East African Safari Classic crews regroup after dramatic first half

The MRF Tyres East African Safari Classic Rally reached its halfway mark today, with competitors and crews taking a well-earned rest day at Amboseli Sopa Lodge.

After five demanding days across Kenya’s toughest terrain, teams used the pause to regroup, repair, and prepare for the second half of the competition.

Clerk of the Course Andy Gilmore said the rally’s opening stretch, though not without teething issues, has run to plan.

“Our first objective was to ensure that every stage runs and that the rally stays on schedule, and so far we are ticking those boxes,” he said, noting that despite inevitable behind-the-scenes challenges, the team is pleased with the rally’s progress.

Feedback from competitors has remained encouraging.

“Many teams have faced challenges, but we are working to resolve issues as quickly as they arise and to support the competitors so there is no confusion.

“The atmosphere has been good, and we’re working hard to keep it that way.”

The service park remained active throughout the day as crews worked to restore cars battered by the opening stages.

For ALS Motorsports, the rest day was a full operational shift. Team representative Alfir Khan described it plainly: “For us, it’s not really a rest day. It’s a full working day. We carried out a cable exchange on the Porsche, and we also had some electrical issues on the Ford, so we basically redid the wiring.

Both cars are now looking good.” Alfir added that the day is vital across the board: “It’s extremely important. For the drivers, it’s a chance to rest and reset. For the service crew, it’s almost like a full day in the garage, unlike the usual two hours at end-of-day service.”

Driving the Citroën Visa Chrono for SSS Rallysport, François Abrial reflected on a mixed but promising start to his campaign.

“It has been fantastic overall. The first three days were very good for us, and we were steadily climbing the overall standings.

“Unfortunately, yesterday was a difficult day. We suffered a broken shaft, which forced us to finish outside the time.

“Today, we have fully fixed the problem and gone through the car properly. Both cars are now ready for the final four days.”

Meanwhile, navigator Amaar Slatch, partnering with driver Karim Wissanji, spoke to their own stop-start momentum. “It’s been a bit of an up-and-down journey.

The first day was good and we posted some second-fastest times. On the second day, we lost the gearbox, which cost us time, but we managed to fit a new one. The pace was strong.

Unfortunately, as we came into Amboseli, we developed an oil leak which led to an engine failure.”

After four days, the leaderboard has reshuffled significantly. Baldev Chager now leads on 09:32:16.0, with Britain’s Harry Hunt in second at 09:54:28.9. Evgeny Kireev, Jourdan Serderidis, and Fred Miclotte complete the top five heading into the second half of the rally.

Kenyan drivers continue to deliver strong performances across the field. Behind Chager’s commanding lead, Farhaaz Khan sits 11th overall on 10:39:02.7, followed by Asad Anwar in 19th and Shakeel Khan in 26th.

Piers Daykin, despite a major setback on Day 4, remains classified in 30th, while Basil Criticos holds 34th and Glen Edmunds 39th. Further down the order, Aslam Khan and Phillip Kyriazi sit in 50th and 51st, with Eric Bengi pushing on in 53rd.

The Safari Classic Rally resumes tomorrow from Amboseli Sopa Lodge, with the dramatic backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro framing the next chapter in the race for Safari Classic glory.