I wouldn't have become a champion had top Kenyan drivers not run into trouble, says Rosenberger
Sports
By
Ochieng Oyugi
| Feb 10, 2022
Defending champion Kris Rosenberger was first off the ramp as the 10th edition of the East African Safari Classic Rally revved off in Naivasha on Thursday morning.
Owing to the star-studded field, the 52-year-old admitted it's not possible to win a consecutive double but will be out to finish the 5000km journey from Naivasha to Watamu.
"We are lucky to be the car number, for now, our target is to finish the event. We are not expecting anything this year even though we will still use the tactics that gave us victory in 2019," he told Standard Sports.
"We were so lucky to win it last time, we enjoyed the country and the sceneries. The people were fantastic but we don't expect that a win will come so easy this time around so we just want to finish," Rosenberger said.
The father of two went ahead to admit that he wouldn't have won the last edition of the classic rally had top Kenyan drivers like Carl Tundo, Ian Duncan and Baldev Chager not run into problems.
"I believe the local drivers have a great chance of winning this year because of the preparations they have had. I bet they would be very fast at the start of the rally but we have a fantastic team giving us support in the competition," he said.
Despite giving Kenyan
speedsters the credit, the Austrian, ironically, still believes it is only the high priest of drifts and YouTube rally guru Ken Block and the former world youth rally champion Patrik Sandell who are a threat to his reigning title.
"Block is well known for his incredible antics, Sandell I think is the most rounded and best driver in this competition," he said.
Rosenberger has given the 20 new stages of the route a thump up saying they make the ground levelled for all drivers.
" The more the route is new, the better for everyone. International drivers don't have experience of the Kenyan roads so this is really good for us foreigners," he said.
Rosenberger advised his fellow competitors to be cautious on the road during the event reminding them that they will come to cross wildlife, people, rocks and traffic in the race.
"It's a balance of speed that we have to try and find during the journey," he said.
Rosenberger is competing in Kenya for the third time now, having finished eighth in the 1998 Safari Rally.
"I love coming to Kenya to compete in the EASCR because this is the toughest race on earth.
"Kenya is beautiful, people are friendly and the panoramic sceneries are thrilling," he said.
Rosenberger hailed his navigator, Nicola Bleicher explaining that the German co-driver is very efficient in calling out pace-notes for him.
"We share not only the car but the bed, we try not to fight. We have one big rule; what happens in the car stays in the car, so when we go for dinner after the rally day we try not to fight about what happened in the car," said Rosenberger.
Bleicher has encouraged Kenyan women to embrace rallying stating that co-drivers, whether women or men, doesn't matter.
"Women can do the job same as men, maybe even better because they are organised, structured, don't get into a panic so fast and are strict with the drivers," she said.
Rosenberger and Bleicher
runs frequently to keep fit every day which has catapulted their motorsport career to greater heights.
Rosenberger rallying victories
1995: Rallye Sprint Bruckneudorf
1996: Bosch Super 4 Rallye
1996: Rallye Sprint Bruckneudorf
1997: Bosch Super 4 Rallye
1997: Rally Saturnus Hella
1997: Castrol Krappfeld Rally
1997: OMV Mobil Rally
2018: Rally Clasico Isla de Mallorca
2019: Rally Clasico Isla de Mallorca
2019: The East African Safari Classic Rally
2021: Rally Sprint Mitja Illa
2021: Rallye Vall de Sant Pere
2021: Rallye Bunyola Orient
2021: Rally Sprint Conservas
2021: Rally Sprint de