Z-point

http://www.eastafricansafarirally.com/finalpg2/index.htm have a look at the finish photo's

:classic:

That is number two who was prepared in Australia. Same as the Datsun 180B of Aslam Khan Here is some advertising for steward http://www.swmotorsport.com/home.htm

BIG brother is watching you:devious: http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2435318972&category=9897

SeanDezart [seanz@wanadoo.fr] Club Zen de France [240z@wanadoo.fr] they both speak english! have a look at my webpage, below!

sorry guys, Rainer you got a PM! read.

By the time I get my paycheck next January, I’ll bid £400. I think they will make a good look on my car instead of the 280ZX cross rims.

Yes, it was marvellous to see Datsun number one lead the field all the way. We did it several times before so why should it chance. :classic: If you look at the photo’s you can dream 30 years backwards, lovely… Great shot the number 1 plate. You chanced you avatar as well is that the no 5 almost hitting a gendarme?:tapemouth

This is the closest club near your http://membres.lycos.fr/clubzen/index.html Sean and Fred, the committee, are members of this internet forum as well.

He Symon, You must be a lucky man, there aren’t much Z’s in Spain is it? I have a feelling this Z must be yours then. Let me give you all an up date about the tour. The dates have been chanced, it is now from May 28th until June 6th. In the weekend of May 28 / 30, one of the Swiss clubs will hold a meeting. The intention is to get to gather Friday evening the 28th , have a nice weekend with our Swiss friends and drive downwards, to the direction Monaco, the next Monday. There will be many high mountains, steep hill climbs, very nice (old) villages, lovely surroundings. If you mail me your mail address I’ll put you on my little mail list of mountain climbers. And have fun with your car!

DRIVER QUOTES – DAY 10 2. Bruce Field/Jan Thoenes – EAK/EAK – Porsche 911 “I’m really glad all the overseas competitors have enjoyed the rally. I think some came with a degree of negativity towards the country, but they’ll be back. To be able to share our country has been wonderful. Jan has also never finished a Safari and he’s completely wrapped! To see others finish for the first time is also wonderful and the feeling on the beach was very special and really wound the clock back.” 3. Michele Mouton/Ana Goni – F/YV – Ford Escort “Apart from our problems in the first day, it’s been great. We had no chance of victory, no fight, but we were here to see East Africa and that’s why we carried on. There was no question of withdrawing at all; it is still fun to drive fast over some wonderful sections. It was very tough, but extremely well organised and nice to come to Kenya. This rally is very special; the open roads, dust and the rough roads. There is no comparison to anything in the world; it is unique.” 5. Alastair Cavenagh/Carl Tundo – EAK/EAK – Ford Escort “We’re happy to finish, but it’s a bit disappointing as the car’s not what it was supposed to be. When we had clean runs we were either first or second in the sections and we should have been able to give Rob more of a run for his money. It’s not been as tough as in the olden days, but it’s given us a feel for what it was like. I’m glad to have been competing two decades later though!” 