KMSF savours return of Safari Rally to Worlds

Supi Soin with Time Tracking official from Bulgaria during the 2017 Safari Rally at the Galleria Mall. [Photo: Standard Sports]

The Kenya Motor Sports Federation is happy at the return of the Safari Rally as a World Rally Championship showpiece.

Supi Soin, the federation's chairman, said: “We want to get a WRC candidature event by 2019. The national competition rules (NCRs) are much stronger and clearer with stringent organiser obligations. It has been a difficult but rewarding task in trying to improve the status of the Kenya National Rally Championship series, which include the Safari Rally.”

The Safari Rally, which lost its World Rally Status in 2002, is on course to return to the World Series if the Kenya Motor Sports Federation (KMSF) is supported by the relevant bodies, he said.

He asked concerned government organs and stakeholders to lobby for the return of the WRC Safari Rally. After the Classic Rally that concluded a fortnight ago in Mombasa, Soin said KMSF longs to pick local and experienced officials in future contests.

This, he said, would encourage more classic rallies to be organised by clubs rather than private commercial enterprises who do not adhere to laid-down rules and regulations.

The Classic Rally opted out of the FIA circus in order to run an event that does not necessarily follow the international rules such as the length of the competitive stages and other major issues.

Soin, whose term ends at the end of the 2018 season, added: “In the past four years there have been no driver protests during any rally where a driver stopped within a competitive stage and refused to continue. There were no protests on any times given for Flying Finishes (FF) as we had introduced policing at each of the FFs and we have taken rallying to private land, which are safer."

According to Soin, the president of FIA, Jean Todt, helped release 125,000 euros for six training modules.