Safari Rally Kenya 1997

Entries
52
Starters
52
Finishers
19
Distance
1318.00km

Overall winners

Richard Burns
-
Robert Reid

Ian Duncan
-
David Williamson

Introduction

As one of the World Championships classics, the 45th edition of the event, will count towards both the FIA World Rally Championship for Makes and Drivers. The showcase, Kenya’s top single sporting event, will run from the 28 of February – 3rd of March 1997 slotting in third among the fourteen rounds that form the global series. The 555 Safari is, incidentally, the only World Rally Championship event ran on African soil.

As in 1995 and 1996, a separately classified event, running in tandem with the main one, will be run and known as the ‘555 Classic Safari’. It will be open to vehicles built before January 1 1980, and their period derivatives, and ‘Safari Group T’ off-road vehicles. Cars built before the 1st of January 1980 will be split in two – those built before January 1 1966 in one class, while those built between 1 January 1966 and 31st December 1979 in another.

The route

In line with the emerging trends in World rallying, the 555 Safari continues to make various changes to keep abreast with the rest of the World. The event will retain a’clover-leaf route pattern designed essentially with costs in mind. An all-new section between Hunters lookout on the Magadi road and Timbuctoo will be used in a rally for the first time.

What’s new in 1997?

The ‘World Rally Cars’ – the exciting new breed of cars for the 1997 World Championship – will make their African debut.
Service parks, widely embraced on every other World Championship event, will feature after every competitive section allowing crews to centralise service and consequently trim operational costs.
Revolutionary, new timing equipment will be in use during the event.
Use of the Internet and World-Wide Web to transmit Rally results worldwide.

The sponsors

BAT Kenya Ltd. will, for the third straight year, carry the mantle of prime sponsors. BAT is the country’s largest tobacco product manufacturer and also one of the nation’s top commercial firms. They are currently the single largest sponsor of sport in the country and their rally outfit, the Sportsman Team, one of the most successful.

Kenya Shell Ltd. has been associated with the Safari since the events formative years. Shell’s involvement in Kenyan motorsport circles is legendary A number of prominent competitors have, and still use Shell oils and Lubricants to great effect.

Kenya Airways. Recently privatised, Kenya Airways is the 555 Safari’s official carrier The ‘Pride of Africa’ has flown the events dignitaries, competitors, support crew, journalists and rally enthusiasts for the past 18 years. The relationship between the event and the airline is deeply embedded and has continued to grow from strength to strength over the years.

Event photo's

Photo's are an important part to keep the memory to the Safari Rally alive. Only the best are taken from personal archive to be displayed. They are collected over the past years and were found on a variaty of medium (including old forums!). Be aware most of them have copyright on them and you should enjoy them on this website and not take them.

Memorabilia

It is amazing how many items are still around! Friends from around the world helping a lot. There's great joy in sharing these items with you. All these items are in private collection and carefully stored and documented. The collection will never be 'complete', but slowly new historic pieces are being added. Visit the website occasionally to find the new gems and go back to memory lane.