6. Iain Freestone/Rod MacLean – GB/GB – Ford México “I’m very pleased, it was fantastic! It was a hard and traumatic rally for us, but we’re well pleased for our first outing in Africa. It was a lot tougher than I expected, but I fancy doing it all over again tomorrow! Rod’s not done so badly either; it’s only his second event as a navigator!” 7. Ray Bellm/Pasquale Lanzante – GB/I – Ford Escort “We’ve just been preserving the car today to get to the finish.” 9. Wolfgang Pfeiffer/Peter Knoebel – D/D – Porsche 911 “A fantastic rally, very very nice; very tough, but good. We’re happy to be here, especially as it is the first time I have done the Safari. We’re looking forward to the next one now!” 14. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier – GB/NZ – Rover V8 “We had a broken main rear spring after the first section today and then realised at the start of the second that all the front suspension was hanging off. It was too dangerous to carry on so we drove non-competitively to the finish. We’re pleased to be at the end, but it’s obviously disappointing to have missed the last two sections; the only ones we’ve missed all event. It’s an old car, but it held up well; it’s not really built for these conditions.” 16. Anthony Ward/Mark Solloway – GB/GB – Ford Escort “We were put off when we saw John Lloyd’s accident and have been taking it easy today.” 21. Brian Barton/Chris Fryer – EAK/EAK – Peugeot 504 “Yesterday’s leg was the best rallying of the event; we also really enjoyed Uganda but Tanzania was even better, real Safari routes. The roads in Kenya have deteriorated, some are real car-breakers and don’t necessarily demand driving skill. The event has been superb but we’d love to have been on the first page of the results!” 25. Paul-Eric Jarry/Craig Redelinghuys – F/ZA – Porsche 911 “We’ve just very quietly been getting to the finish today!” 27. Chris Angel/Mike Bowen – EAK/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS “We’ve had prop-shaft and suspension problems, but it’s great to be at the finish, that’s what matters. I grew up watching this event and am so so happy to be here. Nothing can describe the feelings I have at the moment.” 33. Roddy Sachs/Geoff Bell – D/GB – Alfa Romeo 2000 “Yesterday we broke a ‘donut’ between the gearbox and prop-shaft and had to make a part from bits the Mercedes crew gave us. We skipped the last two sections but it’s been a fantastic experience and the organisation has been great.” 38. Marzio Kravos/Renzo Bernardi – EAK/EAK – Mercedes 200 “The objective was to get to the finish; we spent very little money and just had fun. We had an unfortunate second day when we blew the engine and got a six hour penalty, but it was re-built in Nairobi and we’ve made it.” 47. Richard Pugh/Liz Pugh – GB/GB – Volvo 122S “We’re very pleased to be here but disappointed not to have done more of the competitive sections. There’s a certain sense that we’ve not done the rally, but it’s been a great adventure and our first time in Africa; wonderful.” 48. Peter Banham/Bettyann Banham – GB/GB – Mercedes 220SE “It’s great to have finished; we’ve buried another demon! Second time round we’ve done it; it was a tall order though!” 50. Paul Maaskant/Peter Stone – NL/EAK – Austin Healey 3000 “In the last section today we had the scariest moment of the rally. At 140kph the wheel came off and overtook us.”

