It was an intense day filled with drama as crews in the East African Safari Classic Rally faced an intense battle today in the first stage as the event approached the finish line with Eugenio Amos and Baldev Chager continue to do battle for the top spot.
The 9-day epic rallying adventure that hits the home stretch tomorrow in South Coast, saw more than 50 drivers grapple with unforgiving conditions in the 138km Teita to Taita sanctuary, the first stage of the day, where sticky mud conditions threatened to ensnare even the most seasoned contenders.
The leader of the pack, Eugene Amos/Paolo Ceci, found themselves entangled in the mire, losing precious minutes in the process. This setback opened the door for second placed overall defending champion Baldev Chager/Gareth Dawe, who have been seizing every opportunity to narrow the gap, inching ever closer to the coveted top spot, aiming to defend their title.
In the provisionally results/timings, Chager finished the day’s two stages firmly holding on the second place 10 minutes, 8 seconds behind the leader, while in third place was Classic Rally debutant and surprise star Emile Breittmayer/Alexis Thomas not only defying expectations, but also holding firmly to their remarkable position in 3rd place on the leaderboard. Kris Rosenberger/Nicola Bleicher and Bonamy Grimes\Martin Rowe rounding up the top five positions.
Two-time Classic Rally winner and rally legend Ian Duncan/Jaspal Matharu continue to climb their way to the top, with a commendable 6th place finish after today’s action.
Patrice Perche/Julien Saunier came out victorious after clinching his first stage win of the heartbreaking first stage in the morning, while Amos picked up his fourth stage win and something to celebrate about.
For the drivers left stuck in the mud and grappling with the complexities of the challenging stage, frustration and disappointment loomed large. The unforgiving terrain tested their mettle, with some even losing their way in the stage.
Six crews did not manage finish while two rolled. Phillip Kadoorie/Ryan Champion and Frederic Rosati/Phillip Marchetto rolled in the first stage while Shakeel Khan/Assad Mughal, Mark Bentley/Ed Bentley, Tim Chesser/Jack Chesser and Malcom Rich/Adrian Cavenagh did not finish. The six will still be legible to take part in the last day tomorrow in the Super Rally category where they will not be classified.
Speaking earlier today Event Director Raju Chaggar noted the intense moments that led to what has been one of the toughest day of the classic rally event this year where weather was the culprit once again
“Based on the weather conditions we had to make very quick decisions, based on the weather conditions we were experiencing within that region and the reports we were receiving that advised us not to use that area because the water levels were rising tremendously. With that decision we now had to amalgamate a new route and we got to good long stages and the rally keeps going.”
