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Service crews were out of bed just after 5am on day six of the 2015 East African Safari Classic Rally, with a final breakfast overlooking Lake Manyara. The rally was moving to Arusha, for two days in the shadow of Mount Meru.
After a briefing in the rest day service park, the trucks set off at 7am, arriving at the roadside first service park well ahead of the cars. Our Kenyan caterers had already set up and were cooking lasagne in their charcoal oven. The brilliant outdoor chefs cater for many events in the wilderness: nothing lifts the spirits like freshly-cooked food in service.
Blomqvist/Prévot were the first to arrive, a loose headlamp from an impact their only concern. While those behind were pushing hard to catch up, Stig and Stéphane were running well within their capabilities at the front of the field. The day ended with a ten-minute lead for the pair.
Behind the frontrunners, Goransson/Axelsson had set a number of fastest stage times and were enjoying the fight. Bad news for the Yorkshire pairing of Richard Jackson and Ryan Champion on Day 6, when their distributor failed in the day’s final stage as they were closing the gap to de Mevius. The car could not finish the stage, which cost the pair a ninety-minute penalty and their top five position.
The car of Alastair Cavenagh/Gavin Lawrence also had problems, with a broken suspension slowing their hitherto impressive pace. Snapped torsion bars also affected Steve Troman/Calvin Cooledge: the parts were quickly replaced during end-of-day service in Arusha.
Day seven was the longest day of the rally so far. Two service trucks left Arusha at 4am, to brim the rally cars’ fuel tanks before the start of the 158-kilometre stage.
It was another day of Blomqvist dominance. Stig used his vast experience to deploy leader’s prerogative and control the pace from the start of the stage, keeping his competitors locked up behind. At end-of-day service in the shadow of Mount Meru, Blomqvist/Prévot were still eight minutes up on Goransson/Axelsson. The final two days lay ahead.
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