 52sec
9. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 11hr 28min 04sec
10. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 11hr 49min 29sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 6

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
The crew has been forced to withdraw after Juha Repo fell ill during the night. The crew drove drive directly from the Masai Mara to Nairobi. More information to follow when available.

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"I remember back in the Toyota days the amount of preparation we did for this rally. There would be one month at the end of the year, before Christmas, and then back in January for another month of confirmation tests. Then we'd arrive early for the recce, deciding what we were doing for the rally, as well as doing two full surveys of the route, maybe three. In total, I'd say we did 30,000 kilometres preparation for one Safari Rally, including the event. That's why I got upset at home when people said it was easy for us! From the first rally I did here, I would say I've spent more than three years of my life in Kenya! Overnight, Francis Tuthill's crew kindly gave us some Őhlins shocks and it made a big difference. We've only got them on the rear though. The last stage (CS21) was brilliant; it brought back real memories of the early days."

6. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth - F/GB - Porsche 911
"We rolled in the second section (CS20). There were two flat-out junctions where at least the top six crews went off, but only we rolled. It was a fifth gear off into the two junctions at 120 mph; we went off backwards at the second corner." Adding to Frederic's comments, Paul Howarth said: "It's the pace of the World Rally Championship."

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"CS21 was great fun, a super stage, but you had to be careful at the start because it was so rough. It was one of those stages where you were either cautious, or went faster and risked damaging something. We need to change the clutch tonight, as it's been slipping during the day."

10. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini - GB/GB - Porsche 911
"We broke the windscreen and had a puncture on the way to the second section this morning. We've had a couple of overshoots, but otherwise everything's been fine. The car's good, the driver's knackered!"

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"What a great day's rallying!"

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"We got a broken windscreen on a road section, but the stages have been great; no problems and another Sunday drive!"

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"Somehow we drove out of Parc Ferme with the bonnet pins out and the bonnet flew up and smashed the screen. In the first section (CS19) we had a problem with a front strut, and then the steering rack mount broke; it's all been held together with a Jubilee clip and bungee straps for three stages!"

18. Jayant Shah/Lofty Drews - GB/GB - Datsun 180B
"We tried to sort out the steering during the rest day, having broken all the roll bars, but had to wait until the rest day to sort it. The Terratrip cable ripped out in Leg 4 which made things difficult. so we had to judge distances on the clock. We were supposed to be driving the Datsun 260Z we had in 2003, but it's still delayed on the ship from Australia, so our preparation with the 180B had to be very quick. Today, we got stuck in sand in the Delamere Estate (CS20) and lost a lot of time as we had to be towed out. We also broke a shock absorber and the propshaft."

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"We went off at the same place as Frederic Dor, but didn't roll. We had a problem with the shock absorbers after Leg 4, but didn't have time to repair them during the rest day, so we did it on the road section outside the Mara this morning."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"The starter motor broke in Nakuru and we've had a shock absorber pop out, otherwise, an okay day."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We lost the brakes halfway into CS21, couldn't stop and went off three times."

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"We were basically just fettling the car during the rest day, although we needed to sort a synchromesh problem with the gears. Otherwise, 2015 is ready for action! We had a few punctures today and need to change the gearbox tonight, as we lost a couple of gears."

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"It's been an average day."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We changed all the suspension during the rest day and just checked the car over."

28. Albert Michiels/Patrick de Coninck - B/B - Porsche 911
"Lord and Lady Delamere found us 500 metres from their house and we were their guests for the rest of the day; a great experience. We had an engine problem and there was a fire yesterday, possibly due to unburned petrol going into the engine. We tried our hardest to stay in the rally, but it was impossible."

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"All the shocks and wheel bearings were changed during the rest day and we were happy with the condition of the car going into today. We'd been warned it was rough at the start of CS21, but it wasn't so bad and overall things have been good."

32. Timothy Mammen/Jaspal Matharu - GB/EAK - Datsun 1600 SSS
"We've blown the exhaust so it's been a noisy day! We had a puncture in CS21 and it's been very rough today."

34. Bo Axelsson/Eugen Damstedt - S/FIN - Volvo 142S
"We changed another piston - our second of the event - rebuilt the suspension and reinstalled the gearbox during the rest day." The crew is now reported to have retired during the leg.

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett - EAK/GB - BMW 2002
"We had a problem in CS20 when we caught Jayant Shah. Trying to pass him we got stuck in deep sand and lost 20 minutes."

38. Hardev Singh Sira/Manjeet Singh Degun - GB/GB - Peugeot 504 Coupe
"Yesterday was meant to be a rest day! In the first three days we had 10 punctures and in the second leg had to drive 15 kilometres on a rim as we'd already used the spare. On the third day we had another two punctures at the same time after hitting a rock and bending the rims. Punctures have put us back 10 minutes a time and 10-12 positions, which we're unlikely to recover. In the fourth leg we lost a front caliper which meant we had no brakes for 10 kilometres and there was no service allowed after the section. We had less than half braking power for the next two sections. Day 4 we had a radiator leak, but despite all that we were 22nd after the fourth day, which on the positive side wasn't too bad half-way through. During the rest day we fixed the brakes and radiator leak, and just did general maintenance, including cleaning the inside of the car; although I hope our wives don't read that! It's been fun but stressful so far." The crew hit a gazelle going out of the Mara this morning and broke the radiator. They were able to continue, after being towed by a service crew.

43. Uwe Kurzenberger/Gabriele Mahler - D/D - Peugeot 504
"We had problems with the suspension on the first day and after that we had problems with the clutch, with too much dust going into it. Day 4 we had gear selection problems."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"It's been very rough, but everything's held together. The car and navigator did good and we have no complaints."

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2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 4 (Monday 5 December)

COLLINGE MAINTAINS EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY LEAD

The head of the leaderboard of the 2005 East African Safari Rally remains largely unchanged after the fourth day of competition, with Kenyan Rob Collinge maintaining his lead in the Datsun 260Z. Belgium's Gerard Marcy holds second in a Ford Escort, with John Lloyd holding on to his third position in the lead Porsche 911.

Today, the East African Safari Rally took the crews north of Nairobi and into the famed Masai Mara for another four competitive sections and 175.38 competitive kilometres. The route headed out towards Nakuru and the Delamere Estates for the first section of the day before heading to Narok and the Mara plain, awash with spectacular game. The crews spent the overnight halt in the Mara Simba Lodge after driving a total of 504.65 kilometres and nearly nine hours on the road.

Collinge, co-driven by Anton Levitan, started the day with nearly 16 minutes in hand and marginally extended his advantage during the day, despite some gearbox problems in the second section (CS16).

"It wasn't going into fourth properly," said the Kenyan, who won CS15. "The stages have been very good today, but there were a lot of cows and sheep which needed a bit of caution. Overall I'm happy with the day though."

Gerard Marcy, who was one of the early leading contenders in the 2003 East African Safari Rally, had a virtually problem-free run in the Escort, although co-driver Alain Lopes, who is competing for the first time, had some problems with the road book. "Our only problem today was losing time in CS18 when we got a bit lost," said Gerard.

