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FIA RALLY: The Sameer Safari Rally Entry List/Notes

25 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

The Sameer Safari Rally begins in just a few hours - listed below is the itinerary, competitive section descriptions and entry list.

Event Itinerary

Kenya is GMT +3

Leg 1 - Friday 25th February

09:00 Start from Nairobi
11:28 CS 1 Orien - Isinya 112.43 km
13:31 CS 2 Oltepesi - Olepolos 116.92 km
15:57 CS 3 Olorian - Maili Tisa 71.40 km
16:40 CS 4 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 50.09 km
19:45 End of leg 1 in Nairobi


Leg 2 - Saturday 26 February

04:45 Start from Nairobi
07:45 CS 5 Marigat - Gari Ya Moshi 123.21 km
10:13 CS 6 Nyaru - Kimngorom 68.64 km
13:38 CS 7 Morendat - Mbaruk 93.81 km
16:08 CS 8 Marigat - Mogotio 73.66 km
20:45 End of leg 2 in Nairobi


Leg 3 - Sunday 27 February

05:00 Start from Nairobi
07:08 CS 9 Orien - Isinya 112.43 km
09:11 CS 10 Oltepesi - Olepolos 116.92 km
11:42 CS 11 Olorian - Maili Tisa 71.40 km
12:25 CS 12 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh 50.09 km
16:00 Finish of the rally in Nairobi

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Competitive Section descriptions:
(from the official website)


CS 1 & CS 9 Orien - Isinya
112.43 km, 147 kph Av
This section was run in reverse last year.A long tough section to catch the unwary out. Starts along twisty tight roads through some scenic dry river drifts emerging on to plains. Passing through a quarry in the end.

CS 2 & CS 10 Oltepesi - Olepolos
116.92 km, 132 kph Av

Starts of pretty smooth with spactaculaer jumps at 10 kms. Then we have some wash aways and dry river crossings.Climbing up the hills through some rockery and then a short run at the top with some blind ditches. Then down back into the valley through a series of hairpin bends very rutted and rough. Finnaly Very very fast section with huge wash-aways 2km before the finish.

CS 3 & CS 11 Hunters Lookout - Maili Tisa
71.40 kms, 128 kph Av

A very loose and rough begining with very deep rocky river crossings. Kenneth Ericksson hit a rock at 130kph in the 97 Safari in this section. It then soomthens out into fast twisty roads crossing a large sandy river. The last ten KMS have been washed away and will now come out thorough a new fast wide road with the best jump of the rally at the end. An extremely tough section in with a bit of everything to test the drivers and cars.

CS 4 & CS 12 Kajiado - Olooloitikosh
50.09 kms, 140 kph Av

This section was run in reverse last year.The ascent is from Kajiado along a rutted road running up to the radio mast high up on the hills. It is a fairly straight forward section compared to the others and the shortest in the Rally. The last few KMs are unused and is rough and twisty with ditches and ruts quite rough prone to punctures. This section was where Loix had his spectacular crash on a blind III caution dip.

CS 5 & 8 Marigat to Gari La Moshi / MOGOTIO
CS 5: 123 kms, 129 kph Av
CS 8: 73.66 kms, 141 kph Av

99 Safari's longest section is a mix of last year and starts of with a dash over some dry river crossings and some of the most remotest areas of Kenya along the bottom of the Liakipia escarpment the eastern wall of the great rift valley. For the first loop the cars turn upwards before the sisals farm of Mogotio, and goes along the escarpment before coming down through the sisal farms again into the end.The second time the turn down wards into the sisal farms directly. Shorter by 50kms. The route is a mixture of rocky rough into smooth fairly fast parts then the rutted and ditchy farms roads to the end.

CS 6 Nyaru to Kimngorom
68.64 kms, 89.5 kph Av

Definitely the most scenic part of the rally and the most twisty reflected in the slowest average speed of all. The stage is centered along the end of the Cherangani hills themselves the western part of the Rift and connect to the Mau as they go Southwards. First an ascent from the bottom of the rift valley to the top in a transport section. Then follows a descent from 9000ft along 11 absolute hairpins on narrow roads enough to make you dizzy!! With spectacular views of the Tugen Hills and the farm lands below. After passing through a narrow 200m stretch of road with steep drops on both sides the road narrows through dense forests and tight bends.The route then diverts into a new 8 Km drop back into the bottom of the rift valley. Very steep drop with hairpin bends.

CS 7 Morendat to Mbaruk
93.81 kms, 124 kph Av

For the penultimate section of the day, part of the 1998 route has been used in addtion to smooth "closed road" rallying for about 53 kms on private ranch lands. Starts off through some really rocky and rough stuff with trecherous ruts now worse then 1999, and then onto the ranch roads with tight turns through narrow gates and blind hairpins a real navigators nightmare.

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Entry List

1 T.Makinen/R. Mannisenmaki FIN Mitsu Lancer Evo A/8
2 F.Loix/S.Smeets B Mitsu Carisma GT A/8
3 R.Burns/R.Reid GB Subaru Impreza A/8
4 J.Kankkunen/J.Repo FIN Subaru Impreza A/8
5 C.McRae/N.Grist GB Ford Focus A/8
6 C.Sainz/L.Moya E Ford Focus A/8
7 D.Auriol/D.Giraudet F Seat Cordoba A/8
8 T.Gardemeister/P.Lukander FIN Seat Cordoba A/8
9 M.Gronholm/T.Rautiainen FIN Peugeot 206 A/8
10 G.Panizzi/H.Panizzi F Peugeot 206 A/8

11 A.Schwarz/M.Hiemer D Skoda Octavia A/8
12 L.Climent/A.Romani E Skoda Octavia A/8
16 P.Solberg/P.Mills N/GB Ford Focus A/8
17 T.Arai/R.Freeman J/GB Subaru Impreza A/8
18 F.Dor/D.Breton F/F Subaru Impreza A/8
19 M.Stohl/P.Muller A Mitsu Carisma GT N/4
20 S.Konishi/G.Macneall J/AUS Subaru Impreza N/4

21 A.Cavenagh/C. Sasoon EAK Subaru Impreza N/4
22 R.Sanchez/J.del Buono RA Subaru Impreza N/4
23 R.Green/O.Taylor EAK Subaru Impreza N/4
24 P.Bailey/R. Sehmi EAK Toyota Celica A/8
25 R. Tuthill/P. Stone GB/EAK Subaru Impreza N/4
26 J.Toroitich/M.Saleh EAK Toyota Celica A/8
27 A.Anwar/F.Yusuf EAK Mitsu Lancer N/4
28 R.Hellier/D.Page-Morris EAK Mitsu Lancer A/8
29 J.Lloyd/A.Cavanagh EAK Mitsu Lancer A/8
30 L.Rose/P.Daykin EAK Subaru Impreza N/4

31 C.Menzi/E. Galindo RA Mitsu Lancer N/4
32 S.Mazlan/A.Oh MAL Subaru Impreza N/4
33 R.Stohl/I.Petrasko A Mitsu Carisma GT N/4
35 P.Kimathi/A.Sidi EAK Subaru Impreza A/8
37 G.Pozzo/R.Ortiz RA Mitsu Lancer N/4
41 J.Ngunjiri/T.Karanja EAK Mitsu Lancer N/4
55 S.Essajee/S.Singh EAK Mitsu Lancer N/4

Also entered are a number of T1 class cars which are Safari cross country vehicles and Class S which are production series vehicles. Neither are eligble for FIA World Rally Championship classfications and run behind the rest of the field.

Text provided by FIA

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.