East African Safari Rally - Perez/Millington
After nine grueling days comprising of 3,700 kilometres of some of the roughest and most scenic roads in Africa, the Amigos Tequila-flavoured beer branded car of IRDC member Steve Perez and John Millington reached the finish of the 2013 East African Safari Classic Rally in a creditable fourth position overall, having withstood the pressures from a posse of former rally champions chasing them across Kenya and Tanzania!
Steve and John, driving their well-known BTR-prepared Datsun 260Z, overcame several adventures en route to the finishing ramp in Mombasa. These included niggling brake and clutch problems, an altercation with a tree, deep river crossings, thick volcanic sand, buses and other traffic coming in the opposite direction and even wildlife on the road, but the heroic duo finish the iconic rally just behind three professional rally drivers.
Multiple Kenyan Rally champion, former Safari rally winner and ex-Toyota works driver Ian Duncan, ably co-driven by Amaar Slatch won the event in a Ford Capri followed in second place by the 1984 World Rally champion Stig Blomqvist co-driven by Staffan Parmander in a Porsche 911. Third was former Lada works Dakar driver Gerard Marcy accompanied by Stephan Prevot in another Tuthill Porsche 911. Immediately behind Perez in fifth place was Baldev Chager, the current Kenyan champion and in sixth position was David Horsey, the 1984 African Rally champion - such was the caliber of drivers on this year's rally.
With the demise of Perez's Kick Energy Amigos team-mates Geoff Bell/Tim Challen in the Ben Ashton prepared Datsun 260Z, the Dan Sutherland prepared 260Z of Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson moved up to finish the event in a commendable 11th place overall.
Provisional Results
1 Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch - Ford Capri - 16:54.46
2 Stig Blomqvist/Staffan Parmander - Porsche 911 - 16:58.00
3 Gerard Marcy/Stephan Prevot - Porsche 911 - 17:39.45
4 Steve Perez/John Millington - Datsun 260Z - 17:50.49
5 Onkar Rai/Baldev Chager - Porsche 911 - 17:54.16
6 David Horsey/Alex Horsey - Porsche 911 - 18:04.16
7 John Lloyd/Gavin Laurence - Ford Escort - 18:16.18
8 Gregoire De Mevius/Alain Guehennec - Porsche 911 - 18:32.54
9 Manvir Baryan/Jaswinder Chana - Porsche 911 - 18:51.44
10 Patrick van Heurck/Alain Lopez - Porsche 911 - 18:51.52
11 Andrew Siddall/ Carl Williamson - Datsun 260Z - 19:26.27
2nd December, 2013