Kalle Rovanpera in action on the second day of the Safari Rally in Naivasha on June 23, 2023. [WRC]
- Omanyala v Rovanpera
World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera met Africa's fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala ahead of the seventh leg of the series that revved off in Naivasha on Wednesday.
The two had a chance to do a promotional video, in the Toyota campaign dubbed Man v Machine, that is currently breaking the internet.
The high end ad, done in Athi River sees the Commonwealth Games champion lines up against the Toyota Gazoo Racing champion who is also defending his Safari Rally title at the ongoing contest in Naivasha.
The two stared at each other pensively before speeding off in their tracks, the contest ended in a 'photo finish.'
"It was a close finish, it was fast, I can race the machine," Omanyala said after the race.
"Thank you very much," Rovanpera replied. "All the best in the rally," Omanyala said.
President William Ruto took a ride in Pierre-Louis Loubet's M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid for a high-speed run through shakedown in Naivasha on Wednesday June 21, 2023. [WRC]
- The return of legend Juha Kankkunen spices up the rally
Four times world rally champion Juha Kankkunen is in the country to watch the Safari Rally.
The legend did exhibition drives at the Kasarani Super Special Stage before the opening round of the Safari Rally on Thursday.
His return to the country is of much significant in that he led Toyota to 1-2-3-4 finish in the 1993 Safari Rally, with him emerging overall champion of the edition.
Toyota made a similar repeat at the event last year, with Rovanpera, Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and Sebastien Ogier sweeping the podium in that order.
6.Notorious fesh fesh in Kedong
Drivers yesterday battled the punishing fesh fesh filled 30.62km Kedong stage. Fesh fesh is a soft volcanic ash that is always difficult to wade through.
It is always a driver's worst enemy in the cutthroat competition as they cannot tell how deep it is or what's hidden underneath the volcanic ash.
Last year, nine time world champion Sebastien Loeb, who was returning to the Safari after a 20-year hiatus, was the causality, after fesh fesh in Kedong smoked out his dream of winning the Kenyan leg.
Actually, it is always on this stretch that the Safari Rally title is arguably decided.
Fesh fesh, the flora and fauna within the conservancies and the Kenya's panoramic landscapes are some of the factors that makes Safari Rally the toughest, exciting and thrilling leg of the 13 legged global series.