Safari Rally Kenya news Archives

Safari Rally Kenya 2025: Day Two Brings Thrills and Shifts in the Standings

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Baba Ghafla

The second day of the 2025 Safari Rally Kenya, the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), delivered a rollercoaster of action as drivers tackled some of the most demanding stages of the event. With ten stages scheduled for Friday, the leaderboard saw dramatic shifts, showcasing the unpredictable nature of this iconic rally. As of 3:16 PM East Africa Time (EAT), the rally is in full swing, with Thierry Neuville emerging as a standout performer of the day.

Morning Stages Set the Tone

The day began with Ott Tänak holding a narrow lead after Thursday’s opening stages, followed closely by Takamoto Katsuta and a surprising third-place contender, M-Sport Ford’s Grégoire Munster. The morning’s action kicked off with SS3 (Camp Moran, 25.57 km), where Tänak continued his strong form, posting a time of 25:57.3. Neuville trailed by just 2.1 seconds, with Elfyn Evans rounding out the top three, 8.1 seconds back. The rugged terrain and technical sections of Camp Moran tested the drivers’ precision and car reliability early on.
SS4 (Loldia, 19.11 km) saw Tänak maintain his momentum, clocking 14:29.8, with Neuville (+1.5s) and Evans (+2.3s) keeping the pressure on. However, the tide began to turn in SS5 (Jotaoardhi, 13.18 km), where defending rally winner Kalle Rovanperä flexed his muscle, taking the stage win with a time of 7:03.4. Neuville (+1.1s) and Tänak (+1.3s) followed, signaling a tightening battle at the top.

Neuville’s Masterclass in SS7

The afternoon brought one of the day’s defining moments in SS7 (Kedong, 15.10 km). Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville unleashed a blistering performance, finishing in 25:56.9—22.4 seconds quicker than Tänak and 30.3 seconds ahead of Rovanperä. This stunning stage win not only showcased Neuville’s skill but also propelled him up the leaderboard, shaking up the overall standings. Posts on X from the official WRC account hailed the effort as “incredible,” with Neuville’s pace leaving his rivals scrambling to respond.

Current Standings and Outlook

While the full leaderboard is still evolving as the day progresses, Neuville’s dominance in SS7 has likely vaulted him into contention for the lead. Tänak, who started the day at the top, remains a formidable force, leveraging his experience on Kenya’s unforgiving gravel roads. Rovanperä, the 2024 Safari Rally champion, is also in the mix, with his SS5 victory proving he’s ready to defend his title. Katsuta, representing Toyota Gazoo Racing, and Munster, the young Luxembourgish driver making waves, are holding strong but face an uphill battle to keep pace with the frontrunners.
The Safari Rally’s reputation as one of the toughest events in the WRC is living up to its billing. With its mix of rocky outcrops, sandy fesh fesh, and unpredictable weather, the rally continues to test both driver skill and machine durability. Friday’s remaining stages—including repeats of earlier tests—promise more twists, as tire wear, mechanical issues, and strategic decisions come into play.

What’s Next?

As the rally heads into Saturday, the longest and most grueling day of the event, the battle for supremacy is wide open. Neuville’s surge has injected fresh drama into the proceedings, while Tänak and Rovanperä will look to counterattack. For local fans and the global audience tuning in, the 2025 Safari Rally Kenya is shaping up to be a classic, with the iconic landscapes of Naivasha providing a stunning backdrop to the high-stakes competition.
Stay tuned for updates as the rally unfolds, with Sunday’s finale—and the coveted Wolf Power Stage—still to come.

Why is Joginder Singh such a timeless legend in the world of motorsport?

Posted on April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 by Kibaki Muthamia

Joginder Singh.

If that name doesn’t ring a bell, and evoke pleasant Easter memories, well, you missed out on exciting exploits of a motoring sport legend.

Joginder is non-arguably the greatest driver to cast in the now-defunct Safari Rally, mid-60’s to late mid-70’s.

The Safari Rally was traditionally set over the Easter weekend, and for good reason – it’s the rainy season.

It was an endurance rally, and only the best in terms of driving skills, hands-on engine tinkering experience and physical endurance could hope to complete it.

Joginder, who later earned the moniker ‘The Flying Sikh’, proved his mettle in all aspects.

The legend had started out as a spanner boy in his father’s garage, and this greatly inspired his exploits behind the wheel.

The Flying Sikh grabbed his first victory in 1965, in a Volvo PV544, with his brother as the co-driver. He later switched to a Mitsubishe Colt Lancer 1600 GSR to clinch victory in 1974, and 1976.

It’s in this Colt Lancer that Joginder’s feats made him world famous.

For instance, the 1968 Safari Rally was planned to run the entirety of the Great Rift Valley, and end in Nairobi.

Joginder got the No.1 car tag – which, in rallying circles, is considered jinxed. And it proved so, halfway in the rally.

He was flagged off the ramp first, but, halfway, his Mitsubishi Colt developed clutch problems.

It was rainy and getting stuck was normal.

Somewhere on Mau Escarpment, he watched around 20 of his competitors zoom past in a spray of muddy water, as he tried fixing his transmission.

His Colt couldn’t engage forward gears, just the reverse gear.

Joginder, being Joginder, turned his Colt around and started playing catch up, in reverse.

Subsequently, he managed to overtake almost all of them, stuck in the mud along the route – in reverse gear!

In that rally, he finished 3rd – having driven the last half in reverse gear – in extremely muddy conditions.

Easter hasn’t always been so boring, and slow. It was a season of adrenaline-filled rally fiesta.

The menu was two-way: Either extremely muddy, or extremely dusty.

Motoring was raw. The rally cars were pretty basic – none of the fancy bells and electronic assists in modern cars. To triumph, you had to be in the game.

Easter would find us hogging cattle ruts in the route picked by the rally organisers. If beyond the region, it was a favorite past time following the live reports of the rally via the national broadcaster.

That’s how Joginder Singh gained immortality, and genesis of the saying: He drives like Joginder…

This year, Easter has been ruined by the ravaging pandemic that has resulted in curfews and lockdowns. There’s not much to choose from, in terms of marking Easter with your family.

However, while observing the measures, one can still have an Easter break in select restaurants, outdoor camp grounds and some bit of travel.

One easy way to be safe is to avoid tangible cash – as security against scheming thieves and the pandemic.

The use of Co-op Bank Visa cards is a sure fire way to keep safe from the virus, and take advantage of awesome discounts negotiated by Co-op Bank for their clients using the Co-op Visa cards, Co-op ATM’s and Co-op Credit cards.

You’ll have fun with family shopping for gifts, paying for fuel or food and accommodation – and still get to save a lot of money.

To learn more about discounts availed by use of Co-op Visa cards, click here.

Happy Easter!