Huge crowds expected as action shifts to Soysambu, Elmenteita, Sleeping Warrior

The 2023 WRC Safari Rally enters its penultimate day on Saturday and being a weekend, a huge crowd is expected to descend on the rally route for the final two days.

The manufacturer drivers (Toyota, Ford and Hyundai) continue to battle for the top honours while drivers aiming to score points in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) series are also aiming for a good finish in the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) series.

Kenya’s Carl Tundo and Tim Jessop are the top local drivers battling it out with the drivers from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) manufacturers teams who include the likes of Finland’s defending world champion Kalle Rovanpera.

The FIA Junior Team of Kenyans Hamza Anwar, McRea Kimathi and Jeremiah Wahome are serving in their respective Ford Fiestas.

Saturday’s action will head to Elmenteita and the Soysambu Conservancy.

An exciting spectator area has been created at the start of the Soysambu Stage where the first car is expected to start at 8.01am.

The zone will have a designated parking area opposite the Delamere Estate and Elmenteita gate and fans will easily access the spectator area across the road through a designated walk-in gate.

The second loop of the Soysambu Stage will be at 2.01pm – giving fans a full day of rally excitement.

Access to this park and walk zone will be via the Lanet Pipeline Depot to Elmenteita Village road, before Nakuru.

A second fan zone is also created at the finish of the Stage – which will be accessible via the Serena Gate for Soysambu Conservancy, just off the Naivasha-Nakuru highway.

The Sleeping Warrior stage, which will be the third and sixth (afternoon re-run) stage of the day, will start at 10.03am and again at 4.03pm.

An exciting spectator zone has been created within the Sleeping Warrior stage as cars head towards the final dash to the finish – just inside the gate into Sleeping Warrior Lodge.

Accessed via the Kikopey-Elmenteita murram road, this zone will have a secure designated parking area within close proximity to the stage, allowing fans to securely park and walk into the spectator area.

Rally cars will also be using this stretch of road from the end of the Sleeping Warrior stage to Kikopey to head back to Naivasha after both loops and active traffic management will be in place.

Spectators are strongly advised to access this zone well ahead of 6am and plan beforehand to be in this spectator area for the entire day.

The final day of the 70th edition of the Safari Rally on Sunday will see the rally go around Lake Naivasha via Malewa, Oserian and Hell’s Gate.

Once again, spectators are catered for at the designated zone to be created at Hell’s Gate National Park.

Accessed via the KWS Elsa Gate off Moi South Lake road, this spectator zone will offer a secure parking area just inside the Park on a large levelled field from where fans can easily walk to the spectating areas.

The Hell’s Gate stage will be a hive of activity for the day, not only showcasing the sweeping dash to the stage finish but also hosting the Podium ceremony for the winners of the Wolf Power Stage.

Spectators will only be allowed to access the Hell’s Gate spectator area from the KWS Elsa Gate as all other entry/exits into the Park will be strictly reserved for rally traffic only.

The total competitive distance in this year’s Safari Rally is 356.98 kilometres while the overall total distance is 1,192.47 kilometres covering 19 competitive stages.

Those who will score points in the main WRC are the three Ford Fiesta Rally3 drivers Kimathi, Anwar and Wahome, in the WRC3 category.

National champion Karan Patel (Ford Fiesta), Piero Cannobio (Hyundai i20 N), Aakif Virani (Skoda Fabia), Samman Vohra  (Skoda Fabia) and Carl Tundo (Skoda Fabia) will be competing in the WRC2 class.

Nikil Sachania (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10), Minesh Rathod (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10), Josiah Kariuki (Subaru Impreza) Evans Nzioka (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10), Edward Maina (Subaru Impreza) will score national championship points only.