This archive report was first published on 6 November 2021.
On November 6, 2021, the World's Greatest mini-Classic Rally came to a close, with defending champion Baldev Chager retaining his title in a thrilling competition.
Chager led from start to finish, navigating over 650 kilometres of competitive stages in just under six and a half hours at an average speed of over 100 km/h. His Porsche 911 showcased exceptional performance, leaving fellow competitors Ian Duncan and Geoff Bell in his wake.
Chager expressed his delight at the win, saying, “It has been absolutely amazing, just being in this car puts a smile on your face, winning an event with it is just magical.” He also paid tribute to his close rally colleagues, “we miss Onkar and Tej Rai in such a social and enjoyable event and hope one day someone will come back from the family and drive a few Classics at least.”
Ian Duncan, driving his Minti Motorsport-sponsored Rover V8, finished second, just over 7 minutes behind Chager. Duncan was thrilled to have made it to the end, saying, “To get to the end was really cool and to finish second was a bonus.” He also praised the event organisers, saying, “what a great job they did and thank you very much, a good entry and a well-run event.”
Geoff Bell's Magnum-sponsored Datsun 240Z finished third, just 11 minutes behind Chager. Bell expressed his enthusiasm for the event, saying, “We had problems with our tyres so something that we’ve learnt to take to the main Classic in February and to be behind Chager and Duncan is a big honour anyway. This was a good route, and we can’t wait until February.”
Local favourite Eric Bengi received a rapturous reception from his team and followers after climbing 5 places on the final day to finish 6th in his Minti Motorsports-sponsored Datsun 180B. Fellow driver Maxine Wahome continued her impressive form, climbing to 14th overall.
Mark Glen secured the inaugural East African Mini Classic title in the Rally Raid category, overcoming a six-minute deficit at the end of day 2 to beat Ross Field.
Event Director Tash Tundo reflected on the event, saying, “It has been a wonderful Mini Classic Rally, we’ve seen amazing rallying in an incredible location, brought lots of old friends together in a competitive spirit of camaraderie and had 23 finishers out 32. We are all looking forward to the main event in February 2022.”