John Lloyd and Paul Amandini also powered through the day without trouble, their Porsche 911 not missing a beat during the 175.38 kilometres of competition. "Everything's been fine today, other than wrong-slotting in CS18," said John. "We've had no problems at all."

Stig Blomqvist and Ana Goni maintain fourth, the duo relieved to have escaped without problems after a frustrating day yesterday. They claimed fastest time in CS17. Frederic Dor - who won CS16 - and Iain Freestone round off the top six, with Australian Graham Alexander climbing up the leaderboard from ninth to seventh overnight. Safari veteran Björn Waldegård suffered with brake problems during the day and slipped to eighth while former team-mate Juha Kankkunen climbed from 14th to 11th in the Datsun 240Z after winning the final section of the leg (CS18).

Tuesday (6 December) is a welcome rest day for the crews in the Masai Mara. However with nine hours of permitted servicing time, support teams are likely to be busy throughout the day. The competitive action then resumes on Wednesday 7 December (Leg 6) with another big day covering a total of 609.01 kilometres. The route takes the crews from the Masai Mara, north, for another three sections over 176.66 competitive kilometres. The first section (CS19) takes them up the Mau Escarpment and is one of the toughest and roughest of the event, reaching altitudes of 2,900 metres. The route then takes the crews through the famous Kerio Valley before the overnight camp at the Du Toits farm, 12 kilometres from Eldoret.

Leaderboard after Leg 4

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 8hr 15min 33sec
2. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes Ford Escort RS 8hr 33min 32sec
3. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 8hr 40min 49sec
4. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 8hr 41min 11sec
5. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 8hr 44min 25sec
6. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 9hr 00min 55sec
7. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 9hr 02min 10sec
8. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 9hr 02min 25sec
9. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 9hr 07min 11sec
10. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 9hr 23min 39sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 4

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
"We've been caught in Iain Freestone's dust all day. We could've been a lot quicker, but that's life on this rally."

4. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni - S/YV - Ford Escort RS 1600
"After all our problems yesterday, I'm pleased to say today everything has been fine; we've had our share now."

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"Our shocks were absolutely not suitable for the first stage this morning; it was too rough. In the second section (CS16) one of the front brake pipes broke after 10 kilometres so that was fairly difficult. But the service crew was incredible and turned up at exactly the right moment. Then, in the final section (CS18), we had a rear brake pipe break; not the best day."

6. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth - F/GB - Porsche 911
"No problems for us and unlike other people, we saw zero animals. These stages are what real rallying is all about; they have been really nice. It's been very different everywhere today but we've run well with a better suspension set-up."

8. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier - GB/NZ - Ford Capri Perana
"The front pulley went on the crack last night, so that's that, we're out."

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"Our service van broke down last night so we've had no support all day. And, typically, we had a total brake failure on the way out to the first section; one of the pads came out. It could be an interesting experience trying to do the Safari with no service crew."

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"All four stages have been fine and the car's running well."

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"We had a big moment in CS18 and the car went a long way into the air! There were so many huge bumps and holes. The stages have been fine, although we're getting a lot of dust in the car."

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"We bent a wheel in CS17 and had to stop and change it. It's a typical Safari and we just need to keep going."

18. Jayant Shah/Lofty Drews - GB/GB - Datsun 180B
"We got lost in CS18 and then broke the front anti roll bar in the next one."

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"We've had a terrible day. We were lost for more than 20 kilometres in CS18 and our timing's been up the creek all day. One of the diff bearings then came out this morning but we managed to fix it, so we've had good and bad luck I suppose."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"We bent something in the steering in CS18; there were big holes in there."

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"We had two flats in CS18 and have had slower people in front of us today. We lost around 15 minutes in the section after hitting a ditch while we were trying to overtake someone. But, we're delighted to be back, the car's fixed and we're really looking forward to the rest of the event; it's been wonderful so far."

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"We had a broken battery terminal in CS16, the dashboard then fell out and we lost the Terratrip too! Interesting."

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"The stages have been very nice today and the car's running very well."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We had a big off on a sharp right-hand corner in CS18, two kilometres from the finish, and I think it cracked the rear suspension arm as it then broke on the road section into the overnight halt." The crew collected more than two hours of road penalties and dropped from 11th to 21st.

25. Paul Kane/Mary Ellen Kane - GB/GB - Ford 350 Mustang
"We had a problem with the clutch yesterday and now we just need to find some small parts, but it's not been so easy. We really want to try and get the car round, but we've had to miss today's sections to try and repair it."

28. Albert Michiels/Patrick de Coninck - B/B - Porsche 911
The crew is reported to have had an electrical fire in CS15.

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"CS18 was awesome; in fact they've all been the same today. There's been a real mix of stuff and you need to keep your eye on the road the whole time; it's been full of holes everywhere. We've had problems with the suspension, but we're determined to nurture the car home."

32. Timothy Mammen/Jaspal Matharu - GB/EAK - Datsun 1600 SSS
"It's been hot and dusty and we've not had a great day. A brake pipe sheared in the first section (CS15) and we had to drive 30 kilometres with no brakes. We stopped to plug the pipe and had to take the next one really slowly. The stages have been tricky with big holes everywhere."

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett - EAK/GB - BMW 2002
"We lost time with a puncture in CS17, but the stages are so challenging; you need to be alert the whole time."

39. Imtiaz Dewji/Iqbal Singh Sagoo - GB/GB - Datsun 240Z
The crew is reported to have had gearbox problems in CS15.

40. John Hills/Michael Tuckey - GB/AUS - Ford Escort
"I'm not sorry the day's over; I feel knackered! One of the road sections was worse than being on a stage! Apart from CS1, where we had a broken strut, everything's been perfect and we've been competitive."

43. Uwe Kurzenberger/Gabriele Mahler - D/D - Peugeot 504
The crew was reported to be stuck in CS15.

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"We picked up a penalty for checking in late at CS18, but we've had a fantastic day. Just one off, but that was driver error and there was no damage. just to ego!"

- ends -

News will be issued daily during the event on www.eastafricansafarirally.com. Photography is copyright free and can be found at www.mcklein.de.

The event is sponsored by Minilite, WEC Lines and SDV Transami. News and photography sent via Inmarsat.
 

2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 3 (Sunday 4 December)

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KENYAN ROB COLLINGE CLAIMS LEAD

Blomqvist drops to fourth in East African Safari Rally

The all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan have claimed the lead in the East African Safari Rally after the third leg of this legendary event. The Datsun 260Z driver has had a virtually trouble-free run and has nearly 16 minutes in hand to second-placed Gerard Marcy. John Lloyd, who started fourth overnight, has climbed back into third in the Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911. Stig Blomqvist, who led for the opening two legs, has dropped back to fourth after problems in the first section of the day.

Late last night, the organisers took the decision to cancel CS8, where a number of crews got lost due to possible inconsistencies in the road book. Today, however, the third leg took in four competitive sections over 202.48 kilometres. The route took the crews north from Arusha for one final section in Tanzania, on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, before crossing the border back into Kenya for the longest test of the event, the 105.12 kilometre run from Namanga to Kibini (CS12). After a further two sections, the crews arrived in Nairobi for the overnight halt on the outskirts of the capital city.

