Kenya: Champion Rovanpera Leads Toyota Entry in 2023 WRC Safari Rally

4 May 2023
Capital FM (Nairobi)

Nairobi — Eight drivers have confirmed their participation in the 2023 WRC Safari Rally Kenya only five days after the opening of entries led by the world's drivers and manufacturers champions Toyota Gazoo Racing.

The world and Safari Rally defending champion Kalle Rovanpera of Finland, navigated by compatriot Jonne Halitunen, leads the Toyota assault in the Toyota Yaris GR R1 Hybrid which has won three out of four World Rally Championship (WRC) fixtures in Monte Carlo, Mexico and Croatia this year.

Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, the winner here in 2021, and victorious in WRC Monte Carlo and Mexico rounds this year co-driven by Vincent Landais is the second Toyota driver entered in Safari Kenya to score WRC points despite having a limited competition programme this season.

Others are Briton Elfyn Evans, winner in WRC Croatia last month, and Japanese Katsuta Takamoto, second here in 2021 driving a Toyota Yaris GR.

The Safari Rally gets underway in Nairobi and Naivasha from June 23-26 after being flagged off at Uhuru Park in the capital Nairobi.

Canadian drivers Jason Bailey and James Willets will field a Ford Fiesta R3 to battle with the Kenya junior team.

Czech WRC and rally raid ace driver Martin Prokop, navigated by compatriot Zdenek Jurka in a Ford Fiesta MK1 R2, are the drivers to watch in the R2 category.

Prokop gave a good account of himself on day two of last year's Safari, setting second and third fastest stage times twice and four times respectively before retiring from a stalled engine in a Ford Fiesta R2.

Kenyan Minesh Rathod who will be co-driven by Briton McTavish in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO10 is the first driver to register in the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) which will be part of the World Championship Safari Rally, said Safari Rally Clerk-of-Course Gurvi Bhabra when he released the entries list today.

Ogier is leading the championship with 69 points followed by Evans (69), Rovanpera (68) and Ott Tanak (65).

WRC Safari Rally Kenya entries

1: Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halitunen, Toyota Yaris Hybrid R1

2: Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin, Toyota Yaris Hybrid R1

3: Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais, Toyota GR Yaris R1 Hybrid

4; Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston, Toyota GR Yaris R1 Hybrid

5: Minesh Rethod/Jamie McTavish (UK) Mitsubishi EVO

6: Karan Patel/Tausef Khan, Ford Fiesta R2

7: Martin Prokop/ Zdenek Jurka (Czek) Ford Fiesta MK1 R2

8: Jasen Bailey/James Willets, Ford Fiesta RC3

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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