Aslam happy to complete regional Safari Rally despite gremlins
Special Correspondent
The Vivo Energy sponsored crew of Aslam Khan and Imran Khan weathered the racing storm on the just-ended East African Safari Classic Rally but savoured a decent finish.
Their calm and assured march to the podium bellied the excitement that was bubbling underneath and it exploded in a solid stream of joy at Sarova Whitesands where podium celebrations took place.
The Khans were the only finishers in the Vivo Energy team which also comprised of Rommy Bhambra and Tanzanian legend Jayant Shah who exited the 10-day competition with a fractured thumb.
Rommy had issues with his gearbox on day six. “We managed 11th overall. We lost the rear shock absorbers and had to limp 42km to finish the stage. Massive thank you to Aslam for giving me another chance to do the East African Classic Rally. A big thank you to our service crew for keeping us going,” said Aslam’s navigator Imran.
Lost time
He added: “Another big thank you to Fazi (Khan), Keith (Henrie), mum and dad. On the penultimate day, we broke a steering arm on the second stage of the day and spent a lot of time trying to get it right. We lost a lot of time and got time barred. It was dream till where it went.”
Vivo Energy Marketing Manager Mark Senteu said: “We applaud the Khans and the other competitors we sponsored for their spirited drive on the Classic.
It was not a walk in the park. Heavy rains and subsequent flash floods in Ponane, Monduli and Samora in Arusha, Tanzania rekindled memories of the olden day Safari.”
Right direction
“As a the official fuel partners of the Safari Classic, we are proud to be associated with the success stories of the event which started in 2013. Today we continue to bring home many competitors from Europe and Asia which is a step in the right direction,” added Senteu.
Kris Rosenberger and his lady navigator Nicola Bleicher won the 2019 East African Safari Classic Rally and the latter will go down in history as the first woman to win the Safari. Onkar Rai was the top placed Kenyan in third place