Collinge started the day in second position and won the opening section in Tanzania, where tough navigation over desert-like terrain saw a number of crews lost in the maze of tracks. Despite briefly losing their way, the Kenyan then benefited when Blomqvist lost time and the winner of the 2003 East African Safari Rally cruised into the lead.

"There were a lot of tracks in the opening section and we got a bit lost," said Collinge. "The day was then trouble-free until we hit a big rock in CS13, punctured and lost all the tread from the right rear tyre."

Gerard Marcy has climbed into second position in the leading Ford Escort. He and co-driver Alain Lopes have had an incident-free day and hold a healthy advantage going into the fourth leg. "We've had no problems all day; it's been a holiday so far and we're very happy," said Marcy.

John Lloyd regains third position in his Porsche 911, the Briton delighted with his overnight position. "The first section (CS11) was like an orienteering course! We've bent a few wheels but otherwise the day's been good. As Paul (navigator) said to me, 'when was the last time you started a special stage with Stig Blomqvist, Björn Waldegård and Juha Kankkunen behind you!'"

1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has had a frustrating day in the Historic Motorsport Escort. "I thought we had a puncture in CS11 but in fact it was a broken rim," said fourth-placed Blomqvist. "We stopped to change it and the jack broke so it took a long time to change the wheel with spectators helping us. Then we got stuck in sand in a dry riverbed and lost around 25 minutes in the section. Not a great day," added the Swede, who then went on to set joint fastest time, with Kankkunen, in CS12.

Fifth position is held by Frenchman Frederic Dor, who also got lost in the opening section but went on to win CS14. "We got a bit lost and then broke a wheel," he said. "There were cars circling everywhere trying to find the right track and we got lost in the dust. The first part of CS12 was very tough on the suspension and it was flat-out for 40 kilometres; otherwise a good day for us."

Rounding off the top six is Iain Freestone in a Ford Escort. "We've been taking it steady as the car's falling apart! The track rod ends keep knocking out."

The other two former World Rally Champions and Safari Rally veterans competing in the event have however had a good day. Björn Waldegård showed his experience in the opening section (CS11), finishing second behind Collinge on what he regarded as the perfect Safari stage, and was then joint third in CS13, alongside Blomqvist. He and co-driver David Cavanagh overnight in seventh. Juha Kankkunen has been flying today in the Datsun 240Z, the Finn finishing third in CS11, winning CS12 and CS13, and claiming second in the final section of the leg. He and Juha Repo hold 14th position going into the fourth day of competition.

Monday (Leg 4) sees the crews head north of Nairobi and into the famed Masai Mara for another four competitive sections and 175.38 competitive kilometres. The route heads out towards Nakuru and the Delamere Estates for the first section of the day before heading to Narok and the Mara plain, awash with spectacular game. The crews then overnight in the Mara Simba Lodge after driving a total of 504.65 kilometres.

Leaderboard after Leg 3

1. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 6hr 30min 49sec
2. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes Ford Escort RS 6hr 46min 11sec
3. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 6hr 51min 48sec
4. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 6hr 55min 09sec
5. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 6hr 58min 16sec
6. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 7hr 02min 42sec
7. Björn Waldegård/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 7hr 03min 25sec
8. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 7hr 11min 22sec
9. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 7hr 11min 50sec
10. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 7hr 17min 28sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 3

2. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch - EAK/EAK - Ford Escort RS
The Kenyans were unable to re-start this morning due to extensive damage to the car.

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
"We've had a good day. There was a very difficult section in the middle of CS11 where we were circulating a bit, but with Juha's Dakar experience, he just said 'follow that heading!' We took it easy in CS12 for the first few kilometres on new tyres and other than a broken exhaust, our day's been great."

5. Björn Waldegård /David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"CS11 was great fun; there was about 50 kilometres of real Dakar 'fech fech' (soft fine dust) and we overtook two cars but then got stuck behind Iain Freestone for 25 kilometers. But, for me, it was the perfect stage (the crew finished second). Then we had a puncture in CS12, which was a real shame, especially as so many people got lost in the stage before. The event is very much like the old Safari and gives us old people a bit of excitement! You have to push everywhere, even on the road sections, but it's all very much like the old days and very emotional for me."

8. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier - GB/NZ - Ford Capri Perana
"We got lost in CS11 and then stuck in soft sand and had to get the ladders out; we lost loads of time. We then lost the power steering in CS13, but Tony fixed it for the final section."

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"CS11 was very different, but fantastic. The following one was too fast and CS13 was another fantastic section. We've had no problems with the car and I'm happy at the moment."

16. David Kedward/Crispin Sassoon - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The starter motor went going into the first section and we've had a petrol tank leak and had that out to repair it. Otherwise, the stages have been really good."

18. Jayant Shah/Lofty Drews - GB/GB - Datsun 180B
"We're really enjoying it. Some places are too rough and we've had a few problems with the car. We had a flat in CS13 and drove on it for more than six or seven kilometres."

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"We had the car standing on its nose at one point in CS11; I've not done that before!" We lost time today though with a broken shock absorber right at the start of CS12. We took it out and ran with just one on that corner and lost around 20 minutes."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"CS12 was very quick and long, but it went before we knew it! We lost the starter motor but can change it tonight." The crew were forced to keep the engine running for over an hour between CS13 and CS14.

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"We had an engine problem 10 kilometres from last night's halt, but we have been so lucky. We managed to get the engine from Andrew Barnes' Porsche (the crew retired in the opening leg) and the car's now running like a dream. It was a piston problem with ours; there was a hole in it."

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"We had big problems in CS11 with so much sand getting into the clutch, stopping it releasing. We got stuck five or six times and then again in the next one too; in fact one of the red cars hit us as there was so much dust. We were lucky enough to solve the clutch problem at a workshop on the Kenyan border though."

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"We lost second and fourth gears in CS11."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We got lost in CS11, like a lot of people; it was a very difficult section. We had to stop and change the fan belt in CS12 but only lost around three or four minutes, and then had to stop and let cattle past in the following one; but that's the Safari. We're having a lot of fun."

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"It's been an excellent day. This is my first-ever rally on gravel and first Safari. CS11 was like the Dakar, sand everywhere! We had a problem with the clutch two or three kilometres before the end of the stage and I couldn't get the car into gear. It's awesome driving alongside ex-World Rally Champions; it was just a shame not to be able to watch them too! The objective has always been to finish, so I'm happy so far."

31. Roddy Sachs/Clive Gardiner - ZA/ZA - Alfa Romeo 2000
The crew is reported to have rolled 14 kilometres into CS12. A broken axle has forced them into retirement. The crew are uninjured.

33. Aslam Khan/Imran Khan - EAK/EAK - Datsun 180B
"We've had this strange misfire from the start. We've changed everything short of the engine to try and solve it, but it's still a mystery. CS12 was a great section; a real Safari stage."

34. Bo Axelsson/Eugen Damstedt - S/FIN - Volvo 142S
"We went off and hit a tree in CS11, damaging the side of the car, but the last two sections were fine."

36. Simon Sharpe/Denis Burnett - EAK/GB - BMW 2002
"We've had no problems and it's been lots of fun. Yesterday was a big day and CS12 was a very long section. But we've had no problems at all so long may it last."