* Dor and Rolt claim second and third respectively The all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan won the legendary Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally today, the 50th anniversary of the world’s toughest rally. The Datsun 240Z crew cruised to the finish on the beautiful Diani Beach this afternoon, claiming victory by 47 minutes and 55 seconds. Frederic Dor maintained second position in the closing day of competition, with Porsche team-mate Stuart Rolt in a fine third overall. In total, 41 crews finished the marathon rally that covered 1,553.65 competitive kilometres in a total distance of nearly 5,000 kilometres through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The final day of the 2003 Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally took the crews from Tanga in Tanzania back to Kenya across the Lunga Lunga border post. The route encompassed 119.78 competitive kilometres over three sections before arriving at the Indian Ocean for the finish on the beach. Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan cruised through the final day of the event, their Datsun 240Z never missing a beat. “This win is very important to me,” commented Rob at the finish. “I’ve always known I can win the Safari but it was tough as a privateer up against the factory drivers in recent years. This was a more level playing field; one rally car, one service crew, no helicopters or pace notes – back to what rallying is all about. The event was tough, but that was mainly dictated by the route Mike (Kirkland) wanted to run; he took us back to really classic sections. It was rougher than I expected, but we set the car up to deal with these specific conditions and it paid dividends. We must be the only crew to have simply changed shock absorbers as a precaution; we never broke one.” Frederic Dor and co-driver Didier Breton put in a fine performance, arriving at Diani Beach in second position after problems in the closing days of the event. The French duo battled against a succession of broken shock absorbers and nursed their Porsche 911 to the finish of this gruelling event, despite breaking another two units in the first section this morning. “I’m pleased, this event has been a real pleasure,” said Frederic. “The organisation has been incredible and it’s an amazing achievement for everyone and for all these old cars. Without our suspension problems I think we could have pushed Rob, but it was impossible and this is the best result I could have achieved. The car is perfect, we’ve not made one repair and I’ve not made any mistakes, spins or punctures. It’s been fantastic.” Team-mates Stuart Rolt and Francis Tuthill maintained their third position and claimed a highly impressive result for Francis Tuthill’s team. In total, the squad had five Porsche 911s finish in the top 10. “Both Richard and I are thrilled; it’s a great result,” said Stuart. “We came here thinking a top 10 finish would be great, third is fantastic! Aside from the really quick guys, we were on the pace every day and the car has been fabulous; I can’t believe what it’s done! The whole experience has been awesome, a terrific event and harder on the car than we ever thought. And for the team to have five cars in the top 10 is a real credit to Francis, Richard and all the guys in the team.” Fourth position was claimed by Andrew Barnes and David Lewis, a mammoth result for the pair in only their fifth rally. They led the Ford challenge and ultimately finished one hour, 53 minutes and 8 seconds behind Collinge. “This is a phenomenal achievement for us,” said Andrew. “The last section we were so nervous it was ridiculous! We cruised through it, but it was tense. We’ve now started five events and finished all of them, which is fantastic. It was physically and mentally harder than I’d imagined, and tougher on the car. It’s been a really emotional experience; the people have been incredible all the way along the route; quite humbling really.” Fifth position was claimed by Bruce Field and Jan Thoenes in another Porsche 911 with Britain’s Iain Freestone rounding off the top six. The only casualty of the day was John Lloyd and Paul Amandini in the Historic Motorsport Escort, both of whom escaped injury after crashing. “We barrel-rolled the car in the first section of the day and it then caught fire,” said John. “It’s completely destroyed, along with all our passports, licenses and paperwork. It’s obviously disappointing after such a long event, but the important thing is that Paul and I are okay.” Commenting on the success of the rally, Mike Kirkland, Event Director of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally said: “It exceeded all my expectations. We seem to have everyone loving it; I didn’t find one person who didn’t love it and that’s exceptional in itself. It’s a controversial sort of rally, different, and you would expect 10-15% wouldn’t like it because it’s so different to anything else, but there was no one. The numbers of finishers also exceeded my expectations by a long way; I’ve really got to praise the service crews for how hard they worked to keep the cars going. It was also a very friendly rally; people made lots of new friends and eyes were opened not only to the beauty of the region and its great variety of scenery, but also to the friendliness of the people. It’s been tremendous.” Over the last 10 days, the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally has also embraced a humanitarian side by pledging charitable donations along the route. “We donated some money to the centre for street girls with no homes and probably no parents, those who are adopted and live in a centre in Mombasa,” added Kirkland. “At Mount Kenya Safari Club there was a school where the kids had no desks and chairs so we supplied them. In Eldoret, we painted the school classroom, put in new windows, desks and blackboards and gave them many educational and sports equipment. We also gave blankets to the orphans in Eldoret as well as to a hospice. In the Masai Mara they said they wanted a fence built around the school as they’re trying to plant trees and the animals were eating the young shoots. We fenced the whole school in. Near the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi there’s a school for crippled children and their requirements are very special in terms of desks and chairs. We helped them out with all this equipment.” The Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally has been acclaimed by all as a huge success and a legendary event filled with special emotion. Most competitors said if they were told it was running again, they would enter on the spot! Overall Results Rob Collinge Datsun 240Z 17hr 42min 42sec Frederic Dor Porsche 911 18hr 30min 37sec Stuart Rolt Porsche 911 19hr 08min 31sec Andrew Barnes Ford Escort 19hr 35min 50sec Bruce Field Porsche 911 19hr 40min 33sec Iain Freestone Ford Mexico 19hr 46min 57sec Ray Bellm Ford Escort 21hr 00min 33sec Wolfgang Pfeiffer Porsche 911 21hr 12min 56sec Anthony Ward Ford Escort 21hr 22min 44sec Paul-Eric Jarry Porsche 911 21hr 49min 24sec

