NAIVASHA, Kenya, June 26 – As a slight drizzle attempts to cool temperatures and hold down the dust in Hells Gate, Narasha and Oserian sections of the Last day of the WRC Safari Rally action, many wonder what implications this could have to the rally.
Yesterday’s downpour in Elementaita and parts of Sleeping Warrior introduced the drivers to the ‘legendary Kenyan black cotton soil.’ It all turned from loose and dusty to wet and slippery in a matter of minutes.
Drivers struggled keeping their vehicles noses pointed in the right direction. The rain kept the dust down but left the rocks more exposed.
Thierry Neuvilles was the biggest casualty as he skidded and hit a tree. Many more drivers lost time as they struggled to keep on the track.
Luckily enough, the drizzle in today’s stages was light and will only benefit the first driver through the sections. It takes much more than a mere drizzle to hold down the world renown “Naivasha Fesh Fesh.”
The drizzle caught many off-guard as the Marshalls who were deployed at the crack of dawn had nowhere to seek shelter.
Those who remembered to carry their rain coats and umbrellas were lucky as the first vehicle competing in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) enjoyed the ‘less dusty’ conditions.
With most of the morning sections done and dusted, we wait for the second loop later this afternoon and Toyota look to claim the manufacturer title for this event.
As the round five of the 13 WRC rallies takes the rally drivers through its paces, Finnish Kalle Rovanpera is in the lead, followed by Kalle Rovanpera, Ott Tanak, Craig Breen, Japanese Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans, Dani Sordo, Sebastian Loeb, Gus Greensmith and defending champion Sebastian Ogier.
Toyota currently hold the first four positions and Kenya’s Maxine Wahome is driving with clinical precision.
Speaking to Capital Sport, Maxine said that she is having issues with her vehicles ECU.
She was impressive in Saturday’s action and says she is looking to a podium finish in the WRC 3 category.
She has proved to be a crowd favorite her former motor cross colleagues, staff of Capital FM and fans at large rallying behind her as she is the only female driver in the 2022 WRC Safari Rally.
On a lighter note, a photographer from a leading international media house who insisted on walking along the rally route, was rude to Marshalls and rally officials on the road and put himself at risk.
The Butt of the joke was after a cunning and veteran marshall lied to him about there being a lion around the area they were in and his safest option was to sit in the car with them.
As we speak, he is cooling his heels in the back seat of the radio crews as the rest of the crew around their box is beyond tickled.
The safety crew are clearing the drivers stuck in the stage to clear and make it ready for the afternoon and final loop of the day.