37. Alastair Caldwell/Catriona Rings - GB/GB - Mercedes 280SE
"It's going badly and we've not been in the event today. Last night we noticed the front engine mount had broken and so we had to strap up the engine. We took the day off today to get it fixed, but being Sunday it hasn't been easy."

44. Gunther Kronseder/Gerd Petzold - D/D - Opel Manta
"It's been really good so far, no big problems at all. Apart from CS11, the stages have been great; what rallying is all about."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"The engine mounting bolts sheared into the crank case in CS12 and we've been nursing the car to the finish."

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2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 2 (Saturday 3 December)
BLOMQVIST HOLDS ON TO ADVANTAGE

Former winner, Rob Collinge, closes gap in East African Safari Rally

After a day of close-fought competition, former World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist has held on to his early lead in the 2005 East African Safari Rally. However, the Swede has had a fierce battle with the winner of the 2003 event, Rob Collinge, who has closed the gap to just 31 seconds after 10 competitive sections. Third position is now held by Frederic Dor, the Frenchman moving ahead of John Lloyd during the second day of competition.

The second leg of the East African Safari Rally kept the field of competitors in Tanzania for another five competitive sections over 286.22 competitive kilometres. It was the longest leg of the event and saw the crews on the road for nearly 12 hours as they covered a total distance of 769.84 kilometres. Early this morning, the route took the crews north from Dar es Salaam, initially into the Pugu Hills, before heading to the infamous Usumbara Mountains, where there is an average of one corner per 75 metres in a legendary Safari stage. Crews then arrived for the overnight halt at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, 20 kilometres before Arusha and in the foothills of the snow-topped Mount Kilimanjaro.

1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, co-driven by Venezuelan Ana Goni, maintained a hot pace again today in the Historic Motorsport-prepared Ford Escort. He was however in the thick of a fierce battle and while he was second in all but one stage, the Swede has lost the majority of his initial advantage.

"Today's been another good day with no problems," said the Blomqvist, who last competed in the Safari Rally in 2001 in Group N machinery. "The car's running very well and I'm enjoying it a lot, especially as it's been cooler today."

Rob Collinge, driving a Datsun 260Z, maintains second position, but with four competitive section victories today, has closed the gap to Blomqvist to just 31 seconds. "We lost fourth gear just two kilometres into the first section this morning, so we've been a bit handicapped all day," he said. "But the stages have been twistier and slower today, so okay we've managed reasonably well. You can't stick your neck out too much when you've lost a gear though, but we've taken time out of Stig everywhere."

Frederic Dor has climbed from fourth to third overnight, the French businessman having some suspension problems in the Tuthill-prepared Porsche 911. "My only real problem today was drinking too much water before the start of CS9 and we had to slow down because I felt ill," said Frederic at the overnight halt. "Otherwise, things have been fine and the car's running well."

John Lloyd, a leading contender in the 2003 event, slipped to fourth during the second leg, seemingly just unable to get into a good rhythm. "It's been a terrible day, I was driving like an idiot this morning!" he said.

Belgian Gerard Marcy maintains fifth position overnight in the leading Ford Escort, despite suffering two punctures in the second section, while Australian Graham Alexander (Datsun 260Z) holds sixth.

Björn Waldegård, a veteran of the Safari Rally who has three wins under his belt, has climbed up the order from 11th to seventh, while former Toyota team-mate Juha Kankkunen - who last contested the Safari in 2002 - has rocketed from an overnight 34th to 19th. Ian Duncan, who won the Safari Rally when it was a round of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1994, has however suffered disappointment. The Kenyan Escort driver went off the road in the final section of the day and looks set to be forced into retirement.

Sunday's third leg takes in four competitive sections over 202.48 kilometres. The route takes the crews north for one final section in Tanzania, on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, before crossing the border back into Kenya for the longest test of the event, the 105.12 kilometre run from Namanga to Kibini. After a further two sections, the crews arrive in Nairobi for the overnight halt in the capital city.

Leaderboard after Leg 2

1. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 4hr 51min 22sec
2. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 4hr 51min 53sec
3. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 5hr 01min 37sec
4. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 5hr 04min 35sec
5. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes Ford Escort RS 5hr 12min 32sec
6. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 5hr 15min 12sec
7. Bjorn Waldegard/David Cavanagh Porsche 911 5hr 20min 16sec
8. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen Rover 5hr 31min 31sec
9. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek Porsche 911 5hr 33min 48sec
10. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas Ford Escort 5hr 38min 39sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 2

2. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch - EAK/EAK - Ford Escort RS
"It's not been a very good day. We had a puncture in the first stage (CS6) and then trashed the car into a triple caution ditch in the last one (CS10). We rolled and I don't think it's repairable; it's not looking so good."

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
"We had punctures in each of the first three sections. The stages have been very different today; a lost more twisty."

5. Bjorn Waldegard/David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"CS9 was perfect, a real Safari stage. The car's been overheating a bit and after our problems yesterday I decided to take it easy. We lost the brakes totally in the final stage yesterday (CS5), which wasn't good in such a fast section. Today, we've not stopped for anything unnecessary; we've just slowed down to preserve the shocks, which are not the best for the Safari but we wanted to be 'as classic' as possible. I'm having great fun, enjoying it enormously. It's beautiful in the Usumbara Mountains; I could've stopped and just looked at the view for a long time. 1971 was my first Safari and this is my 19th event, but it's only the second time I've been in these mountains; lovely."

7. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes - B/B - Ford Escort RS
"We had two punctures this morning and lost around seven minutes. Otherwise no problems and the scenery has been very beautiful."

8. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier - GB/NZ - Ford Capri Perana
"We've had a trouble-free day. The first part of CS8 was very rough and I think quite a few people got lost, but not us!"

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort RS1600
"We got lost in CS8, which we thought was just a reverse of a section yesterday, and it wasn't entirely like that. We lost about 30 minutes."

12. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The stages have been good, but some of the notes a bit misleading. The car's been fantastic and so far it's been great."

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"We've done alright today and moved ahead, so that's good. The car's running well and okay, it's been a bit rough but we didn't get lost in CS8, like a lot of people."

2015. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer - DK/DK - Porsche 911
"We had to be towed through the final bit of the road section into the overnight halt; I'm not sure exactly what the problem is at the moment. It's the first time I've done the Safari and it's great, but we have to see about our problems for tomorrow."

20. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi - EAK/EAK - Mercedes 450 SLC
"It's been a really enjoyable day and the Usumbara Mountains I loved; every rally should have these types of stages. The car's been fine, just three punctures today."

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"It's not been so bad; Peter drove today and we're still here! The only problem we had was hitting a mud hole and losing the wipers so we had to stop. But otherwise the stages have been good, although some have been pretty rough."

22. Graham Alexander/David Stewart - AUS/AUS - Datsun 260Z
"We had a bad start to the day when we broke down on the way out to the first section; some sort of engine problem."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"Not so bad; a good day for us. The car's okay, touch wood! We've been caught in dust nearly every stage today though."

