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WCRA
website promoting Stage and TSD Rally Sport in
British Columbia |
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2003
East African Safari Rally - Organizers Pre Race
Comments |
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| TO: ALL ENTRANTS Dear Competitor, RE: MIKE SUMMERFIEL - ROUTE COMMENTS |
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| Mike Summerfield is a "Marathon Man". He has worked on almost every long distance rally that I have ever heard of. We thought that he would be an ideal guy to suggest any improvements we could do to make sure our overseas competitors don't go into shock when they see the route. He has covered every inch of the route in two separate visits and has fallen in love with our tough rally conditions and friendly country. | ||||||
| Here is what he has to say | ||||||
| Best regards Mike Kirkland Event Director Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally P O Box 99456 Mombasa - Kenya |
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| Tel: +254 41 475074/5/6 Fax: +254 41 474947/471257 |
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|
"Roots"
A return to Rally paradise |
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| In the early 50's I had the fortune to move to Kenya with my parents, some people say they wish I had stayed here!! Even at such a tender age I had a growing interest in cars, after all my father had an Austin 16; who could fail to be impressed. It wasn't long before I discovered Motorsport and was introduced to Rallying when I was asked if I would like to help run a Control at Timboroa on the then Coronation Safari. Needless to say I was completely hooked ! | ||||||
| So it was with a real sense of déjà vu, as well as a great honour, to be asked by Mike Kirkland, a legend in his own lunchtime, to help on this 50th Anniversary East African Safari Rally. Two trips to Kenya later and I have to confess I feel like the fish that's taken the bait for the second time, well and truly hooked. | ||||||
| In the last few months I have had the pleasure of being driven round the route by former Nissan chauffeur Mike, previously turbanned Kenyan rally guru Surinder Thatti as well as the company of the multi talented Michael Hughes. So what have I found? And what are you going to get for your bucks? | ||||||
| Huge interest !! Everywhere we went the Rally Plate on the front of the Landcruiser generated massive interest. And when we told people this wasn't a sissy WRC event but one for real cars, real drivers and with a proper route the interest soared. There is a huge queue of people who want to help on the event, Ministers ( of State not Religion ), Landowners, Controllers, Hotelliers and, yes, even Policemen. We even had a few personal interviews with the latter! The Lord and Lady Delamere, from a family that have been here since the dawn of time, have generously offered to entertain you to Brunch at their property near Nakuru. A fantastic offer you say? Yes, but that's not all, we also have a competitive that takes in almost all of their huge property including roads that have never before seen a rally car. Wonderful people, real enthusiasts who just want to make the event happen. You'll get to meet them, but you won't get to stay with them like I did, and you'll get an idea of the enormous enthusiasm Mike and his team have generated in East Africa with this event. Add to this being in the first proper International Rally in Uganda and Tanzania for years. And unique opportunities to visit the source of the Nile, historic towns like Jinja, some incredibly smart hotels, wildlife areas like you can't imagine, the best beaches in Africa and people whose smiles seem to go on for ever and your entry fee looks good without the Rallying! I could go on but you might get tired of hyperbole! Seriously, as a certain Irish comedian used to say " It's a cracker" | ||||||
| So that's the good bits; now for the really good bits. The route: | ||||||
| Day 1 takes you out of Mombasa for just under 30k for the first of 4 magic competitives. Starting fast undulating and mildly twisty and ending up in the seriously up and down, sometimes bumpy world of the Taita Hills. Overnight at the superb Saltlick Lodge where, during the recce, mopre than 500 elephants queued to drink from the waterhole 10 feet from the restaurant window! And if that's not close enough you can take a walk downstairs where they are only 7 feet away and with no window to obscure the view. I didn't want to leave. | ||||||
| Day 2 starts with an amazing stages in the Taitas that begins rough, twisty and steep and finishes on an amazing road than would make an English forest look like a footpath! Two more follow with everything from drifts, sand, a few rocky bits, straight, twisty, challenging !! Cocktails tonight at the Mount Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki on the edge of a super golf course with Mount Kenya as the backdrop. A stunning day with an equally stunning end. | ||||||
| Day 3 and the longest competitive of the event to wake you up, starts super fast and gets twistier towards the end. What a day this is, 250k of some of the best, and most challenging roads on the route together with Gods Bridge. Its called that because if you fall off it that's where you are going ! Tonight you dine under the stars, tents for everyone on the du Toit property at Eldoret. 5 star camping, 5 star catering and you even only have to share the loo with 2 others!! No, I don't mean only 4 of you are going to get here! | ||||||
