World’s Toughest Rally: Kenya holds its breath ahead of African Rally Championship event

The event, which will run as a FIA Candidate Round as it tries to regain full World Rally Championship status in 2020, will also count towards the 2019 FIA African Rally Championship event.

The programme for the 2019 Safari Rally has been released by organisers.

“The team has put lots of efforts in the event for last eight months. It has been a tough task but we just hope all goes well come to the end of the rally,” said Phineas Kimathi, the CEO of the Safari Rally 2019 WRC Project.

Kimathi was recently appointed as one of the seventeen members of the newly created FIA’s 2019 World Rally Championship Commission.

Kimathi is the sole representative from the African Continent among the six other members representing six nations that includes Waltraud Wunch (Germany), Dominic Serieys (France), Molly Taylor (Australia), Carlos Cordero (Mexico) and Amnn Barfull (Spain).

The Safari Rally Route will kick off with a Spectator Stage at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani at 10am on 6 July. The competitive stage on that day will be of 4.3km long.

Day two rallying action will begin 6am with three stages that will be repeated. Soysambu (22 km), Elementaita (21km) and Sleeping Warrior (27km)

The total distance to be covered that day will be 393.29km with 140.56 of those forming the competitive distance while transport will be 252.84km.

The final day of competition will see action move to Kedong where yet again three stages will be tackled – Malewa (6.2km), Loldia (11.73km) and Kedong (37.33km).

The total distance covered on the last day will be 268km, with 115.57km being the competitive distance.

Drivers will have tackled a total distance of 811km – 268 of those being over competitive distances.

The first car is expected to arrive and finish the rally at Sopa Lodge in Naivasha at 1:29pm.

Drivers will be allowed to do recce on the stages only on Wednesday and Thursday between 8am and 6pm.

The number of passengers in each car is restricted to two.

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