just seen on ebay for sale....our logo!!!!!

always in repair!!! LOL

Pos Car Driver / Co-Driver Vehicle Total Time 1 1 Rob Collinge / Anton Levitan Datsun 240Z 13:23:09 12 26 Balaraj Matharu / Timothy Mammen Datsun 1600 SSS 16:53:12 14 27 Chris Angel / Mike Bowen Datsun 1600 SSS 17:39:51 16 29 Aslam Khan / Arshad Khan Datsun 180B 19.40.13 33 36 Paul Haym / Tim Ryce Datsun 1600 SSS *08.48.01 36 18 Jayant Shah / Lofty Drews Datsun 1600 SSS *10.51.08 39 40 Imtaiz Dewji / Zeini Dewji Datsun 240Z **02.42.49 * one day behind ** two days behind

$^!# happens:tapemouth Car 50 in BIG problems

DOR HITS PROBLEMS BUT MAINTAINS SECOND IN KENYA The all-Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan continue to lead the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally, the Datsun 240Z drivers extending their advantage to 34 minutes and 45 seconds. Frederic Dor hit problems, but the French businessman, co-driven by Didier Breton, nursed his Porsche 911 through the day to maintain second position. Stuart Rolt and Richard Tuthill remain third in the second of two Tuthill-prepared 911s in the top three. After the rest day in the Masai Mara yesterday, where crews enjoyed balloon safaris, game drives and witnessed hippopotamus and crocodile basking in the river alongside the Simba Lodge, the action got underway once again early this morning. The route covered two competitive sections and took the crews northeast from the Mara up to Nakuru, before heading southeast to Nairobi for the overnight halt at the Safari Park Hotel. The opening section covered 71.20 competitive kilometres from Seyabei to Tipis and lived up to its reputation as the roughest and toughest section of the event. The road section then took the drivers down the Mau Escarpment and into the Delamere Estate, where Lord and Lady Delamere hosted brunch and the second section. President of the FIA Rallies Commission and five times Safari Rally winner, Shekhar Mehta, and his wife, former World Championship co-driver Yvonne Mehta, manned the time control on the Delamere Estate, the Safari legends relishing the atmosphere of days gone by. The run from Mbweha to Mbaruk covered 71.17 competitive kilometres, starting off on fast and flat grassy tracks before heading into tricky navigation around the vast farm estate. Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan once again set the pace, the Kenyans extending their lead after winning both sections in their Datsun 240Z. While Dor managed to keep on their heels in the opening section, dropping just over a minute to the Kenyans, Collinge gained more than four minutes when Dor hit problems in the second section. “We had a couple of punctures in the opening section and then missed our service on the road section,” commented Collinge. “It was very good for us though, excellent. The car was specifically set up for this stage and it paid dividends as it goes well on the rough. This could well be enough for us to win now, but nothing is guaranteed.” Frenchman Frederic Dor and fellow countryman Didier Breton are still in fine form, but the Porsche 911 crew has been hampered all the way today. Despite a broken rear shock absorber in the opening section, they managed to set second fastest time, but then they suffered the same problem on the following road section and were forced to limp through CS18, dropping more than six and a half minutes. “The first section was very rough and we broke a shock absorber, but the service crew changed it at the service afterwards,” commented Frederic. “Another one then broke on the road section before CS18 and that’s why we lost so much time and were only 14th on the section. It’s harder to drive slowly, but we were lucky and the important thing is that we are still here and managed to maintain our position.” Stuart Rolt and Richard Tuthill have also held on to their third position, despite unease about unlucky position three! The Porsche 911 crew were fifth fastest in the opening section and fourth in the second and are now just over 30 minutes adrift of team-mate Dor. “One kilometre from the start of CS17 a calliper broke and we stopped to fix it, driving like hell after that to only lose about a minute,” commented Stuart. “Navigation in the following section was very hard and it was difficult to see where to go. It was a real mix of fast sections and narrow rough stuff and we both had to work really hard; total concentration, but we’re glad to be here.” The Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally continues to receive a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the local inhabitants along the 4,893 kilometre route, many of the elder