WRC Safari Rally full speed ahead
From left: WRC Safari Rally Media Safety Manager Anwar Sidi, Deputy Clerk of Course Nazir Yakub, Clerk of Course Gurvir Bhabra and Deputy Clerk of Course George Mwangi during route inspection in Naivasha ahead of this year’s WRC Safari Rally that will run from June 23 to 26.
What you need to know:
- Media accreditation for iconic rally has opened for local and international journalists
- Supplementary Regulations published, vastly experienced Carl Tundo, Clerk of Course
Preparations for the 2023 WRC Safari Rally have entered the home stretch following the official publication of the Supplementary Regulations.
The iconic motor race will be held in Nairobi and Naivasha from June 22 to 25.
According to the published Supplementary Regulations, Gurvir Bhabra will be the Clerk of the Course for the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar event.
The Supplementary Regulations offer a comprehensive guide to the rally as per International Automobile Federation (FIA) competition rules.
Bhabra is confident that everything will be in place by the time the event rolls off from Nairobi in two months time.
“The SRs (Supplementary Regulations) have been released and we are now getting into top gear to make sure the rally will be run properly. All the stages and venues are already in place,” Bhabra told Nation Sport.
The total Competitive Distance will be 356.98 kilometres.
Nation Media Group’s Lead Editor (Sports and Integration Projects), Elias Makori has been appointed as the National Press Officer for the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship event to oversee media operations.
“We have learnt a lot over the last two years in the World Rally Championship, thanks to the able guidance of the FIA (International Automobile Federation) Media Delegate Vera Dassausaye from France,” Makori, who also handled the 2021 and 2022 WRC Safari Rally media operations.
“The Media Accreditation window is now open and we look forward to having more journalists registering this year considering the increasing popularity of the rally. We thank the government for the continued support for this great rally, a rich Kenyan heritage," he added.
Media Accreditation opened last week to be followed by submission of the competition entries from Saturday.
Carl Tundo, a former Safari Rally winner, is the chairman of the Safari Rally Local Organising Committee with Phineas Kimathi, who was part of the team that successfully fought for the return of the Safari to the WRC in 2021, the event's Chief Executive Officer.
Jim Kahambura is the Rally Manager and Helen Shiri the Event Secretary.
Other posts confirmed in the Supplementary Regulations include Norris Ongalo (Safety Officer), Anwar Sidi (Route Liaison and Media Safety), Musa Locho (Chief Scrutineer), Prof Raj Jutley (Chief Medical Officer) and Joe Muchiri (Service Manager).
The official reconnaissance of the route (recce) will be done on June 20 and 21 which will coincide with the scrutineering of the rally cars.
Shakedown will be run on the Loldia Stage on 22 June.
The rally will officially be flagged off at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.
