Legendary Edmunds set for grand return at Classic Rally

Navigator Jiri Kotek (left) and driver Glen Edmunds

Navigator Jiri Kotek (left) and driver Glen Edmunds celebrate after winning a past rally. 

Photo credit: Anwar Sidi | Nation Media Group

By  Abdul Sidi

What you need to know:

  • Edmunds, who won the 2005 Safari Rally with Dez Page-Morris, is excited to return to active competition after several years
  • Edmunds has over 40 years experience in motorsport with numerous wins both locally and internationally in arenas such as rally driving, and grand prix motorcycle events
  • Edmunds retired from his successful rally career in 2001 and is very excited to be behind the wheel of a rally car again

Former Safari Rally winner Glen Edmunds is among the 63 crews preparing for the East African Safari Classic Rally scheduled to start next Friday. 

Edmunds, who won the 2005 Safari Rally with Dez Page-Morris, is excited to return to active competition after several years in the cold.

“To be honest I had sort of gone into depression for staying idle. My wife suggested that I should return to the competition without further delays and that is why I am here,” Edmunds told Nation Sport.

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Edmunds will drive a Škoda Fabia 1400cc rally car in the East African Safari Classic Rally. 

Edmunds added: “I must thank my sponsors for helping me tackle one of the toughest events in the World. My sponsors will be TYM Motorsport, Ronalds and Associates, Glen Edmunds Advance Driving , Flamex and Hambufreight. I am looking forward to the event.”

Edmunds has over 40 years experience in motorsport with numerous wins both locally and internationally in arenas such as rally driving, and grand prix motorcycle events.

Edmunds' accolades include two times winner of the internationally famous Safari Rally in Kenya as well as two times winner of the Kenyan National Motorcycle Championship just to name a few. 

He also advised World Rally Champions and their teams during international events in Kenya and worldwide. 

Four time World Rally Champion Tommi Makinen, and World Rally Champion Richard Burns relied on Glen’s extensive knowledge to deliver excellent results in the Kenyan rounds of the World Rally Championship (WRC).

Edmunds retired from his successful rally career in 2001 and is very excited to be behind the wheel of a rally car again. 

Edmunds’ Škoda is at number 15 out of the 63 cars that have entered the rally.

Out of the total number of entries, 19 crews are from Kenya while the rest of the competitors are from other countries such as Austria, South Africa, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, France, UK, Belgium, USA, New Zealand, Japan and Poland.

Entry List Classic Rally

1. Baldev Chager/Gareth Dawe (Porsche 911)

2.  Piers Daykin/Tariq Malik (Datsun 280Z)

3. Kris Rosenberger/Nicola Bleicher (Porsche 911)

4. Remon Vos/Stephen Prevot (Porsche 911)

5. Ian Duncan/ Jaspal Matharu (Datsun 280Z)

6.Geoff Bell/Tim Challen (Datsun 240Z)

7. TBA/TBA (Porsche 911)

8. Eugenia Amos/Paolo Ceci (Porsche 911)

9. Johnny Gemmell/Carolyn Swan (Datsun 280Z)

10. Journal Serderidis/Grégoire Munster (Porsche 911)

11. Evgeny Kirvee/Gunnar Andersson (Porsche 911)

12. Anthony Nielsen/Ammar Slatch (Ford Escort MK1)

14.Robert Calder/Gavin Laurence (Datsun 280Z)

15. Bonamy Grimes/Martin Rowe (Porsche 911)

16. TBA/TBA (Porsche 911)

17. Glen Janssens/Conrad Janssens(Porsche 911)

18. Roger Smaulelsson/Julia Swenson (Porsche 911)

19. David Von Schindler/Per Bjokman (Porsche 911)

20. Frederic Rosati/Julie Teste (Porsche 911)

21. Faraz Khan/Keith Henrie (Porsche 911)

22. Andrew Siddal/Gary McElhinney (Datsun 240Z)

23. Michael Holmqvist/EmilAxelsson (Porsche 911)

24. Mark Bentley/Ed Bentley (Ford Escort MK1)

25. Pons Jordi Maria/Teresa Vidal Andora (Datsun Violet GT)

26. Tony Wright/Douglas Rundgren (Ford Escort MK2)

27. Shakeel Khan/Assad Mughul (Ford Escort MK1)

28. John Coyne/Josh McErlean (Porsche 911)

29. Glen Edmunds/Lloyd Destro (Skoda 130 LR)

30. Aslam Khan/Arshad Kahn Arshad (Porsche 911)

31. Rommy Bhamrah/Harvey Jutley (Datsun 280Z)

32. Eric Bengi/Mindo Gatimu (TBA)

33. Nish Lakhani/Teeku Patel (Ford Escort MK1)

34. Rajesh Maini/Devan Bhundia (Ford Escort MK1)

35. Emile Breittmayer/Alexis Thomas (Porsche 911)

36. Oliver Breittmayer/Eric Forney (Porsche 911)

37. Olga Lounova/Lilia Khousnoutdinova (Opel Ascona)

39. Malcolm Rich/Adrian Cavenagh (Ford Escort MK2)

40. Philip Kyriazi/ George Kyriazi (Ford Escort MK1)

41. Kyle Lucas/Karan Sehmi (Ford Escort MK2)

42. Geoffery Page-Morris/Dez Page-Morris (TBA)

43. Francis Heyse/Charles Munster Porsche 911)

44. Frederic Comtet/LudivineMarquise (Porsche 911)

45. Patrice Perche/Julien Saunier (Porsche 911)

46. Pawel Molgo/Maciej Marton Porshe 911)

47. Phillip Dubaere/Andre Leah (Porsche 911)

48. Terran Font/ Claudi Leiters (Ford Escort MK2)

49. Iain Dobson/Harry Stubbs  (Ford Escort RS1600)

50. Josel Jobst/Luis Lobst (Porsche 911)

51. Joseph Huber/Yves Huber (Porsche 911)

52. Aron Banks/Peter Banks (Ford Escort MK1)

53. Tim Chesser/Jack Chesser (Ford Escort MK1)

54. Gary Bimler/Allen Cullen (Datsun Violet GT)

55. Bart Vanhaverbeke/Steven Vyncke (Mercedes 500SLC)

56. Masaomi Suzuki/Yasuhori Ohtani (Porsche 911)

57. Asad Anwar/Rob Warmisham (Toyota Levine)

58. Michael Kahlfuss/Richard Bauger(Trabant P60)

59. Lola Verlaque/Edward  Verlaque (Datsun 260Z)

60. Andrea C. Bonomi/Andrew Doug (Morgan Plus8)

61. Carlo Alessandro/Pierre Arries (Morgan US 8)

62. Jakub Grochola/Michal Jucewicz (Opel Manta 400)

63. Vojtech Stajf/Jan Bejvl (Porsche 911)

64. Hamza Anwar/Adnan Din (TBA)

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