generation recognising the Safari legends who are working as senior officials and volunteers. John Sakau Nkamate, a security official at the gates of the world-famous Masai Mara commented: “We love this rally so much; there are good cars and many good people.” After the overnight halt in Nairobi, the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally convoy heads south to Tanzania, via the Namanga border post. The leg starts at 06:00 hrs on Wednesday 17 December and takes in three competitive sections, two in Kenya and one in Tanzania before arriving in Arusha for the overnight halt. In total, the day takes in 177.80 competitive kilometres in a total distance of 633.86 kilometres. Leaderboard after Day 7 Rob Collinge Datsun 240Z 11hr 14min 34sec Frederic Dor Porsche 911 11hr 49min 19sec Stuart Rolt Porsche 911 12hr 17min 53sec Iain Freestone Ford México 12hr 40min 35sec Andrew Barnes Ford Escort 12hr 46min 09sec Bruce Field Porsche 911 12hr 53min 36sec John Lloyd Ford Escort 13hr 08min 25sec Wolfgang Pfeiffer Porsche 911 13hr 16min 58sec Josef Pointinger Ford Escort 13hr 30min 03sec Ray Bellm Ford Escort 13hr 45min 22sec DRIVER QUOTES – DAY 7 2. Bruce Field/Jan Thoenes – EAK/EAK – Porsche 911 “I just laughed all the way through CS17; it was so outrageously rough that’s all you could do! I guess I really enjoyed it though, some perverse sort of enjoyment, and we caught three cars, which was good. The second section was too much like hard work; I’m dead! But Jan did a fantastic job with the navigation.” 3. Michele Mouton/Ana Goni – F/YV – Ford Escort “We broke the suspension before the start of CS17 but repaired it in time and although it was a rough one, it was good and ok for us. There was then so much dust in the car in the second section; there’s a hole somewhere and neither Ana nor I could speak at the end because we got stuck behind Andrew (Barnes) in the section.” 6. Iain Freestone/Rod MacLean – GB/GB – Ford México “Ok, the event showed us how tough it can be in CS17; we’ve done that now! We then caught someone in the next section and had to slow right down, but otherwise everything’s ok. With the way the regulations work – allowing you to miss three days – at least we know we’re now classified as finishers.” 7. Ray Bellm/Pasquale Lanzante – GB/I – Ford Escort “Section 17 was alright for us but we then got stuck in a ditch on the road section afterwards. Fortunately about 55 locals suddenly arrived and pushed us out!” 8. John Lloyd/Paul Amandini – GB/GB – Ford Escort “First and reverse gears broke in CS17, but it was ok for the rest of the day. We got caught behind Wolfgang (Pfeiffer) in the second section, along with some other people, and it was impossible to get passed him. In the dust we then hit a rock and were lucky the suspension didn’t break. I can’t believe it though; I hit exactly the same rock two years ago and retired in the Mitsubishi!” 9. Wolfgang Pfeiffer/Peter Knoebel – D/D – Porsche 911 “I don’t have an English word for competitive section 17 (Seyabei – Tipis)!” The crew then hit problems in CS18, dropping more than 24 minutes for unconfirmed reasons. They have dropped from sixth to eighth today. 14. Richard Martin-Hurst/Tony Devantier – GB/NZ – Rover V8 “The first section was okay but we got stuck in someone’s dust and lost a bit of time. The second one was very tricky for navigation and we caught a Porsche with problems (Pfeiffer) and had to bump him a couple of times to get past. The car’s now tired…!” 19. Henri Guyonnet-Duperat/Claude Valion – F/F – Porsche 911 The crew had mechanical problems, missed the competitive sections and met the convoy in Nairobi this evening. 26. Balaraj Matharu/Timothy Mammen – EAK/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS “CS17 was rough as hell, terrible, but we went slowly and nothing broke.” 27. Chris Angel/Mike Bowen – EAK/EAK – Datsun 1600SSS “CS17 was fun, we really enjoyed it and it’s the right sort of conditions for this car; home territory! No problems at all but we really need more tyres; we have none left…” 35. Andrew Barnes/David Lewis – GB/GB – Ford Escort “The road section after CS17 was worse than the section itself! We got caught behind Iain (Freestone) in the section for about 509 kilometres; I don’t think he could see us in all the dust. We had to back off and because the window winder has broken, the dust was choking in the car. We also damaged a wheel bearing, but everything’s ok. The second section was tough for David, but we didn’t make any mistakes and it was good fun.” 47. Richard Pugh/Liz Pugh – GB/GB – Volvo 122S The crew did not contest the competitive sections and met the convoy in Nairobi this evening.