25. Paul Kane/Mary Ellen Kane - GB/GB - Ford 350 Mustang GT
"We've had clutch problems since the start. It went on the first day, we replaced it and now it's gone again today. We had to miss the last two sections and will have to see what we can do. We have a spare rebuild kit, but obviously there's something fundamentally wrong with the parts. It's a real shame as the car's great, handling well and a great weapon on these stages."

28. Albert Michiels/Patrick de Coninck - B/B - Porsche 911
The crew is reported to have had steering problems.

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"I think we can say we've had an okay day; no big problems. Marc is a rookie driver but he learns quickly, the car's not damaged and we have a good service crew. We've moved from 18th to 14th, which is on target. I learned a lot on this rally last time and the goal is to reach the finish."

32. Timothy Mammen/Jaspal Matharu - GB/GB - Datsun 1600 SSS
"Not too bad a day, although we put the car on its side on a slow right hand corner this morning! We've got a few small problems, and yesterday the starter motor shorted the whole car and we were nearly out before the start of the first section! We're having our fair share of fun though, even though we're having more problems with clutches and brakes than we did in the 2003 event."

33. Aslam Khan/Imran Khan - EAK/EAK - Datsun 180B
"I've proved today that you can go without solids for 24 hours to recover from an upset stomach! We've had a peculiar misfire today and we need to find out how to cure it; something to do with the fuel anyway."

40. John Hill/Michael Tuckey - GB/AUS - Ford Escort
"Today's been good; yesterday was dreadful! We've climbed a few places as others have had problems or gone off. The car's running like a dream."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"It's been an excellent day, no problems. We're taking it easy and it's been very different today, especially in the Usumbara Mountains. We've exercised caution but it's been a good run."

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2005 East African Safari Rally
Leg 1 (Friday 2 December)

FORMER WORLD RALLY CHAMPION TAKES EARLY SAFARI RALLY LEAD

Stig Blomqvist claims lead after opening leg of East African Safari Rally

1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, co-driven by Venezuelan Ana Goni, has taken the early lead in the 2005 East African Safari Rally, one of the world's most historic events. Hot on his heels is the winner of the 2003 event Rob Collinge, while London city insurance broker John Lloyd holds third position after five competitive sections in this marathon event that takes in more than 1,600 kilometres of competition.

The East African Safari Rally - first held in 1953 - started yesterday afternoon when the 46 registered crews crossed the ramp beneath the famous elephant tusks on Moi Avenue in Mombasa. This morning, however, the action took off in earnest as the crews left Mombasa for the opening five sections and 263.25 competitive kilometres in a total distance of 537.52 kilometres. An early morning start saw the crews head directly south, immediately leaving Kenya for Tanzania where the day's action was centred, before the overnight halt in Dar es Salaam. Searing temperatures typically characterised the day as the crews powered over fast and flowing stages.

Blomqvist, who finished third on the Safari Rally in 1989 in a VW Golf, has taken the early lead in a Historic Motorsport-run Ford Escort RS1600. The Swede won just one of today's competitive sections (CS4), but was never outside the top three during the day. He takes the overnight lead by just over two minutes. "It's been a good day for us, no dramas at all and it's great to be leading at this early stage," he said.

Rob Collinge, who won the 50th anniversary event in 2003, takes second position in a Datsun 260Z after claiming two section victories (CS3 and CS5). Collinge suffered a puncture in the opening section but has fought back after losing time. John Lloyd, who was also one of the leading contenders in the 2003 East African Safari Rally before dramatically crashing his Escort, holds third in a Tuthill Porsche 911. "I'm gob-smacked!" said Lloyd. "It's extra-ordinary, but to be honest Kankkunen and Duncan are quicker but just need to get some time back. We've had an unblemished day, but it was very fast everywhere."

Behind the leading trio, French businessman Frederic Dor - this year co-driven by Paul Howarth, Team Manager of the Subaru World Rally Team - holds fourth position in another Tuthill Porsche, while Belgium's Gerard Marcy - who led the event after the second leg in 2003 - holds fifth. Australian, Graham Alexander, in another Datsun 260Z, rounds off the top six.

Some of the leading crews hit problems early in the day. Four times FIA World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen suffered with fuel pump problems in the first three stages and despite changing the component before the start of CS4, the three time Safari Rally winner dropped 45 minutes and overnights in 34th position. Björn Waldegård, another veteran of the Safari Rally who also has three wins under his belt, lost time with an engine problem and overnights in 11th. Ian Duncan, who won the Safari when it was a round of the FIA World Rally Championship in 1994, suffered with electrical problems in the opening section and he holds 15th overnight, despite winning a section (CS2).

Casualties of the day include Andrew Barnes, who finished fourth in the 2003 East African Safari Rally. The Porsche 911 driver dramatically rolled in CS2 and was forced to retire. Both he and co-driver Calvin Cooledge were shaken but uninjured. Alexander Hack also went off in exactly the same place, he and David Lawrence-Brown also escaping injury after setting fastest time in the opening section in their Ford Escort.

The second day of the East African Safari Rally keeps the crews in Tanzania for another five competitive sections over 286.22 competitive kilometres - the longest leg of the event. The route takes the crews north from Dar es Salaam, initially into the Pugu Hills, before heading to the infamous Usumbara Mountains, where there is an average of one corner per 75 metres. Crews then overnight in the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, 20 kilometres before Arusha and in the foothills of the snow-topped Mount Kilimanjaro.

Leaderboard after Leg 1

1. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni Ford Escort RS1600 2hr 00min 38sec
2. Rob Collinge/Anton Levitan Datsun 260Z 2hr 02min 43sec
3. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini Porsche 911 2hr 05min 19sec
4. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth Porsche 911 2hr 06min 20sec
5. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes Ford Escort RS 2hr 07min 27sec
6. Graham Alexander/David Stewart Datsun 260Z 2hr 08min 50sec
7. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres Ford Escort 2hr 11min 04sec
8. Simon Glover/Russ Langthorne Ford Escort 2hr 12min 34sec
9. Soren Kjaer/Mads Kjaer Porsche 911 2hr 13min 37sec
10. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier Ford Capri Perana 2hr 14min 43sec

DRIVER QUOTES - LEG 1

2. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch - EAK/EAK - Ford Escort RS
"The coil gave up in the first section, so we lost a load of time."

3. Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo - FIN/FIN - Datsun 240Z
"We had fuel pump problems from the start of CS1 and had to keep dropping into first and second gears. The service crew changed it before CS4 but we were 45 minutes late. It was an interesting stage and the first one where the car worked properly! The roads are good and the Safari is always about living with the car and keeping it in one piece."

5. Bjorn Waldegard/David Cavanagh - S/RI - Porsche 911
"The engine stopped and it was 10 minutes before we found that the relayer had jumped out; I'm not so used to the Porsche at the moment so it took a while to sort. But it's been a great day and I'm happy the organisers have made the roads so smooth. It felt very nostalgic at the start of the first section, especially when we stopped to sort out problems! It was just like a typical Safari, but maybe the problems started a bit too early for us this time!"

6. Frederic Dor/Paul Howarth - CH/GB - Porsche 911
"This is my first rally since this event in 2003 and I've been learning to drive the car again; we've been steady enough on the stages with no problems."

7. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes - B/B - Ford Escort RS
"We've been taking it steady today, just to get into the rhythm."

9. Iain Freestone/Preston Ayres - GB/GB - Ford Escort RS1600
"We had a fuel leak in the first section, but sorted the problem and the rest of the day has been fine."

10. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini - GB/GB - Porsche 911
"I thought we had an overheating problem in the first stage, but apparently that's how the Porsche's run."

11. Andrew Barnes/Calvin Cooledge - GB/GB - Porsche 911
The crew rolled their brand new 911 in CS2 and were forced into retirement. Both crew members were uninjured.

15. Anthony Ward/Ievan Thomas - GB/GB - Ford Escort
"The stages have been quick but we're just taking it steady at the moment."

17. Richard Gower/Aled Davis- GB/GB - Ford Escort
"We got caught in dust this morning and have also been a bit down on power. The stages are the business though!"

19. James Ingleby/Mike Bowen - GB/GB - Rover
"The car only got out of customs yesterday lunchtime, so we're really still working on it. We lost the fan during CS4 and the car was totally full of dust."

21. Josef Pointinger/Peter Hall - A/GB - Ford Escort
"Today's stages have been very high speed, which isn't so great for us. It's my first time as a navigator in 40 years and the first time I have co-driven on special stages. We've been cruising round today but we don't have enough power for these stages."

24. Jurgen Bertl/Jiri Kotek - D/CZ - Porsche 911
"We got held up for 10 kilometres in CS2 and lost a lot of time, but otherwise things have been okay. It's certainly not like any modern rally!"

27. Gaby Gaudezeune/Filip de Pelsemaeker - B/B - Opel Manta
The crew rolled in CS5 but are okay.

28. Albert Michiels/Patrick de Coninck - B/B - Porsche 911
"We've had a very good day and ran at a good speed. The car and the organisation have been perfect and it's my birthday, so things couldn't be much better at the moment!"

29. Marc Devis/Dan Erculisse - B/B - Porsche 911
"We had a problem with the starter motor and then the heater was on for the whole of CS4, which was interesting.! The stages are good, but you always have to be careful."

31. Roddy Sachs/Clive Gardiner - ZA/ZA - Alfa Romeo 2000
"We had a broken shock absorber in CS2 and had to crawl through the stage. CS4 scared the hell out of me it was so fast; fifth gear for 10 minutes! It's the first rally for Clive and he doesn't really know whether this is normal or not!"

45. Larry Horn/Rob Barbour - EAT/EAT - Datsun 260Z
"We had a good run for most of the morning but then had an electrical problem at the start of CS5, which was the fastest of the day."

47. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage - EAK/EAK - Datsun 260Z
"The car's been fantastic but we're taking it easy at the moment. The roads have been good but it's my first time on the event. I've done a lot of one-day rallies in Kenya, but never the Safari. It's also the first time my son has been in a rally car, let alone navigated! It's been good fun so far."

- ends -

News will be issued daily during the event on www.eastafricansafarirally.com  Photography is copyright free and can be found at www.mcklein.de

The event is sponsored by Minilite, WEC Lines and SDV Transami. News and photography sent via Inmarsat.

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12 November 2005


EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY ATTRACTS THE STARS

Entries for the 2005 East African Safari Rally have now closed and the world’s greatest classic car rally has attracted an impressive entry of 48 crews representing 17 nations. Topping the entry list are a trio of former World Rally Champions and the event, which runs from 1-10 December, once again looks set to provide spectacular action in the beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania.

“We are absolutely delighted with the quality of the entries,” commented Event Director Mike Kirkland, “and having three ex-World Rally Champions trying their hardest to beat the best Kenyan drivers reminds us all of the old days. It looks set to be a great event.”

Winner of the 2003 East African Safari Rally, Rob Collinge, will lead the crews over the start ramp in Mombasa on Thursday 1 December with fellow Kenyan and 1994 Safari Rally winner Ian Duncan hot on his heels. Behind them, however, the battle for honours between a host of former rivals will be intense.

Juha Kankkunen, who won the FIA World Rally Championship in 1986, 1987, 1991 and 1993, is a veteran of 12 Safari Rallies and claimed victories in what was universally regarded as the toughest World Championship event in 1985, 1991 and 1993. Twenty years on, he will again be pitted against former team-mate and 1979 World Rally Champion Björn Waldegård, the pair competing in Datsun and Porsche machinery respectively. Sweden’s Stig Blomqvist, another Safari Rally podium finisher, is also sure to be in the fight, the 1984 World Rally Champion piloting a Ford Escort with co-driver Ana Goni.

French businessman Frederic Dor will be piloting another Porsche 911, this year co-driven by Paul Howarth, Team Manager of the Subaru World Rally Team. Dor is a regular rally and race campaigner, has won the French Gravel Rally Championship and finished seventh overall in the 1999 Safari Rally in Championship-winning Subaru machinery. He also claimed second in the 2003 East African Safari Rally.

A host of crews from the 2003 event have returned and the impressive list of entries also includes the all-Danish crew of Soren and Mads Kjaer, who will be running car number 2015 to promote the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. For this legendary event, they and a number of private companies have invested in a white 1971 Porsche 911 and each day of the rally will be dedicated to one of the eight Millennium Development Goals through activities in Denmark, Kenya and Tanzania.

In total, the 10-day East African Safari Rally covers 4,504 kilometres with an increase in competitive distance from 1,553 in 2003 to 1,700 kilometres this year. Thirty-one competitive sections lie in wait, the longest being 113 kilometres and the shortest, in Nairobi, just 9.9 kilometres.

The 2005 East African Safari Rally, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to deliver yet more stunning and memorable action, underlining its status as one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

The final starting order can be found on the following direct link:
http://www.eastafricansafarirally.com/info_pages/entrylist.html

News and photography will be issued daily during the event. Photography is copyright free and all information can be found at www.eastafricansafarirally.com

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12th October 2005



Lloyd and Barnes prepare for 10 Day African Adventure

City Insurance Brokers John Lloyd and Andrew Barnes are preparing for the East African Safari Rally which starts in Mombasa on 1st December. The 4200km route over the classic rally roads of Kenya and Tanzania returns to Mombasa on 10th December for the finish.

The Tuthill Porsche team have recently been testing the 3-litre Porsche 911’s in Wales. The cars are being shipped to Kenya today (Wednesday 12th October). Whilst packing the containers Richard Tuthill was in confident mood of the cars preparation. “From the 2003 event we have dramatically improved the cars in two areas. These are 3.0ltr engines over 2.4ltr and we have new suspension. Other than this we are using the basic formula we have been using for the past five years”.

Having driven four wheel drive cars through the British Rally season Lloyd and Barnes have to adapt to the 2wheel driving technique. Whilst in Wales both drivers adapted quickly to the Porsche style. In 2003 Barnes finished fourth overall on only his fourth ever rally. Unfortunately for Lloyd and co-driver Paul Amandini their rally finished in blazing style when their Ford Escort caught fire and was completely burnt-out.

