Kitaguriiro off as no. 33

By Reuben Olita in NairobiFORMER African champion, Charles Muhangi, will leave the ramp in 33rd position in the 50th Inmarsat Safari rally that will see world rally champion, Marcus Gronholm, start off first.The WRC event to start July 11-14 will be flagged off by Prince Edward of Britain at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. It will coincide with the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the reigning British monarch coronation.Muhangi, who will be navigated by Frank Nekusa in a Subaru Impreza ‘Ekitaguriiro' will drive car number 107.Reigning Kenya national rally champion, Rory Green, will start off first among other local entrants at position 26. He finished eighth overall last year in a Subaru Impreza.Rob Hellier, who finished sixth in 1995, will attempt to better that performance when he rolls off in position 31. Alastair Cavenagh, Paul Bailey and Jonathan Toroitich will start in positions 27, 30 and 32 respectively.Briton Carlos Sainz, the 1992 winner, and co-driven by Luis Moya in car no.4, a Ford Focus, will take off second ahead of Frenchman Gilles Panizzi in car no.23.Two-time world champion and Safari rally winner in 1997 and 1999, Colin McRae in car no.5 will be fourth on the road.Last year's winner, Richard Burns of Britain in car no.1 will leave the ramp in fifth position. Other top ten in that order will be Petter Solberg (car no.11), Tommy Makinnen (no.10), Harri Rovanperra (no.3), Sebastien Loeb (no.21) and Marrko Martin (no.6).Clerk of the course C.R. Patel said the seedings had been based on the drivers' performance in the world rally championships, adding that the top 19 places had been reserved for works teams.In another development, rally officials said yesterday this year's event will be run on closed roads to conform with International Automobile Federation safety requirements.Spectators will be allowed into competitive stages an hour before the first car enters the section and will not be allowed to leave until the last rally car has passed.Meanwhile, the Subaru cargo that was delayed in Mombasa owing to offloading problems was secured yesterday when the Kenya ferry services company offered a vessel into which the cars were driven and offloaded at the Likoni channel.