Damn Elephants...!

Monday 23rd November 2009

For immediate release

2009 Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally

22nd November 1st December 2009



Day 2 - Mombasa to Voi

Kick Energy Rally driver Steve Perez reported an incident packed day on Day 2 of the 2009 Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally whereby he holds fifth position.

On the day's opening stage, another heavy landing caused some minor steering rack damage to the historic-specification Datsun 260Z, which Perez is sharing with the experienced co driver Staffan Parmander, but despite losing a small amount of time, he reached the stage finish without further problems.

However, it was on the second stage that the drama returned whereby the former British National and Historic Rally Champion set the fourth fastest time. Flat out for much of the stage at around 120mph, the pair came across a pile of elephant dung which Steve couldn't avoid and despite almost crashing, he quickly managed to regain control!

Undeterred, Perez forged on to set the fastest time on the day's third test and in doing so claimed his first foreign stage win to hold fifth position just behind the similar Datsun of Australian driver Graham Alexander at today's halt at Taita Hills Lodge near Voi.

"Not many people will have ever hit a pile of elephant crap at 120mph, it's not the sort of thing you come across in Hafren, that's for sure! It was as solid as a rock and we nearly had a massive accident but luckily we managed to keep the car on its wheels and continue. We knew there was a lot of wildlife about because we'd been warned at the start to stay in our cars if we broke down but luckily, that wasn't the case. Now we are preparing for tomorrow which is on some of the roughest roads in Africa so the team is preparing the car for another tortuous day," said Steve.

Day three sees the crew leave the Taita Hills Lodge near Voi in Kenya at 06.00 local time (03.00 GMT) and head over the border into Tanzania for the stages to the south of Mount Kilimanjaro and are scheduled to reach the overnight halt at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, Usa River, near Arusha at around 16:00 local time.

For further details: www.eastafricansafarirally.com

Picture attached, copyright free, courtesy of Geoff Mayes