Ian Duncan tests his Ford Capri for Safari Classic

Welcome to the latest newsletter for the 2017 East African Safari Classic Rally. Feel free to email pictures of your Safari Classic preparations to media for inclusion as an online news item and in the next edition of our newsletter.

The final standings showed second place for Duncan in the two wheel-drive, non-turbo category, behind the lightweight Rage buggy of Samman Vohra: an interesting result given the power-to-weight differences between the two vehicles. Duncan confirmed the event as a Safari Classic test and professed himself happy with the Capri’s turn of speed.

"We took the car out for a test ahead of the Safari Classic,” said Duncan, who currently leads Kenya’s National Rally Championship in a close fight with former British and Finnish champion, Tapio Laukkanen. “We have no intention of entering the Capri in the KNRC, though. We will continue to run our Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10 in that series.”

Duncan was forced to withdraw his Capri just hours before the start of the last Safari Classic Rally in 2015, with camshaft problems for the Cosworth-developed Essex V6 engine. The non-start denied spectators and fellow competitors a repeat of the epic battle between Duncan and Blomqvist in 2013, when the local hero took victory on the very last stage after the Swede lost the lead with a puncture.

Blomqvist went on to claim victory in 2015 and returns to defend his Safari title later this year, but strong competition awaits the 1984 World Rally champion when the rally starts in Mombasa on November 23rd.

Duncan will not be alone in bringing the flight to Blomqvist. Also in the entry list is the Datsun 260Z of South Africa’s Geoff Bell and the highly competitive Group B Mazda RX-7 of French historic veteran, Philippe Gache. With many experienced competitors in quick rally cars aiming for a best-ever finish, 2017 could be Safari Classic’s closest year yet.

"Team Tidö and its Race4Health project have helped to amplify the social and economic efforts of the Safari Classic Rally in recent years, so it is a real pleasure to know they will be rejoining us for the 2017 Classic later this year," said rally director, Raju Kishinani.

"Few Safari Classic entrants have done as much for charitable causes here in Africa. With an incredible eyewear distribution programme supported by professional opticians bringing sight to hundreds of local people, and many other Africans benefitting from their fundraising activities, the Race4Health message is one we’re delighted to support."

Underpinning the team’s charitable ambitions is a relentless focus on successful competition. Having narrowly missed a rally win in 2013 with Stig Blomqvist, Team Tidö and Blomqvist returned two years later to claim an emphatic victory, with Tidö driver, Richard Göransson, coming home in second place overall.

The team could not contain its adventurous spirit in the year between Safari Classic rallies, so, at the end of 2016, four Team Tidö safari cars spent a month driving from Alexandria to Cape Town, exploring and experiencing real life in Africa while also making fundraising plans for the restoration of a Kenyan primary school in Gongoni, just outside Mombasa.

We look forward to having the affable Swedes back with us in Kenya – a great team of people who share a wonderful energy wherever they go. Skål, Team Tido! Lyckya till!

• Fitting and wiring instructions
• Accessory hire/purchase costs (Competitors Information update 5)

The new tracking system includes real-time location of competitors, an overtake system and proximity alerts for competitors with a medical emergency or placed in a dangerous position. The system also allows bi-directional voice communication with race control when a GSM network is available.

All participants approaching a fellow competitor with SOS active will receive an alert. Competitors will also be alerted of vehicles stranded in dangerous positions nearby.

We have extensively tested these systems over thousands of kilometres while carrying out the surveys of our new rally route. We are satisfied that they match or exceed the magnificent coverage we experienced on the 2013 Safari Classic Rally. Contact us with any questions regarding these systems or the SOS alerts.

Mäkelä Auto-Tuning Oy(Ltd) was founded by Kari Mäkelä in 1978 to develop racing cars and oversee the operation of a racing team. MAT racing cars have apparently won many championships in Scandinavia, often with Kari Mäkelä in the driving seat.

This 1980 Ferrari 308 GTB Group 4 historic rally car is a reconstruction of a super lightweight fibreglass bodied 308 GTB, converted for historic rallying in accordance with FIA appendix K regulations. Finished in the period Alitalia Racing livery seen on so many iconic ex-works Fiat and Lancia rally cars, this 308 comes with an FIA Historic Technical Passport proving eligibility for FIA international historic rallies and races.

We’ve seen Ferraris on the Safari and Safari Classic in the past, but a lightweight Group 4 Ferrari 308 GTB in Alitalia colours rallying through the bush at speed would be amazing to see! We will dream about that for a while…

Few experiences compare to exploring the wilds of Kenya and Tanzania by following the legendary Safari Classic Rally through some of our planet’s most famous wildlife reserves and ecological wonders. Our official tour is a truly memorable East African experience.

Download details of the official Rally Tour and Safari here. Contact us for more information.

For our rally doctor to have the most up-to-date information available, there is a compulsory medical form to be completed. All information is treated in the strictest confidence and is only referred to in the event of accident or injury, when appropriate details may be released to another doctor or an EASCR 2017 Senior Official if necessary.

To discuss any concerns relating to medical issues, please email Dr Harj Chaggar direct or <a href="mailto:info for clarification. Remember that 2017 regulations have changed to allow power steering! The benefits of this update should not be underestimated.

Please return the completed medical form as soon as possible for your own protection and the safety of all fellow competitors. Be safe – be certain – ask questions – eliminate doubt.

We love to hear how our competitors and their crews came to Safari and the stories of your preparations and ambitions. We look forward to sharing all photos and stories across our channels between now and the start of the rally. Send your Safari stories to media.

The full Rally Regulations and the Official Entry Form for the 2017 East African Safari Classic Rally are both available for download here.

• Rally Bulletin 3 covers nominated tyres, muddy conditions and tyre grooving
• Competitors Information Update 5 covers tracking accessories as mentioned above
• Competitors Information Update 6 combines medical advice with the medical form

Email us with any questions regarding our rally or to discuss the 2017 event.