Safari Classic Endurance Tested as Chager Stays In Charge Ahead Final Day – DAILY SPORT

East African Safari Classic Rally heads into its final and decisive day Saturday, the battle for the overall title remains finely poised, with the top ten separated by experience, endurance, and strategic restraint after another demanding leg across unforgiving terrain.

Baldev Chager continues to lead the overall standings, holding firmly at the top with a cumulative time of 17:12:54.6, having once again demonstrated composure and consistency when it mattered most. Hot on his heels is Harry Hunt/Steve McPhee, just 4 minutes 58.5 seconds behind, keeping the pressure firmly on as the rally reaches its climax. Evgeny Kireev/PG Andersson remains third overall, maintaining a solid buffer as the front runners prepare for one final push.

Behind the leaders, Jourdan Serderidis/Gregoire Munster holds fourth overall after another measured run, with Ireland’s Keith McIvor/David Burns fifth, continuing a consistent campaign. Roger Hodenius/Roger Buysmans and Geoff Bell/Tim Challen remain closely matched as the rally rewards discipline over outright pace, while Kenya’s Farhaaz Khan/Tauseef Khan sits eighth as the second-highest placed local driver. Andrew Siddal/Gary McElhinney and Thomas Bell complete the top ten, underlining the depth and resilience of this year’s field as the Safari Classic heads into its final day.

Final Day

Tomorrow’s final day will decide the 2025 champion, with drivers balancing ambition against survival on stages where the Safari Rally has a long memory for punishing the slightest mistake.

The rally concludes tomorrow with a decisive three-stage run, starting with Mariwenyi to Makinon Road (109 km), followed by Kusasha (76 km), before the final test from Vigurungani to Mwachanda (71.46 km). The first car is expected to arrive at the finish ramp at Diani Leisure Beach and Golf Resort at approximately 2:30 pm, where the 2025 MRF East African Safari Classic Rally champion will be crowned.

STAGE BATTLES

In the first stage CS19, Ziwani to Salaita (80km) Harry Hunt and Steve McPhee reminded everyone why they remain one of the most exciting pairings in the field. The British duo flew through the stage in their Porsche 911, stopping the clocks at 56:24.1 to take a hard-earned stage win. Close behind, Charlie Tuthill and Gordon Noble kept the pressure on, finishing just 16.3 seconds adrift, while Evgeny Kireev and PG Andersson completed a tightly packed top three.

The opening stage delivered an early test for rally leader Baldev Chager and Gareth Dawe, as an issue on SS19 dramatically tightened the fight at the front. What had been a commanding advantage of over 14 minutes was slashed to under six.

If CS19 was about sustained pace, second stage of the day CS20 turned into a tactical sprint. This time it was CharlieTuthill and Gordon Noble who struck back, delivering a measured but fast run to claim the stage win in 33:32.1. Jourdan Serderidis and Grégoire Munster slotted into second, just 10.1 seconds behind, as Hunt and McPhee rounded out the podium in third.

Last stage of the day delivered a proper Safari Rally finale, and once again it was Harry Hunt and Steve McPhee who set the benchmark. The British pairing powered their Porsche 911 to the stage win in 1:03:52.2, Rally leader Chager finished just 17.0 seconds off the lead in second place. Rounding out the top three, Kireev and Andersson completed the stage in 1:05:33.2.

DRIVER QUOTES

Baldev Chager

“About 40 kilometers into the first stage, something happened to our intercom. The connection broke due to a wiring issue. We tried to fix it and even used the spare intercom and wiring, but in the process we missed a junction. That was something that could have been prevented and probably cost us about 40 seconds. By the time people helped us get the car back onto the road, it took a long time, almost an hour to be honest. In the second stage we also had an issue with the gearbox. It was refusing to select second gear, which made that stage very difficult, as we were essentially ready to drive the whole stage in second. In the final stage we decided to take it sensibly. It was very tricky and we didn’t want to miss any junctions. Thankfully, we made it to the end. It’s been a long, difficult day, and I’m glad it’s over.”

Harry Hunt

“It was a very good day out there. A clean day overall, even though we had a few scrappy moments in some stages. At this point in the rally, the pressure definitely mounts just to protect the car and make sure you finish. You’ve come this far, so every day is about getting through the next one and moving closer to the finish.We know we’re around five minutes behind, so catching up won’t be easy, but we’ll give it a go tomorrow. There’s definitely still something to fight for.”

Evgeny Kireev

“We’re getting closer and closer to the finish line, which is what everyone is chasing. On one stage we gained some time on the car behind us, on the second stage we lost a bit of time, so on the third stage we decided to push. From what we understand, they had some issues on that stage. At the moment we’re about 20 minutes ahead with three stages to go, so the plan now is simply to take it easy and manage what we have.”

Jourdan Serderidis

“I don’t think we won the stage. We lost about nine seconds, but it was still a very good time. The first stage was strong, the second was also good, but on the last one we broke a cooling tube for the gearbox. After around 40 kilometers, that kind of issue can become a real problem if you keep pushing, so we decided to slow it down and take it carefully to the finish.We didn’t lose any positions, so that’s okay. Before the issue, we had a good rhythm and were very close to the leading group, but once we saw dust and smoke, we knew we had to back off and manage the car.”

Roger Hodenius

“Today we made a big step forward with the car. We’d been struggling for a while to get proper RPMs under braking and on corner exit, which caused the car to push and stall. Today, the car finally felt exactly how we wanted it to, so we were able to push a bit. That’s a really good feeling, and we’re very happy with how things went. With three days left, we just hope the car still looks like this tomorrow.”

Andrew Sidall

“We lost a little bit of time, but we made it through the penultimate day and now there’s just one more day to go. We’re really looking forward to that. There was one particularly tricky moment with a blind jump where the car absolutely flew. It caught a few people out, so it was definitely one of the more hair-raising moments of the stages.”

Farhaaz Khan

“I’m really happy with how today went. It was a good day overall. The first stage was quite tricky for both the driver and navigator, but we managed it well. The second stage was good, and the third stage was even better. The plan is to carry that into tomorrow and try to hold our position. We’ll look at the times once the cars behind us finish and then decide, but for now it’s about maintaining the same pace and being consistent.”

 Gareth Dawe Navigator – Baldev Chager

“Today went pretty much how we wanted it to go, and I’m thankful the day is over. We’ll reset tonight and pick it up again tomorrow. The gremlins definitely came out today. We had to change the gearbox and we’ve got a bit of a misfire, but we’ll sort that out tonight and regroup.We’re just taking it one day at a time. We finished today, and that’s what matters. Tomorrow is another day.”

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