The 2022 Safari Rally, slated for June 23 to 26, will have two new stages.
According to the official itinerary released on Monday, the additions will be the Geothermal Stage (10.8 kilometres) and the 19.2-kilometre Narasha Stage, although most of the route remains almost similar to last year.
Narasha is 17 kilometres from Suswa Police Post and will be used for first time since the 2002 Safari Rally.
The Safari Rally’s Media Safety Manager Anwar Sidi said this is an open road with on an escapement, 2,500 above sea, one of the highest in the WRC from where fans will be allowed into a spectators viewing point.
Anwar has spent the last six month in the company of the rally’s Clerk of Course Gurvir Bhabra and his deputies Nazir Yakub and George Mwangi crafting what will be a tougher route than last year’s when the Safari celebrated its return to the World Rally Championship.
The organisers have also requested for a longer 361-kilometre Safari divided into four days with the ceremonial start outside the KICC before proceeding to the Kasarani super special stage on June 23 from where they cars will proceed to the KWS Naivasha Training institute.
If granted then the Safari will be the longest event in the WRC since 2018.
Sunday’s final stage will be 90 kilometres long with a possible sting in the tail, the longest single day competition since the 2016 Rally Mexico which was 80km long.
Much of the proposed increase for the African event comes on a planned final day that runs to 60 miles, the longest final day in recent memory.
Kenyans will have an opportunity to watch the Shakedown at Loldia, a highly popular stage which last year recorded the highest following on Facebook and YouTube in the WRC calendar.
Spectators will have the opportunity to watch the cars in action in Kedong stage accessed through the Moi South Road while Oserian and Chui Lodge sections have been dropped from the itinerary.
Fans will have the opportunity to watch the cars in Soysambu spectator stage designed to give them the opportunity to watch the cars from a long distance.
Saturday contains the same roads (like Friday of two loops of three stages) in Soysambu, Elmentaita and Sleeping Warrior like last year repeated twice.
Sunday brings six stages (two loops of three), one more than last season.
Oserian starts the day and Hells Gate concludes the loop and the event as the power stage.
The clerk of course Bhabra is expected to release Rally Guide 1 later this month while the route was sent to the teams for inspection.
2022 Safari Rally proposed itinerary:
Wednesday, June 22:
Shakedown Loldia (3.36 miles) 13:01hrs
Thursday, June 23:
Start Kenyatta International Conference Centre 12:46
SS1 Kasarani (3.00 miles) 14:08
Friday, June 24:
SS2 Loldia 1 (11.77 miles) 08:00
SS3 Geothermal 1 (7.45 miles) 09:18
SS4 Kedong 1 (19.42 miles) 10:11
Service Naivasha 1119
SS5 Loldia 2 (11.77 miles) 13:14
SS6 Geothermal 2 (7.45 miles) 14:32
SS7 Kedong 2 (19.42 miles) 15:25
Service Naivasha 16:33
Saturday, June 25:
SS8 Soysambu 1 (18.02 miles) 08:11
SS9 Elmenteita 1 (9.32 miles) 09:08
SS10 Sleeping Warrior 1 (14.29 miles) 10:06
Service Naivasha 11:41
SS11 Soysambu 2 (18.02 miles) 14:14
SS12 Elmenteita 2 (9.32 miles) 15:08
SS13 Sleeping Warrior 2 (14.29 miles) 16:06
Service Naivasha 1741
Sunday, June 26:
SS14 Oserian 1 (10.56 miles) 07:26
SS15 Narasha 1 (12.42 miles) 08:36
SS16 Hell’s Gate 1 (6.83 miles) 09:38
Service Naivasha 10:44
SS17 Oserian 2 (10.56 miles) 11:31
SS18 Narasha 2 (12.42 miles) 12:40
SS19 Hell’s Gate 2 (6.83 miles) 14:18
Finish 15:00
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