Leg 6 (Monday 15th December)
DOR HITS PROBLEMS BUT MAINTAINS SECOND IN KENYA
The all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan continue to lead the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally, the Datsun 240Z drivers extending their advantage to 34 minutes and 45 seconds. Frederic Dor hit problems, but the French businessman, co-driven by Didier Breton, nursed his Porsche 911 through the day to maintain second position. Stuart Rolt and Richard Tuthill remain third in the second of two Tuthill-prepared 911s in the top three.
After the rest day in the Masai Mara yesterday, where crews enjoyed balloon safaris, game drives and witnessed hippopotamus and crocodile basking in the river alongside the Simba Lodge, the action got underway once again early this morning. The route covered two competitive sections and took the crews northeast from the Mara up to Nakuru, before heading southeast to Nairobi for the overnight halt at the Safari Park Hotel. The opening section covered 71.20 competitive kilometres from Seyabei to Tipis and lived up to its reputation as the roughest and toughest section of the event. The road section then took the drivers down the Mau Escarpment and into the Delamere Estate, where Lord and Lady Delamere hosted brunch and the second section. President of the FIA Rallies Commission and five times Safari Rally winner, Shekhar Mehta, and his wife, former World Championship co-driver Yvonne Mehta, manned the time control on the Delamere Estate, the Safari legends relishing the atmosphere of days gone by. The run from Mbweha to Mbaruk covered 71.17 competitive kilometres, starting off on fast and flat grassy tracks before heading into tricky navigation around the vast farm estate.
Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan once again set the pace, the Kenyans extending their lead after winning both sections in their Datsun 240Z. While Dor managed to keep on their heels in the opening section, dropping just over a minute to the Kenyans, Collinge gained more than four minutes when Dor hit problems in the second section.
“We had a couple of punctures in the opening section and then missed our service on the road section,” commented Collinge. “It was very good for us though, excellent. The car was specifically set up for this stage and it paid dividends as it goes well on the rough. This could well be enough for us to win now, but nothing is guaranteed.”
Frenchman Frederic Dor and fellow countryman Didier Breton are still in fine form, but the Porsche 911 crew has been hampered all the way today. Despite a broken rear shock absorber in the opening section, they managed to set second fastest time, but then they suffered the same problem on the following road section and were forced to limp through CS18, dropping more than six and a half minutes.
“The first section was very rough and we broke a shock absorber, but the service crew changed it at the service afterwards,” commented Frederic. “Another one then broke on the road section before CS18 and that’s why we lost so much time and were only 14th on the section. It’s harder to drive slowly, but we were lucky and the important thing is that we are still here and managed to maintain our position.”
Stuart Rolt and Richard Tuthill have also held on to their third position, despite unease about unlucky position three! The Porsche 911 crew were fifth fastest in the opening section and fourth in the second and are now just over 30 minutes adrift of team-mate Dor.
“One kilometre from the start of CS17 a calliper broke and we stopped to fix it, driving like hell after that to only lose about a minute,” commented Stuart. “Navigation in the following section was very hard and it was difficult to see where to go. It was a real mix of fast sections and narrow rough stuff and we both had to work really hard; total concentration, but we’re glad to be here.”
The Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally continues to receive a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the local inhabitants along the 4,893 kilometre route, many of the elder generation recognising the Safari legends who are working as senior officials and volunteers. John Sakau Nkamate, a security official at the gates of the world-famous Masai Mara commented: “We love this rally so much; there are good cars and many good people.”
After the overnight halt in Nairobi, the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally convoy heads south to Tanzania, via the Namanga border post. The leg starts at 06:00 hrs on Wednesday 17 December and takes in three competitive sections, two in Kenya and one in Tanzania before arriving in Arusha for the overnight halt. In total, the day takes in 177.80 competitive kilometres in a total distance of 633.86 kilometres.