Forty nine drivers have entered this year’s event with a very strong entry including Ian Duncan, Juha Kankkunen, Stig Blomqvist, Bjorn Waldegard, Frederic Dor and previous winner Rob Collinge. As Lloyd introduced Barnes to the sport he is rather mystified that Barnes has been seeded the car ahead of him on the rally due to Barnes fine finish in 2003. Staff at Lloyd and Partners where they both work will be closely following their progress.

“The field is much tougher this year and to finish in the top ten would be great. When Lloyd introduced me to the sport I discovered that rallying gives a unique adrenaline rush, nothing is predictable and the learning curve never seems to get less acute” said Barnes. Calvin Cooledge who has partnered Barnes on rallies throughout this season will be in the co-drivers seat for his first experience as competitor on a Safari Rally.

Paul Amandini who is co-driving for Lloyd has not co-driven since the 2003 Safari and following their dramatic exodus on that event is just hoping to stay alive. Lloyd is a regular visitor to the African rally scene having been introduced to the Safari Rally as a child when his father ran a check point on the event.

Lloyd is hoping to finish well into the top ten but most of all to beat Barnes.

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10 October 2005


WALDEGÅRD v KANKKUNEN - THE RE-MATCH!

Safari legends and former team-mates set for East African showdown… 20 years on

Rally legend and 1979 World Rally Champion Björn Waldegård will take a step back in time when he returns to the wheel of a Porsche 911 and lines up against former team-mate and four-times World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen for the 2005 East African Safari Rally.

Back in 1969 the Swedish unknown newcomer shocked the establishment when he won the famous Rallye Monte Carlo in a 911S. In a career spanning 23 years, Waldegård claimed a further 15 victories at World Championship level, including four wins in the legendary Safari Rally. Kankkunen is also a veteran contender, the Finn contesting 12 Safaris and taking wins in what was universally regarded as the toughest World Championship event in 1985, 1991 and 1993.

As former Toyota team-mates back in the mid-‘80s, Waldegård and Kankkunen enjoyed friendly rivalry, but the Scandinavian duo will now be battling against one another in Porsche and Datsun machinery, rekindling that rivalry in an event that formed such a large part of their lives.

“Juha came to the Safari when I was already established; he was just a youngster!” said Björn. “In his first Safari test I sat beside him to teach him how to drive the event. For the first few kilometres I was terrified; he thought he was doing the 1000 Lakes! I then drove him for the next 10 kilometres to show him how I drive these roads, and he then went on to beat me in the rally! It will be good fun to be with him again.

“I am doing the rally for absolute pleasure; if we get a good result that’s great, but otherwise it will just be a fantastic 10 days. When you get the helmet on winning is the goal, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t win. But to beat Juha would certainly be nice..!”

Waldegård’s Bosch-supported Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe - owned and to be co-driven by David Cavanagh - was originally built in 1977 by the Porsche competition department for the London-Sydney Marathon. Extensively rallied in Australia, the car appeared in the UK in 2000 where it has been brought up to current rally specification by James Avis and Carrera Performance of Sussex. In 2004, Australian-born Cavanagh bought the car and contested the 20,000 kilometre London-Sydney Marathon, where he finished first in class. For the 2005 East African Safari Rally, the Porsche 911 will run in the striking Martini livery of the late 1970s.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

The event, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

The event is sponsored by Minilite Wheels, WEC Lines and SDV Transami.

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7 October 2005

UNCLE & NEPHEW TO TACKLE LEGENDARY SAFARI RALLY

Nairobi resident Aslam Khan, who competed in the 2003 East African Safari Rally with younger brother Arshad, will be making a return to the event this year, this time joining forces with nephew Imran in the same 1971 Datsun 180B he rallied in the 50th anniversary event.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

Qualified as a Royal Air Force pilot back in the early ‘70s, the Kenyan Air Force was reluctant to let Aslam Khan go rallying. However, persistence paid off and the Kenyan started navigating in 1973. He has competed in the Safari Rally no fewer than nine times, winning Group 1 in 1980 (18th overall with driver Takeshi Hirabayashi) in one of the first four-wheel drive Subarus to contest the event, and claiming his best result in 1983 when he finished fourth overall in a Nissan 240RS with Jayant Shah. He and Shah also claimed the Kenyan Rally Championship title in 1981, 1982 and 1983 and in the same period he clinched a hat-trick of Himalayan Rally victories (twice with Shah and once with Ramesh Khoda). Unsurprisingly, Khan and Shah went on to win the Kenyan Motor Sportsmen of the Year Award in both 1981 and 1982. In 1991 he entered the Rallye du Condroz in Belgium with Guy Colsoul and won Group N, before retiring from the sport.

Co-driver and nephew Imran got involved in the sport through his family at an early age and despite success in the two-wheel drive national championship, he has recently been forced to put his rallying exploits on hold to finish an aircraft engineering degree in Scotland.

“Competing in this event brings back wonderful memories of the way things were in the 1980s, when both the car and driver were put to the ultimate test of endurance under extremely trying conditions,” said Aslam. “It also brings back the spirit of the old days, when friends and family would come together to help out with servicing and logistics. The reason I’m doing it with my nephew is to introduce another generation to the wonderful spirit of rallying in Kenya.”

The event, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

The event is sponsored by Minilite Wheels, WEC Lines and SDV Transami.

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13 September 2005

HUSBAND & WIFE ADD EAST AFRICAN SAFARI CLASSIC TO COMPETITION PORTFOLIO


New York-born Paul and Mary Ellen Gasner Kane are set to add the East African Safari Rally to an ever-increasing list of long distance events the pair has contested together. This December, the husband and wife team - who now live in London - will take their 1966 Shelby GT350 to East Africa to compete alongside the likes of former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist in the world’s greatest classic car rally.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,504 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

While living in Florida back in 1989, Paul and Mary embarked on their first event, the famous Carrera Panamericana, separately entering in a Jaguar XK120 and Porsche 356 respectively. These days, the husband and wife team have joined forces and regularly compete in long distance events, including the 2005 London-Dakar World Cup, 2003 Targa Tunisia, 2002 London-Athens World Cup, 2002 Evo Classic Kalahari, 2001 Inca Trail and the 1998 Shield of Africa.

“The Safari seemed a must-do at least once, kind of a rally fantasy,” commented Paul. “It's one of the big daddy events of all times!”

The East African Safari Rally, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

The event is sponsored by Minilite, WEC Lines and SDV Transami.

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18 August 2005


EAST AFRICAN SAFARI RALLY COMES TO THE PEOPLE


The East African Safari Rally (1-10 December), one of the world’s greatest historic rallies, will take in a 9.9 kilometre super special stage in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi (4 December), bringing the spectacle of high-speed action to potentially more than two million local inhabitants.

“This stage will be incredible because of the huge potential for spectators,” commented Deputy Clerk of the Course, Mike Summerfield. “It is very close to Nairobi and a classic stage, not the type of super special we now see on World Championship rallies. It is a proper track, not something we have constructed, with lots of loops where spectators can see the cars more than once. It should be a real crowd-puller and great entertainment.”

Following the final route survey two weeks ago, the itinerary remains confirmed and crews will enjoy some of the finest roads Kenya and Tanzania have to offer. While a lot of the route remains similar to 2003, the roughest sections have been removed and the 10-day event will again be characterised by some of East Africa’s most stunning scenery.

