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Not doing it this year for various reasons, but a more than capable replacement with Gordon sitting alongside Minesh, he’s looking forward to the Safari experience.
Road books only a week late so far…
Kedong being reversed with a few changes, and Sleeping Warrior starting a few km later and a different final section, so less distance over the lava field. Everything else pretty much the same.
Snorkels allowed for Rally1 cars this year - will we see them?
Right at the start of the long rains, could get very interesting. End of last year was affected by a “super” El Niņo so has huge amounts of rain, this is likely to affect the rain patterns the early part of 2024.
Kenya can be tricky when it rains. The road base is not particularly hard and the volcanic soils are weak and break easily.
Hopefully the event organizers aren't forced to shorten sections, or worse still cancel any. We need to a good fight this year. Toyota have been way too dominant there recently and their rumoured suspension improvements may turn the event further still their way.
A lot of the roads are over bedrock, and when dry the soil dries rock hard in most place and it also dries really quickly.
I’ve been waiting for a proper muddy Safari since I first did it in 2014, the last few years have had a taste on a stage or two but it can get a lot lot worse. Bring it on :)
Word coming out of well placed sources is that all three Toyota Yaris set to tackle this year's Safari will have snorkels mounted.
Additional detail will see roof air vents installed facing backwards, ostensibly to avoid dust being sprayed directly into the cockpit.
I think all teams Will be running them because rally’s gonna run during wet season.
Hyundai tested the snorkel
https://x.com/powerslidemedia/status...C1kV5QC61vX5Xg
Looks neater side-on...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIU2tU2X...pg&name=medium
Msport also snorkel testing
https://x.com/llluis555/status/17672...C1kV5QC61vX5Xg
Any news happening?
Current weather forecast is showing roughly 60% chance of Thunderstorms Friday afternoon as well as Saturday .& Sunday :D
Solberg & Greensmith cars arrived
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/dyP...ibextid=WC7FNe
https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/toyot...rival-delayed/
Think they’ll be chuffing lucky to drive from Mombasa in 8 hours….
Latest view of service Park:
https://i.ibb.co/Dr3NMMb/1ca8fd0d-7e...0110617c06.jpg
Event director has quit.Quote:
A complete mess. Service Park not set up and also the media tents not up. No Internet services either . This is in Naivasha at the KWS Training center where we host the rally drivers park and Parc ferme. By this time we have everything in place. Service providers haven't been paid up to now..what a mess.
Oh dear….
Maybe they are already trying the new ,,cost reduction'' organising :D
Toyota's recce cars don't arrive on time, boat delayed, but they don't worry yet and are sure it will be ok. (Dirtfish)
Is there a significance of the 8 hours or are you just saying it's ambitious? They aren't needed until Monday AM.
You can still give the truck 24 hours even if the port functions take 24 hours. No panic.
Even if the recce cars won't be there on time, I'm 100% sure that there are already 3 EVO's ,,ready to recce''.. it won't change a thing at the O/A results for Toyo drivers.
What a joke if all this is true
https://powerslideblog.blogspot.com/...aster.html?m=1
Interesting livery:
https://scontent.fktw4-1.fna.fbcdn.n...pw&oe=6604D40F
So if Kenya were to be dropped and we’d have Paraguay instead that means that maybe just maybe for the first time since 2019, we might just see a South-American double header…
Few more details in this video from a few days ago
https://youtu.be/ITvOlTWJ2cA?si=iLclEPtlBI9CxSgj
Bit long, but one of the better kitchen table videos of the last 5 years
Things doesn't look good for Safari Rally if things that are being mentioned in this video are somehow true.
It will be a lottery mixed with wise driving. Dont think road position would make a lot of difference.
Pajari getting stuck at recce
https://x.com/dirtfishrally/status/1...C1kV5QC61vX5Xg
First on the road isn’t great creating ruts for others to follow.
Great conditions, wish I was doing it. But it also dries very very quickly too.
Most of today’s recce is the Saturday stages on Soysambu (which is Soysambu, Elementeita s as if Sleepibg Warrior).
I would guess the first stage as its got more black cotton than the rest. Not sure what the river crossings will be looking like.
Currently hail in Naivasha.
Assume that was the WRC2 test yesterday - this is near Oserian. Shows just how quickly the conditions can change.