Leaderboard after Day 7
Rob Collinge Datsun 240Z 11hr 14min 34sec
Frederic Dor Porsche 911 11hr 49min 19sec
Stuart Rolt Porsche 911 12hr 17min 53sec
Iain Freestone Ford México 12hr 40min 35sec
Andrew Barnes Ford Escort 12hr 46min 09sec
Bruce Field Porsche 911 12hr 53min 36sec
John Lloyd Ford Escort 13hr 08min 25sec
Wolfgang Pfeiffer Porsche 911 13hr 16min 58sec
Josef Pointinger Ford Escort 13hr 30min 03sec
Ray Bellm Ford Escort 13hr 45min 22sec
DRIVER QUOTES – DAY 7
2. Bruce Field/Jan Thoenes – EAK/EAK – Porsche 911
“I just laughed all the way through CS17; it was so outrageously rough that’s all you could do! I guess I really enjoyed it though, some perverse sort of enjoyment, and we caught three cars, which was good. The second section was too much like hard work; I’m dead! But Jan did a fantastic job with the navigation.”
3. Michele Mouton/Ana Goni – F/YV – Ford Escort
“We broke the suspension before the start of CS17 but repaired it in time and although it was a rough one, it was good and ok for us. There was then so much dust in the car in the second section; there’s a hole somewhere and neither Ana nor I could speak at the end because we got stuck behind Andrew (Barnes) in the section.”
6. Iain Freestone/Rod MacLean – GB/GB – Ford México
“Ok, the event showed us how tough it can be in CS17; we’ve done that now! We then caught someone in the next section and had to slow right down, but otherwise everything’s ok. With the way the regulations work – allowing you to miss three days – at least we know we’re now classified as finishers.”
7. Ray Bellm/Pasquale Lanzante – GB/I – Ford Escort
“Section 17 was alright for us but we then got stuck in a ditch on the road section afterwards. Fortunately about 55 locals suddenly arrived and pushed us out!”
8. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini – GB/GB – Ford Escort
“First and reverse gears broke in CS17, but it was ok for the rest of the day. We got caught behind Wolfgang (Pfeiffer) in the second section, along with some other people, and it was impossible to get passed him. In the dust we then hit a rock and were lucky the suspension didn’t break. I can’t believe it though; I hit exactly the same rock two years ago and retired in the Mitsubishi!”
9. Wolfgang Pfeiffer/Peter Knoebel – D/D – Porsche 911
“I don’t have an English word for competitive section 17 (Seyabei – Tipis)!” The crew then hit problems in CS18, dropping more than 24 minutes for unconfirmed reasons. They have dropped from sixth to eighth today.
14. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier – GB/NZ – Rover V8
“The first section was okay but we got stuck in someone’s dust and lost a bit of time. The second one was very tricky for navigation and we caught a Porsche with problems (Pfeiffer) and had to bump him a couple of times to get past. The car’s now tired…!”
19. Henri Guyonnet-Duperat/Claude Valion – F/F – Porsche 911
The crew had mechanical problems, missed the competitive sections and met the convoy in Nairobi this evening.
26. Balaraj Matharu/Timothy Mammen – EAK/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS
“CS17 was rough as hell, terrible, but we went slowly and nothing broke.”
27. Chris Angel/Mike Bowen – EAK/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS
“CS17 was fun, we really enjoyed it and it’s the right sort of conditions for this car; home territory! No problems at all but we really need more tyres; we have none left…”
35. Andrew Barnes/David Lewis – GB/GB – Ford Escort
“The road section after CS17 was worse than the section itself! We got caught behind Iain (Freestone) in the section for about 509 kilometres; I don’t think he could see us in all the dust. We had to back off and because the window winder has broken, the dust was choking in the car. We also damaged a wheel bearing, but everything’s ok. The second section was tough for David, but we didn’t make any mistakes and it was good fun.”
47. Richard Pugh/Liz Pugh – GB/GB – Volvo 122S
The crew did not contest the competitive sections and met the convoy in Nairobi this evening.