3. Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally 2007
25. 11. – 3. 12. 2007 • gravel 1380.26 km • Other years
SS6 Tenges - 45.65 km
No result
Penalty
| #16 |
|
Troman Steve - Rowe Martin |
| Porsche 911 |
2:00 - Late at TC |
| #49 |
|
Bennett Jeremy - Chesser Tim |
| Ford Escort Mexico |
2:00 - Late at TC |
| #15 |
|
Martin-Hurst R. - Devantier T. |
| Ford Capri Perana |
4:00 - Late at TC |
| #48 |
|
Shah Ekya - Shah Prina |
| Mitsubishi Colt Lancer |
5:00 - Late at TC |
| #57 |
|
Dhanjal H. - Singh Sudle H. |
| Datsun 240Z |
18:00 - Late at TC |
| #46 |
|
Rathod Minesh - Sumaria Sachin |
| Mitsubishi Colt Lancer |
20:00 - Late at TC |
| #30 |
|
Sira Hardev - Kurzenberger Uwe |
| Peugeot 504 Coupé V6 |
22:00 - Late at TC |
| #41 |
|
Vanderspinnen Kurt - Berkhof E. |
| Volvo 142 S |
24:00 - Late at TC |
| #31 |
|
Dewji I. - Mahler-Kurzenberger G. |
| Datsun 240Z |
41:00 - Late at TC |
Info
The rear left wheel came off in the first section and took the brake calliper with it. "The wheel passed us and went off way into the distance", said Sagoo. "We put the spare on but we had no spare calliper so we had a missing brake for the rest of the day".
"We broke one rim and buckled another. Part of the problem may be that we dropped the tyre pressures to try and save the dampers from overheating". From co-driver Adrian Grinstead: "We're jumping around so much I can't tick the notes off in the roadbook and I'm strapped into the seat so tight that my bum has gone completely numb".
They missed the last section yesterday because of a broken oil pipe but today was clean. "Today's been fine", they said, "Some interesting roads and very rocky".
"It was exhausting but very good. I had a couple of close calls in the first stage going sideways and the car stalled again but I had a lot of fun".
"It was a long dusty day but there were no problems except the steering box became loose. But that was nothing compared to yesterday when the steering wheel became loose in the Taitas".
"We had an average day which was spoilt by losing second gear in the first section which meant we had to drive all day in a rather conservative fashion. We will change the box tonight".
"We have had two problems today. One is the front spring seats on the bottom wishbones which are collapsing despite being highly strengthened. And the other was the rear mounting for the gearbox, which bent and we had to take it off and straighten it. All this meant we had to miss the third section and go straight to Naivasha. My goodness, I used to think that the old RAC rally was the roughest thing I had done but I've had to revise my opinion."
"We got stuck in a mud hole in the first section. The locals helped to push it out and we opened the bonnet to let the electrics dry out in the Kenyan sun - it only took about ten minutes. We ran out of petrol on the road section just as we drove into a petrol station but they were closed so we filled it up with Jerry cans."
The connection between the end of the Capri's steering rack and the steering arm came off in the first section. "We came off the road and went straight into the bushes said Rayner "We fixed it but then it happened again later in the section".
"It was an excellent day. It was very rough in the second section. They weren't even rocks - they were boulders. We changed the bushes on the shocks. It was a good day and we hope we can keep it that way". This is the same BMW 2002 driven by Simon Sharpe and Denis Burnett drove to tenth place in the 2005 East African Safari Classic except it's now white instead of orange!
The clutch centre in the Volvo pulled out on the first section so the service crew came in and towed it straight to service in Naivasha. It will hopefully start again tomorrow morning "We made a lot of friends with the local tribesmen," said Val. "And gave them all the baseball caps from the rallies we've done in the past. You take the good with the bad and tomorrow is another day".
In the second section the clutch failed when the 260Z got stuck in a river crossing. They managed to finish the section, competed the next but were very late into Naivasha. The team will not compete in today's sections in order for the clutch and a general rebuild of the car and they will hopefully restart tomorrow.
They had suspension problems in the Escort in the second section and took maximum penalties for the last section.
"There were no problems for us. We even had time to stop and wash the car at service. The second section was the toughest I've seen in all my time living in Kenya. I've competed in three modern Safaris in the 1900's and this is definitely much tougher".
"We had a puncture on the first section ten kilometres from the end. Some places were rough - not even an Austrian farmer would drive over this in their tractor - but we're hear for the Safari". Amazingly, Pointinger recalled that on the 2003 Safari classic, he broke a rear leaf spring on this Escort and was given a second had replacement by Iain Freestone, "And it's the same one that is on the car today".
