This archive report was first published on 1 December 2019.
On the eve of the first rest day, the East African Safari Classic Rally has seen a dramatic shift in the lead, with Austrian Kris Rosenberger taking the top spot on Sunday.
Kenyan Onkar Rai, who had been leading the competition, encountered a mechanical problem in the SS12 stage, paving the way for Rosenberger to seize the opportunity.
As a result, Onkar Rai dropped to fifth place, while Swede Stig Blomqvist secured the second position in a Porsche, with Onkar's brother Tajveer Rai holding onto third place in another Porsche.
Hong Kong's Philip Kadoorie, navigated by Ryan Champion of Great Britain, occupied the fourth spot in a Porsche.
With the competition now at the halfway mark, having covered 1,656km of competitive racing, the drivers will have a maximum of six hours to service their cars at the Tanga Service Point in Tanzania on Monday.
However, drivers who replace a complete engine will face an additional penalty.
Early leader Baldev Chager of Kenya, who was harbouring hopes of winning his first ever Safari Classic Rally, was forced to abandon the last two stages of the competition due to torsion bar problems in his Porsche.
His navigator Ravi Soni reflected on their bad luck, stating, “We have to understand that we can’t control the weather though we know all the officials are doing a good job. But for me and Baldy, not starting a stage really pushed us back. Every stage cancelled is detrimental to us because the more mileage we have the more chance we have to make the time,’’ said Soni.
