The excitement around this year’s Kenya Safari Rally is reaching its highest peak with days for the rallying spectacle to rev into action.
The Safari Rally; the seventh round of the 2023 World Rally Championship slated for 21-25 June in Naivasha, Kenya.
The stages, the crews, the fans as well as the service park are all in motion for the sporting week. Offloading of WRC teams’ equipment at the service park is already underway.
A total of 32 crews will be part of the third edition of the event since its return to the World Rally Championship.
Toyota Gazoo Racing has dominated the previous two years with Sebastian Ogier winning in 2021 and Kalle Rovanpera leading what was a 1-4 TGR finish last year.
Could it be a hattrick of Safari wins for Toyota?
“I love the Safari Rally. Winning this event is one of the highlights of my career. Really, it’s one of the special ones. The place is quite magical,” said Ogier when he spoke to wrc.com.
For the local feel, Kenya’s Karan Patel will represent the hosts going against foreign crews in the WRC2 category.
Patel is tasked to edge last year’s class winner Kajetan Kajetanowicz from Poland, Oliver Solberg, and Grégoire Munster among others.
With only one foreign crew in the WRC3 category, Diego Dominguez from Paraguay, Kenya’s Hamza Anwar, Jeremiah Wahome and McRae Kimathi will be out to keep the victory at home.
Safari Rally will start with a 5.4-kilometer shakedown stage at Loldia.
This year’s flag-off will be held at Uhuru Park on Thursday and thereafter crews will head to the Kasarani Grounds for the Super Special Stage.
Eighteen stages will be covered from Friday to Sunday to complete a total competitive distance of 362.68 kilometers.