Nairobi — Bjorn Waldegaard of Sweden regained the lead of the 2007 Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally at the end of the third day of the 10-day action.

Former Safari Rally idol was to get back on to familiar grounds after Gerard Marcy of Belgium lost his way in the second competitive stage and the lead he had held from Monday.

Top-placed Kenyan driver, Ian Duncan had a good day on Tuesday after crawling back to the seventh position in his Ford Mustang. The former Safari rally winner had dropped to 10th place due to two punctures and a broken break pipe.

Stefano Rocca, who was the leading Kenyan in seventh position kissed goodbye to the rally when his Datsun 240Z flipped at the in the Kikopey-Soysambu stage, damaging the roll-cage extensively.

Rocca, who was aiming to retain the status of top local driver, became the second Kenyan casualty after Mercedes 450SLC crew of Marzio Kravos and Renzo Bernardi retired with a blown engine at the first section in Vipingo.

Briton Iain Freestone was the third confirmed casualty when he rolled his Ford Escort badly in the Ngong section. But Freestone and co-driver Rod Maclean emerged from the car unscathed though the roll cage was badly damaged.

Rocca's exit was also a major blow to Timau-based double KNRC navigator champion, Piers Daykin, who saw his aspiration levels in the Kenya Airways event dwindle as fast.

Ian Duncan who dropped four places behind the leader board on Monday was leading the Kenyan charge with seventh place after cars checked in at the final time control in Naivasha yesterday afternoon.

The only all-African crew of Ben Muchemi and George Njoroge (Alfetta GTV) finally rejoined the rally after 'vanishing' for the whole of day two! They had gone through the first stage of the day by the time of going to Press.

Muchemi did a bit of day one action on Sunday but had his car towed from Voi to Nairobi.

The unforgiving conditions at Delamere run didn't spare quite a number of teams. Roddy Sachs' Datsun 180B hit a rut at Soysambu and damaged the left tie-rod end. He changed it within 15 minutes on his way.

Provisional results: 1. Bjorn Waldegaard/Mathias Waldegard (Ford Escort Mk1, S/S) 5hr.08mins.15secs; 2. Gerard Marcy/Alain Lopes (Porsche 911, B/B) 5.12.45, 3. Frederic Dor/ Didier Breton (Porsche 911, F/F) 5.22.06; 4. Stig Blomqvist/Ana Goni (Ford Escort Mk1, S/YV) 5.24.47; 5. Geoff Fielding/Preston Ayres (Porsche 911, GB/GB) 5.33.56; 6. John Lloyd/ Adrian Cavenagh (Datsun 240Z, GB/EAK) 5.42.05; 7. Ian Duncan/ Amaar Slatch (Ford Mustang, EAK/EAK) 5.42.15; 8. Steven Perez/ Michael Stuart (Datsun 260Z, GB/GB)5.51.21; 9. Geoff Bell/Steve Harris (Datsun 180B, ZA/ZA)5.52.51; 10. Jonathan Savage/Quentin Savage (Datsun 260Z, EAK/EAK) 5.54.05.

Other top Local drivers: 13. John Rose/Michael Borrisow (Datsun 240Z, EAK/EAK) 6.09.37; 24. Shahid Wissanji/Mir Muzzamil (BMW 2002, EAK/EAK) 7.13.52; 30. Aslam Khan/Imran Khan(Ford Escort Mk1,EAK/EAK) 8.49.43; 32. Rommy Bamrah/Harvey Jutley (Datsun 240Z, EAK/EAK) 9.51.50; 33. Minesh Rathod/Sachin Sumaria (Colt Lancer GSR, EAK/EAK) 9.54.27; 39. Ekya Shah/Prina Shah (Colt Lancer GSR, EAK/EAK)11.56.28; 40. Ben Muchemi/George Njoroge (Alfa Romeo Alfetta, EAK/EAK) 13.56.11.