Watching this year’s WRC Safari Rally online (it ran from the 27th to 31st March) and seeing those dusty trails winding through the African terrain brought back memories of my own days competing in the Safari Rally back in 1995.
The first rally was in 1953 and has been a staple of motorsport in Kenya for over 70 years. Back then, it was called the East Africa Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika to celebrate the Queen’s coronation before it was renamed the East African Safari Rally in 1960.
As every veteran of the Safari knows, this rally is no walk in the park. It remains the ultimate test of human and machine versus the landscape. Sections with deep ruts, slippery mud, and jagged rocks required laser focus just to keep moving inch-by-inch. The fesh-fesh sand could bury a car up to its axles in an instant. And the heavy rains always brought extra obstacles, leaving behind deep pools of water that sprayed up over the bonnet.
But that’s part of what makes the Safari so legendary. It’s held on open public roads, so Mother Nature gets a vote. You take what she gives you. Of course, it’s a far cry from the smooth gravel and tarmac of other rallies. Here, you’ve got to resist going flat out and treat the course with respect. I’ve seen more than a few hotshot drivers plough their cars into the wilderness, trying to set speed records.
But oh, the thrill of it all! My heart would race as I pushed through each swamp or rocky patch, never knowing what hazards lay around the next bend. The enthusiasm of fans cheering us along those remote trails kept my spirits high even when the going got tough. I learned so much about maintaining focus under pressure while battling the course. Most of all, I discovered the depths of my own perseverance in the face of a true challenge.
Now, when I see the WRC’s best take on the Safari’s trials year after year, the nostalgia hits hard. How I’d love to recapture the nervous energy at the starting line or the jubilation of the finish. But my days behind the wheel are past. Still, I’ll always cherish my 1995 adventure at that wild and beautiful race.
