NAIROBI, May 6 (Xinhua) — Reigning World Rally champion and titleholder Kalle Rovanpera is among the many prime worldwide drivers who’ve confirmed their entry for Kenya’s Safari Rally in June.
Entries for the rally that can run from June 23 to 26 opened this week with Toyota’s Finnish star Rovanpera and his navigator Jonne Halitunen among the many first to substantiate they are going to participate within the seventh spherical of the 2023 World Rally Championship (WRC).
Toyota have already gained in three of the 4 2023 WRC rallies to date this yr, in Monte Carlo, Mexico and Croatia.
France’s Sebastien Ogier, who gained in Kenya in 2021 and was victorious in Monte Carlo and Mexico this yr, is the second Toyota driver to be entered within the Safari Rally to attain WRC factors, regardless of a restricted competitors programme this season.
Others are Briton Elfyn Evans, winner of final month’s Rally Croatia, and Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta, second right here in 2021 driving a Toyota Yaris GR.
Ogier leads the 2023 championship with 69 factors adopted by Evans (69), Rovanpera (68) and Ott Tanak (65) forward of the WRC Rally of Portugal subsequent weekend.
Canada’s Jason Bailey and James Willets will discipline a Ford Fiesta R3 to battle with the Kenya junior crew.
Czech WRC and rally raid ace driver Martin Prokop, navigated by compatriot Zdenek Jurka in a Ford Fiesta MK1 R2, are the drivers to look at within the R2 class.
Prokop gave a superb account of himself on day two of final yr’s Safari Rally, setting second and third quickest stage occasions twice and 4 occasions respectively earlier than retiring with engine bother along with his Ford Fiesta R2.
Local ace Minesh Rathod, who shall be co-driven by Britain’s Jamie Mactavish in a Mitsubishi Lancer, is the primary driver to register within the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC), which shall be a part of the WRC Safari Rally.
The Safari Rally will get underway within the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and resort city of Naivasha, after being flagged off at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park.