All is set for the final push to the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally with the official publication of the Supplementary Regulations paving way for the last leg of preparations for the June 22 to 25 competition.
According to the published Supplementary Regulations that offer a comprehensive guide to the competition as per International Automobile Federation (FIA) competition rules, Gurvir Bhabra will be the Clerk of the Course for the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar.
Bhabra is confident that all is in place with least two months to go before the event rolls off from Nairobi.
“The SRs (Supplementary Regulations) have been released and we are now getting into top gear to make sure the rally will be run properly. All the stages and venues are already in place,” Bhabra told Nation Sport.
The total Competitive Distance will be 356.98 kilometres with the total overhaul rally distance at 1,192.47 kilometres.
Nation Media Group’s Lead Editor (Sports and Integration Projects), Elias Makori has been appointed as the National Press Officer for the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship event to oversee media operations as required by the FIA.
“I’m excited to once again be part of media operations at the WRC Safari Rally. We have learnt a lot over the last two years in the World Rally Championship, thanks to the able guidance of the FIA (International Automobile Federation) Media Delegate Vera Dassausaye from France,” said Makori, who also handled the 2021 and 2022 WRC Safari Rally media operations.
“The Media Accreditation window is now open and we look forward to having more journalists registering this year considering the increasing popularity of the rally. We thank the government for the continued support for this great rally, a rich Kenyan heritage,” he added.
Media accreditation opened last week to be followed by submission of the competition entry from April 29.
The Media accreditation process signifies the importance of the Safari Rally to the leading media houses which have played a very important role in supporting the last two editions of the world famous rally.
The attention given to the Safari Rally by the leading Print and TV stations has notably increased.
Carl Tundo, a former Safari Rally winner, will be the chairman of this year’s Safari Local Organising Committee with Phineas Kimathi, who successfully fought for the return of the Safari to the WRC in 2021, the event’s Chief Executive Officer.
Jim Kahambura will be the Rally Manager while Helen Shiri will be the Event Secretary.
Others confirmed in the Supplementary Regulations include Norris Ongalo (Safety Officer), Anwar Sidi (Route Liaison and Media Safety), Musa Locho (Chief Scrutineer), Prof Raj Jutley (Chief Medical Officer) and Joe Muchiri (Service Manager).
The official reconnaissance of the route (recce) will be done on June 20 and 21 which will also coincide with the scrutineering of the rally cars.
The Shakedown for the top registered WRC drivers will be done on the Loldia Stage on June 22.
The official start of the rally will be at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.
According to the regulations, rally cars must be driven from the Kasarani Super Special Stage reconnaissance to the pre-start holding area by the crew.
All the rally cars must be in the pre-start holding area at Uhuru Park before 12 noon on June 22.
Entering the holding area after 12pm will incur a fine of €250, notified by the Clerk of the Course.
Between the pre-start holding area and TC0 any service may only be performed according to 2023 FIA WRC Sporting Regulations, Article 56.1.2.
There will be a press conference for all Priority 1 drivers and co-drivers at the Uhuru Park Start on June 22 at 11:00 am, and an autograph session between 11:15am and 11:45am (list of drivers and co-drivers that are required to attend will be published in a Bulletin).
The start intervals from TC0 will be two minutes for all Priority crews, and one minute for all non-priority crews.
Several of the leading Kenya National Rally Championship contenders have already indicated their participation.
Jasmeet Chana, who finished 13th overall in last year’s WRC Safari Rally said he was ready to participate in his Mitsubishi Lancer.
“Yes I will do the Safari but under the KNRC Class as we shall still drive our Evo which we have not managed to sell yet and unfortunately no sponsor has come on board,” Chana told Nation Sport.
Chana added: “We would like to appeal to sponsors to come out and sponsor drivers to get value for there companies and not concentrate on national winners only. There is a lot of potential drivers if they checked around.”
Karan Patel, the reigning Kenya National Rally Champion and runner up in the 2022 African Rally Championship is lucky to have secured Redbull as his main sponsor.
Patel will drive his Ford Fiesta with Tauseef Khan in this year’s round of the WRC.
All the rest of the leading WRC Manufacturers Teams are also expected to submit their entries soon.