Rob Collinge, driver of the Car No.1, seen outside his Datsun 240Z shortly after completing pre-rally inspection at Whitesands Hotel, Bamburi. Collinge and his co-driver Anton Levitan were first to be flagged off at Mombasa Tusk for the historical East African Safari Rally sponsored by Kenya Airways.

Leader board after Leg 5 1. Rob Collinge Datsun 240Z 9hr 25min 15sec 2. Frederic Dor Porsche 911 9hr 49min 12sec 3. Stuart Rolt Porsche 911 10hr 15min 57sec 4. Iain Freestone Ford México 10hr 33min 49sec 5. Andrew Barnes Ford Escort 10hr 42min 21sec 6. Wolfgang Pfeiffer Porsche 911 10hr 51min 47sec 7. Bruce Field Porsche 911 10hr 55min 14sec 8. John Lloyd Ford Escort 10hr 56min 49sec 9. Josef Pointinger Ford Escort 11hr 10min 35sec 10. Ray Bellm Ford Escort 11hr 14min 45sec

40. Imtiaz Dewji/Uwe Kuurtzen Berger – GB/GB – Datsun 240Z A broken rear axle meant the crew did not contest the competitive sections, but has joined the convoy at the Masai Mara this evening.

Lofty Drews will be making a nostalgic comeback when he contests the Kenya Airways sponsored East African Safari Rally for the 27th time, this year back alongside three-time Kenya National Rally Champion Jayant Shah, in a Datsun 180B. Drews now lives in Toowoomba, Australia and describes himself as a gentleman farmer with cows, horses, pigs and chickens. He was born in Tanga and is looking forward to spending the last night of the rally there, having not visited for over 25 years. Lofty grew up in Lushoto where his dad had a garage; this is halfway through the Usambara Mountains section and Lofty should enjoy a fleeting glance of his old home area. Lofty Drews has had an unmatched rallying career, having won the Safari with Shekhar Mehta (1973) and finished second on five occasions with Sandro Munari (1975) and Rauno Aaltonen (1977, 1980, 1981 and 1984). He has also done Safaris with Tony Fall and Brian Culcheth, and won the Himalayan Rally twice, once with Shekhar Mehta and once with Jayant Shah. He also competed in Argentina’s round of the World Rally Championship with Jayant Shah and the RAC Rally with Shekhar Mehta in a Datsun 240Z. Lofty was the East African Hillclimb Champion in 1973, the Kenya Autocross Champion and has in more recent times been three times Australian Formula 2 Rally Champion, all with the talented Steve Winwood. He has not however rallied since his huge accident in Melbourne in 2001, from which he has had two years of back problems which have just recently been cured. Lofty and his son David, who will join him as his service crew in the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally, have prepared the Datsun 180B at “Manyatta Farm” in Toowoomba, Australia. Driver Jayant Shah is a Tanzanian businessman based in Arusha. He has claimed the Kenya National Championship title three times, won the Himalayan Rally four times as well as the Tanzanian championship title. He has also finished fourth in Rally Argentina and has contested the Acropolis Rally twice. He has only ever driven Nissan machinery, including the 1200, 1600SSS, 160J, PA10, 240RS and 200SX. A competitor for 25 years, he has had countless outings with Lofty Drews and last competed in 1991.

Tanzanian born Imtiaz Dewji and his Ugandan wife Zeini will be taking on the challenge of a lifetime when they take the start of the 2003 Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally. The pair, who will be contesting the event in a 1972 Datsun 240Z, have never competed in a rally previously and Zeini is also a late substitute after Imtiaz’s original co-driver broke his leg. Based on the original idea of the 1953 Coronation Safari, the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally returns in 2003 as the greatest classic car rally in the world. The event, scheduled to run from 10-19 December, covers a mammoth 5,000 kilometres and will take the crews through some of the remotest and most rugged landscapes in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The 2003 Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally marks the 50th anniversary of the original Coronation Safari, a unique event run by enthusiasts to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. In 1960 the event was renamed the East African Safari Rally, running annually until 1972, and, in keeping with the sense of history, only cars originally produced before 31 December 1971 are eligible to compete in the 2003 event. Born and brought up in East Africa, Imtiaz and Zeini have been avid followers of the East African Safari Rally for years, and their choice of vehicle for this arduous event is born from the admiration they have for Shekhar Mehta, winner of the rally in Datsun machinery no fewer than five times. Now, as residents in the UK, the Dewji’s 240Z has been totally re-built by Datsun specialists, Z Farm of Thirst, in Yorkshire, and the pair are all set for the adventure of a lifetime. “This is our first rally of any kind and it couldn’t be a more gruelling event,” commented Imtiaz. “Initially we were just going to go as spectators, but our opinion very soon changed! We have had to overcome many challenges though, one being that my original co-driver broke his leg and secondly that my wife has had to step in at the last minute. But it is great to see the rally unite the East African countries again and the greatest challenge still awaits us. Our aim is to savour each moment and, as importantly, finish.”

The Kenyan crew of Rob Collinge and Anton Levitan (Datsun) have extended their lead in the Kenya Airways East African Safari Rally at the end of Leg 4 and now have just over 25 minutes in hand to second place Frederic Dor (Porsche). The day has however been filled with drama for some of the crews and the weary convoy arrived in Kampala with many a tale to tell.

As for now, one lousy picture. I hope that in the next few days the leader will come more in the picture.