Nairobi — THE SAFARI RALLY WILL from next year, return to the international circuit through the newly introduced International Rally Challenge (IRC) series after a five-year absence from the world rallying calendar.

The IRC is targeting rallies in countries with motorsport traditions - France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Kenya - that will be open to Group N and Super 2000 vehicles - unlike the purpose-built World Rally Championship (WRC) vehicles that cost $500,000 apiece and are expensive to run. The Safari was once one of the most popular rounds of the WRC.

The events are Ypres Westhoek (Belgium), Rali Vinho da Medeira (Portugal), Rallye de Valle (France), Rallye Mille Miglia (Italy) and the Safari Rally in Kenya.

The Safari Rally will be the opening round of the IRC series next March. The exact date will be announced on October 18 at the FIA headquarters in Paris, France.

Kenya's motorsport fraternity is pleased that car manufacturers still hold the country in high esteem even after the Safari, first held in 1953, was dropped from the high profile WRC in 2002.

FIA Africa representative Surinder Thatthi said WRC officials chose the Safari Rally over the Zulu Rally of South Africa.

Once again, Kenya will reap the benefits of international television exposure, which this time will be offered by the main sponsor, Eurosport, and its group of specialised magazines.

The Safari Rally is expected to inject over $6 million directly into the Kenyan economy through bed occupancy, helicopter, motor transport and auxiliary services. Last year tourism earned the country Ksh48 billion ($666 million).

MOTORSPORT ENTHUSIASTS will once again enjoy top-flight action from an array of purpose built machines including those already competing on the Kenyan circuit.

Motorsports popularity is demonstrated by the Kenya Commercial Bank-sponsored National Championship series, which attracts over 10,000 spectators in the Super Special Stages in Nairobi.

There is no gainsaying that the Safari Rally was and still remains a unique event. Even after losing its international status to become one of the Africa Championship rounds, it was still considered superior to the others. Local motorsport officials are still determined to see it regain its WRC status, and the newly introduced IRC series, supported by Eurosport and car manufacturers is expected to fasttrack its application before the end of the decade.

The IRC series is designed to bring excitement back to motorsport by offering car manufacturers the opportunity to scale down on costs and encourage novice drivers to take up the sport.

This is the direct opposite of the WRC, which is strictly for professionals and has lately had poor participation because of escalating costs.

Manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Toyota, Peugeot, SEAT, Hyundai and Skoda have since quit the WRC, leaving Ford, Subaru and Citroen as the main contenders.

Some of the manufacturers cited rising costs and others changing priorities. Toyota, whose rally team was for many years based in Cologne, Germany and had an impressive Safari winning record, quit after the 1998 round to concentrate on Formula One.

The Safari Rally, held since 1953, was dropped from the WRC series over unpaid calendar fees in 2002.

But this was just one of a combination of factors. The bottom line was the withdrawal by the principal sponsor, Marlboro cigarette brand of Philip Morris in 1991.

British American Tobacco briefly took over sponsorship but when it pulled out in 1997, it was obvious the Safari Rally was headed for a bumpy ride.

From 2002, the world had gradually forgotten the Safari Rally in a customised world where rallying is tailor-made for television. However, recent TV programmes on the SuperSport channel featuring the KCB-sponsored national championship series have revived interest in Kenya as a rallying destination.

As the country awaits the IRC round, the onus is on local organisers who have to prove themselves in event management.