The Safari was by its own right one of the most special of the WRC. Born in 1953 and is present in the WRC since its foundation in 1973, the test was played in Kenya and its neighbouring countries became during several decades in a rally half way between a speed test and a raid like the Dakar. Tours of thousands of miles, averages of speed and stretches of open weather conditions were harsh and a few wild lands led to this test to be the object of desire of car manufacturers to to prove the hardness and robustness of their vehicles.
The Safari was part of the WRC for three decades, from 1973 to 2002, although with the passage of the years, his hardness was waning. Supported raid type and with vehicles developed exclusively for its rigors led to a rally of more traditional, with some stretches and a mileage in line with the rest of the evidence in the World, although that has not prevented the victories of Vatanen, Kankkunen, Biasion, Sainz, Mäkinen or McRae to pass to the history World Championship”, an event to which it is willing to return to the current Safari.
Although the return of the Safari has been a recurring rumor in recent years, the efforts of Phineas Kimathi, Chairman of the Federation of automobile sports of Kenya, has had its fruits and at least the appointment of african is back on the radar of the WRC. Well it is true that after the fiasco experienced with the Rally of China, the FIA and the promoter of the WRC go with feet of lead when looking for testing candidates in the World, but also what is that Olivier Cesla has a great interest in the WRC back to Africa in the next few years.
currently the closest thing there is to the Safari is a test of classic cars which is far from the standards demanded by the FIA. Or the organization of the test nor the governmental support are at the height, but that does not mean that there is a basis thanks to the work of Kimathi. For the moment, the name of the Safari is back on the table in the WRC, in the interest of both parties to make the Safari a reality. However, there is a long way when it comes to presenting an Event Candidate and able admission to enter the contest in 2019.
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