In total, the event covers 4,504 kilometres with an increase in competitive distance from 1,553 in 2003 to 1,700 kilometres this year. Thirty-one competitive sections lie in wait, the longest being 113 kilometres and the shortest, in Nairobi, just 9.9 kilometres.

“The 2005 route is super and while it includes a lot of roads we used in 2003, the really rough parts have been avoided,” added Mike Summerfield. “The route in Tanzania, in particular, is stunning and the quality of the roads is incredible. In general, the stages will be much smooth but of course we have to bear in mind that we still have the short rains to come. But, as we drove it two weeks ago, it’s superb with brilliant scenery, wonderful countryside and fantastic roads.”

To date, the East African Safari Rally has attracted no fewer than 46 international entrants with former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist topping the entry list.

The 2005 East African Safari Rally, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to deliver yet more stunning and memorable action, underlining its status as one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

Hayley Maxfield
Press Officer
East African Safari Rally
 

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30 June 2005

KENYAN RETURNS TO CONQUER EAST AFRICA

 Roddy Sachs, born in Nakuru, Kenya, and who now lives and works in Randburg, Johannesburg, returns to East Africa this December intent on completing the entire East African Safari Rally route, after missing two competitive sections and finishing 31st overall in the 2003 event. Roddy, who has prepared and serviced Safari Rally cars for a number of leading manufacturers over the years, will once again get behind the wheel of his own 1971 Alfa 2000 GTV and compete in the event, for the second time, against some of the Safari Rally’s most legendary names, including former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

Fifty-nine year old Roddy Sachs, who won the Kenya Autocross Championship in 1976 and the 1986 South African Off-Road Championship (Class 5), will be co-driven by friend and Safari Rally rookie Clive Gardiner. Originally from Reading, England but now living in Johannesburg, Clive has a passion for classic cars but will be competing in the event for the first time.

Wise words from Roddy: “We have grown up in the past two years! Although the towing up of the car from South Africa to Mombasa last time was very eventful, we have decided we’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt! So this time the car will be flown up to Nairobi for the yearly Concours d’Elegance event organised by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to be held on the 25th September and it will stay there until my return to Kenya late November to drive it down to Mombasa for the 1st December. Both Clive and I have promised each other that after the last event we will take the first day to learn each other, the car and the general lay of the land.”

The event, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

Hayley Maxfield
Press Officer
East African Safari Rally


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30 June 2005

BARNES POISED FOR THE PODIUM…?

Londoner Andrew Barnes, a city insurance broker, will contest the 2005 East African Safari Rally in a 1972 3.0 litre Porsche 911 prepared by Tuthill Porsche. Barnes achieved a mammoth result in the event in 2003 when he steered his 1971 Mk 1 Escort to the finish in fourth position; all the more impressive being that it was his first international historic event and only his fifth ever rally. This year, 43 crews have already registered and competition will be steep as former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist currently top the entry list.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

While Andrew has racked up more experience since 2003, the East African Safari Rally is nevertheless still an immense challenge for a relatively novice long-distance driver introduced to the sport by friend and work colleague John Lloyd, himself an accomplished driver and another entrant in this year’s event. Outings in the British Historic Rally Championship reaped surprising rewards in his first years in the sport and while Andrew continues to compete at national level, he claimed another impressive result in the 2004 Pikes Peak, where he finished 2nd in class and 3rd overall in a Hyundai Tiberon run by John Buffum.

“Our 2003 Safari result was phenomenal and certainly one of my greatest achievements in the sport,” said Andrew, also an accomplished classic yacht racer. “This year we have swapped to a Porsche because it will give us some more power to compete with the big boys and it’s a very solid car.”

The event, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.

Hayley Maxfield
Press Officer
East African Safari Rally

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16 June 2005

RICHARD MARTIN-HURST SWAPS ROVER FOR FORD

Richard Martin-Hurst, who finished 19th in the 2003 East African Safari Rally after suffering suspension problems in the final leg, has swapped his trusty Rover V8 for a 1970 Ford Perana Capri for the 2005 edition of this legendary classic car rally. This year’s event, which runs from 1-10 December, has once again attracted a formidable entry, currently topped by former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist.

“The Perana Capri model was built in South Africa in the early 1970s,” commented Richard. “Powered by a 5-litre V8 engine, the car is tough and well suited to the rigours of the East African Safari Rally. The Rover held up well - despite not being the best car for the event - but it was very tired after 5,000 kilometers!”

The Rover V8 could however still be seen on this year’s rally. Richard sold the car ‘as it stood’ at the end of the 2003 event to Mike Smith, a mechanic working with Mustang entrants James and Moira Ingleby. If the car can be fully rebuilt in time, the Ingleby’s may well enter it.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

The East African Safari Rally, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.


Hayley Maxfield
Press Officer
East African Safari Rally

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6 June 2005
HUSBAND & WIFE EMBARK ON EAST AFRICAN ADVENTURE

The Australian-born husband and wife team of Steve and Rachael Coad are set to embark on another ambitious challenge as they prepare to compete in the world’s greatest classic car event, the 2005 East African Safari Rally. The couple, who now live in Singapore, will contest this marathon event - only their third on gravel - in a 1973 Holden Torana GTR, lining up against legendary former World Rally Champions Juha Kankkunen and Stig Blomqvist.

Following the celebrated running of its 50th anniversary in 2003, the East African Safari Rally returns in 2005 and the event will run from 1-10 December. The world’s greatest classic car rally will cover a marathon 4,200 kilometres over nine days and once again take the crews through the remote and beautiful landscapes of Kenya and Tanzania. The East African Safari Rally commemorates the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars produced before 31 December 1974 (or the exact same car if built before 1978) are eligible to compete.

Both Steve and Rachael have been competing in rallies for the past 10 years and view the experience as stress relieving, rather than stress enhancing! Their experience has mainly been based in the classic arena in Australia, and primarily on Tarmac, where they have picked up class and category victories. They have only previously contested two marathon events - the 2002 Midnight Sun to Red Sea Rally and the 2004 London to Sydney Marathon - where they finished sixth and 18th respectively in a standard Opel Astra.

“We choose the East African Safari Rally as it is an event I have been in awe of since I was a child,” said Steve. “We are probably nuts for competing in this tough event with our modest gravel experience, but we couldn’t let the opportunity pass when we realised there was a classic version of the rally. We are building a 1973 Holden Torana GTR XU-1, which is not the most ideal car to bring, but I wanted something unique and something Australian with a local rallying heritage. It is light and powerful with its 3.3 litre six-cylinder engine, but doesn’t have the suspension travel or proven reliability in Africa to be a real results contender. However I do guarantee it will be the only one in the field!”

The East African Safari Rally, which has been scheduled outside the international rally calendar and during one of the most beautiful months in East Africa, promises to be one of the greatest classic car rallies of the modern era.


Hayley Maxfield
Press Officer
East African Safari Rally

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16 June 2005

JOHN LLOYD RETURNS TO EAST AFRICA TO CONQUER SAFARI CLASSIC

London city insurance br