Safari Rally nostalgia: Vatanen recalls his 1983 ‘miraculous’ win

The 70th anniversary of the Safari Rally was celebrated through the long Easter weekend in contrasting ways but without a motorsport event.

Fans across the age divide took to social media especially Facebook to celebrate another milestone of the Safari’s legacy by sharing nostalgic photos and videos of previous editions they thought were worth a mention.

Each post served a different generation with content creators settling on 1983, 1990 and 2010 editions as standouts.

The Safari’s conversation was discussed in bars, churches, public gatherings and even in public transport as one of our social media journalists at WRC Safari Rally secretariat Lawrence Kiende reported.

As he was travelling from Nakuru yesterday in a matatu, a middle-aged lady attracted to her branded Safari Rally back-pack inquired of this year’s preparations and recalled with nostalgia the Safari and Easter holidays of the past.

The 1990 Safari well-edited video captures the action in muddy scenes in Central Kenya and Patrick Njiru's interview that year when he became the first man to finish the Safari in a Group N car.

However, no post was so well received than a personal experience of the 1983 edition winner Ari Vatanen of Finland at the dawn of the fabled Group B rally cars which were banned from motorsport for being “too fast to drive.”

Vatanen is a legend of the Safari. He failed to finish in 1977 with Ford, was victorious in 1983 and third in 1998 when he was called in at the last moment by Ford to replace Bruno Thiry, injured in a freak accident a few days before the motor race.

Despite missing out for 15 years, Vatanen finished third behind Richard Burns (Mitsubishi) and Juha Kankkunen (Ford Escort WRC). He said at the post-event party that he was filled with emotions when the Ford boss placed a call with an offer. “I would have done it for free,” said Vatanen.

Vatanen won his first and only world title in 1981, was a four-time winner of the original Paris Dakar Rally and the 1997 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies champion.

Vatanen opened up on social media on Monday about his most cherished Safari victory in 1983 when he found himself in the lead on the last day of the Rally at Nakuru, seven minutes ahead of Hannu Mikkola.

Could the 2WD 305bhp Opel Ascona stand against the high traction 4WD 405bhp Audi Quattro S1 monster, driver’s skills notwithstanding? Vatanen was in his element and lost only one minute to the 1972 champion. The tortoise had out-sprinted the hare.

Here is his own personal account: “I was fortunate to win the East African Safari Rally with Terry Harryman on Easter 40 years ago.

“The start list was impressive: Aaltonen (Rauno), Mikkola (Hannu), Salonen (Timo), Shekhar Mehta, Michèle Mouton, Sandro Munari, Preston Jr., Mike Kirkland and Vic Elford.

“Our start was not very good, we hit a zebra and later on broke the rear axle and we had to stop far from everything.

“The service crew managed to reach us and Bernhard Zech did a fantastic job in changing the axel. Before the final night at Kakamega, we were 7th over two hours (!) behind the leaders. No chance of winning.

“However, during the night all the competitors in front of us lost time, went off the road or retired. Normally those things happened to me!

“When the sun rose, to our big surprise we were leading but my friend Hannu Mikkola was catching up fast in his Audi. Luckily we arrived in Nairobi and we were saved by the bell!

“Winning the Safari Rally meant a lot in those days. My joy was overwhelming. I felt sorry for my teammate Rauno Aaltonen who did the Safari Rally 23 times and nearly won it many times!

My time in the Opel team was not very successful. Therefore Terry and I felt happy to give Opel their only Safari victory.

“Our victory was a miracle - but true.

“Like the Easter message.”

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