"Not a brilliant day, we had one puncture per section and stopped and changed them each time. The worst was on the first puncture the rim broke and the car went down so that we couldn't get the jack under. Fortunately a group of Masai helped us lift the car and we got going again. I'm driving like my grandmother to save punctures but we have to find some solution because I can not go any slower".
The water pump on the Escort failed yesterday and the car did not continue today due to a broken engine.
They broke the rear suspension on the first section and are taking maximum penalties for the other sections today.
"We had one puncture on the first section and two punctures on the second section. Happily this pattern did not repeat itself for the third section. The Porsche is good and seems to like this kind of rallying".
"It was a good day but there were a couple of trucks in the competitive section". When asked about some damage to the Porsche's roo-bar: "We hit a rock which was a bit off the road".
The front suspension of the Mustang came apart twenty kilometres before the end of the section section so they took Maximum penalties on the last two sections.
Head gasket number three when on the 260Z on the way out of Nairobi on day w. They missed the first competitive section but finished the other two. They are starting again today and hoping for no more head gasket changes, or indeed other problems as their service crew had their hands full with the service lorry, stuck in the service park and needing a new clutch.
We have tripled our rally experience in a single day. We hit a culvert on the first section and shot four feet in the air and spun as we landed. This was a self inflicted error, which we are trying not to repeat. We did break a rear damper in the third section but generally the Porsche 911 is OK and we haven't had any punctures.
"We popped a front shock absorber on the first section and it lost all its oil so we had to change the insert at the first service. Apart from that no problems except some nice person threw a rock and broke our screen while we were trying to negotiate that horrible diversion between Nakuru and Naivasha".
We had a very good run through today. We hit a rock on the second section and bent the rim but it didn't puncture. However just three kilometres from the end of the third section we did have a puncture. We had a odometer problem and thought it was only a couple of kilometres to the end of the section so decided to drive on which was a big mistake as it was quite a bit further.
Retired the Escort in first section with a broken rear axle. From Mark Solloway "I have never seen anything like it before in my life. The inner end of the half shaft broke inside the differential and then exploded. It's broke the differential casing and the axle tube. We have spares and we shall try to get the new axle in it this evening but first I need to find a bearing press".
"The event is beyond my expectations. And to make it even better, I'm lying sixth. If I finish in the top ten it will be like winning the rally for me!"
The Escort rolled in the first competitive section and though retrieved and found to still be in working condition, after examination by the scrutineers, it has been mutually decided it will not re-start. Iain Frenstone "We gave it a good reason to roll. It was a fast bend slightly downhill and we went in far too fast. The pile of rocks on the outside didn't help at all. My back hurts but the doctor says I will just be stiff.
Unfortunately co-driver, Mike Stuart had turned over two pages of the road book in the first section and they got lost. They turned round and passed another car so they turned again only to find the other car stopped with a puncture. But they were able to confirm that this was the right road. They also had the front suspension break on that first section - compression strut broke away from main body. On the third section they think they have broken a bar, which helps to retain the differential and rear axle.
Unfortunately we made a navigational error going out to the first section and got stuck on a highway and couldn't turn around so we missed that section. We made the second and really enjoyed the third - it had nice flowing fast bits you could actually drive. The Escort's been great and there's no problems.
The first section was good for us but then we had two rear punctures on the second. We had the second just five kilometres after the first. The rim was damaged and the car dropped off the jack and somehow loosened the rear brake connection thus we had to finish the section without much in the way of brakes. And then work like hell in service to get the car mobile again. I nearly finished the rally going away from service when a rally car in front of me slowed up for some goats and I discovered my brakes were not yet one hundred per cent.
There we no real problems. The way to go fast today was to avoid the punctures. The steering became loose on the Porsche 911 during the last section so I had to go slow. There was still a problem from yesterday with its fixing. The stages are great. Luckily I have Marcy clearing the road for us.
From co-drive Ana Goni: "Not a good day. We had two punctures on different stages and the first puncture split the rim and cut the brake pipe so we were really slow and then of course we lost time with the other puncture as well".
Of course, after the first section we were leading on the road as well as leading the rally so we had the job of meeting all the hazards first. We hit two goats and a sheep and finally a taxi that was coming the other way. No big damage but Alain's foot is worn out from pressing the horn button. We had no punctures and I am driving at ninety per cent to try and keep it that way.
We had a puncture on the first section then Marcy passed us so we were in his dust. We then tried to take something back in the second competitive section but we had another puncture - on the front this time. But we were bloody too quick to change them - my son is a good mechanic. I think we lost about five to six minutes in all.