Ekitaguriiro ‘107’ Cleared

By Douglas Mazune and reuben olitaCHARLES Muhangi was yesterday cleared for tomorrow’s 8.00am ceremonial start (shakedown) to the Inmarsat Safari rally 2002.The Ugandan’s Subaru Impreza ‘Ekitaguriiro’ is expected to be one of 49 cars to leave the ramp. Muhangi(car no.107) got onto the start list of the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship after his Subaru passed FIA scrutineering in Nairobi.An upbeat Muhangi is now set to start the Golden Jubilee Safari leg-one on Friday in 30th position. “The rally is rough but I have the experience, I know what I am supposed to do,” Muhangi said. “I will take it easy and push where necessary.”Muhangi had less than four days to recce but insisted they were enough to make his own assessment.“Reccing the rally route four times would not make me better than I am and more so the conditions of the road were so unbearable,” he said.Muhangi is returning to Kenya where he last participated in 1997 before dropping out in the first section.Up against the world’s best drivers, the former African rally champion’s main task will be to finish the gruelling event.Looking for top honours will be Peugeot’s Marcus Gronholm, chased by championship rival Carlos Sainz (Ford).The Safari Rally of Kenya is a unique event. It is the longest event of the season, with the competitive distance travelled three times the length of a European rally. Muhangi said yesterday it would be sad for East Africa if the latest attempts to have the Kenya Safari rally relocated to another African nation succeed. Safari rally chairman Bharat Bhardwaj has said the event will be moved elsewhere if the standards set by FIA were not met by the local organisers this time round.Top 10 start list:1.Marcus GronholmPeugeot 206 2.Carlos SainzFord Focus RS 3.Gilles PanizziPeugeot 206 4.Colin McRaeFord Focus RS 5.Richard BurnsPeugeot 206 6.Petter SolbergSubaru Impreza 7.Tommi MakinenSubaru Impreza 8.Harri RovanperaPeugeot 206 9.Sébastien Loeb Citroën Xsara 10.Markko Martin Ford Focus RS (30th - Charles Muhangi)winners since ‘94:2001Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI2000Burns Subaru Impreza WRC1999McRae Ford Focus RS WRC1998Burns Mitsubishi Carisma GT1997McRae Subaru Impreza WRC1996 Makinen Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III1995Fujimoto Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD1994Ian DuncanToyota Celica Turbo 4WD.Ends