| Day 4 is the first 2 country day. 4 Competitives; 2 each side of the border. The Kenya ones seem to get more challenging each day and the two in Uganda are fast, furious and even include a couple of gravel roundabouts! Uganda has more people than all the world put together, or at least it seemed that way to me. There was a National rally in the area just before we went through and everyone commented on how well behaved the locals were. Ugandas historic capital of Kampala beckons with Rally HQ in the sumptuous Sheraton. Your cars should be super safe tonight, our 'man in Uganda' is trying to persuade the Presidents Office to let us park on an Army guarded Parade Ground. Not because its not safe elsewhere you understand but because it's a really superb location. | ||||||
| Day 5, one competitive in Uganda and then its back across the frontier and into serious Safari Rally country round Fort Ternan. Think of Day 3 and imagine the same. Not quite so much distance but just as challenging. Boys Scout night tonight but with a huge difference. The Masai Mara with its endless vistas and amazing variety of wildlife. Be woken by the roar of the lion or the snore of the co driver, it matters not this is a heavenly experience. | ||||||
| Day 6. A day off!!!!! Sleep in, regain your sanity but most of all make the most of this truly unique opportunity. If you want an experience to remember book the Balloon flight, it looks expensive but its an ethereal trip that you will remember for the rest of your life. | ||||||
| Day 7. Today looks an easy day but it starts with one of the most challenging Competitives of the event, the legendary Mau. A fantastic road but be wary, the weather can change from mildest of dips into a mudhole, I can vouch for that! Brunch at Mbweha followed by a wildlife laden stage across the Delamere property. Don't go off through the big fence !! There be lions in them there trees !! An easy run into Nairobi with perhaps a surprise or two in Kenyas Capital. Overnight at the huge Safari Park Hotel, 5 restaurants and all. And I don't want anyone trying to teach the parrot bad language !! | ||||||
| Day 8. Another Safari Rally regular starts the day just outside the city on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. Flattish and fast times 2 and then its into Tanzania for 2 more amazing stages that havn't been used on an International for years. Enjoy them! Overnight in Arusha at the Novatel. | ||||||
| Day
9 could decide the event. 3 competitives
today, one of which is so legendary that it makes
even aged old rallyers like Mike K tremble at the
memories, when his memory works that is To say that
today is one of the key days of the event is an
understatement. I finished this days recce in Tanga
almost orgasmic in appreciation of the route, and
at my age that doesn't happen very often. Tanga, another memory for me. I fell asleep here on a diving pontoon and spent a couple of weeks in hospital recovering from sunstroke!! Not on the recce, a long, long time ago. |
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| Day 10 and you have almost made it. But its not quite over yet! 3 more competitives to go. Two real gems in Tanzania and a magic 50k plus finale in Kenya. Just remember the famous words; " It ain't over till the fat lady sings !!" And the finish, wow!! Just as long as the Moon doesn't go daft and change the tide you should have a brilliant run along the beach to the Podium outside the Jadini Beach Hotel. A better finish venue I have NEVER seen. | ||||||
| I can promise you lots of things. | ||||||
| Roads like you have never seen before. Yes they are rough and bumpy in places, sometimes for several k's. But this is Africa. This is the East African Safari. You are driving a legend! And what you drive is what you get. In places the roads are fast, probably faster than you have ever seen. In other places they are tighter than tight! You need to pace yourself and look after your car. You need to understand the timing and be prepared to 'cut' if needs be. Don't be too proud to miss a bit if you are running late, the regulations were written to keep you in the event, not put you out of it. Look at some of the old, and I mean OLD, Safari results and people finished in the top 20 with huge penalties. And the people!! Repeat after me; " I am driving on open roads", again please. Don't let the dreaded "red mist" take over. Rallying is loved here and the people really do try to stay out of the way. But its very different to Europe and it needs treating with respect. | ||||||
| Welcomes like you have never had anywhere. Photo opportunities like nowhere else. Amazing people. Delightful places. | ||||||
| Advice? Yes. Listen to what you have been told. Ground clearance, dampers, underbody protection - these are all vital things. Drinking water, lots of it, every day is the very best personal advice you can have. Look after yourself and, more importantly, look after your companion - you are more likely to see, and recognise a problem than he / she is. If you are not sure - ASK. | ||||||
| You may have noticed I havn't mentioned too many place names. No, I havn't forgotten them and, once you have driven them neither will you. These are places of Rally legend and you are about to become part of that legend. This is going to be the hardest thing you have ever done buts it's also going to be the most satisfying. There will be times you wish you could go home but there will also be many more times that you will wish the day didn't end. You will get tired, you'll get emotional but you will also get an incredible buzz. Its tough, it can be rough, its hard, its hot, but then it's the East African Safari Rally. | ||||||
| This is History with a big H, and you are part of it. You'll dine out on the stories for years. | ||||||
| See you in Mombasa in December | ||||||
|
Mike Summerfield |
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