Motorsport: EA Safari Classic preps gather momentum as organisers complete route survey

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Jonathan Somen and Riochard Hechle in a recent test

Hero Ian Duncan leads local drivers in the biennial East African Safari Classic.

Route for this year's East African Safari Classic Rally is complete, officials have confirmed.

Making the announcement in Nairobi, East African Safari Rally General Manager Pipi Renu said the course will feature about 2,000km of competitive driving and a similar distance of transport road section across East Africa’s most picturesque locations.

The rally, which has over the years carved a niche for itself as one of Kenya’s biggest sports tourism activity, will start and end at Sarova Whitesands Hotel on November 23 and December 1.

This year, the EA Safari Classic is designed to feature some exciting new routes and the organisers will make them public a few weeks to the event.

“Standards have been set and only the sky is the limit. We have been out to check on the routes. Some are new, but all the same, we are ready to host the rally. The total distance is approximately 4,000km,” said Renu.

Unlike some previous editions when the event’s rest day was at Amboseli and the Tanzanian segment, this year's off day will be in Diani, South Coast.

The biennial East African Safari Classic was first held in 2003 and has since featured some of the world’s renowned drivers, who have illuminated it to dizzying levels.

They include Swede oldies like late Bjorn Waldegard and Stig Blomqvist, who have over the years savoured the opportunity to rally in Kenya.

Blomqvist, the 1984 world rally champion, will defend his classic title in a Porsche 911 built by two-time Safari Classic winners, Tuthill Porsche.

Local hero Ian Duncan will be going flat out in his bid to reclaim the title he lost to Blomqvist in 2015. Duncan and Amaar Slatch return to the marathon event in their carroty Ford Capri, hoping to reclaim the coveted title that was first won by retired former Kenyan champion, Rob Collinge, in 2003.

Collinge, Duncan and Waldegard are the most successful drivers in the event and have already claimed some scalps. This year's edition will be run in Kenya and Tanzania.

Former Kenya Classic Car champions Jonathan Somen and Richard Hechle have also signed up for the event, hoping to pull through with no damage.

Somen will test his Ford Escort Mk2 in the national rally later this month.