1973 Safari Rally
Encyclopedia
The 1973 East African Safari Rally was the 21st running of the Safari Rally
, and the fourth round of the inaugural World Rally Championship
season. Run in mid-April in central Kenya
, the Safari was a markedly different rally from the other dates on the WRC schedule. About 5300 km of gravel roads comprised the course, though there were not distinct special stage
s as in other rallies, but instead the course was uncontrolled. The rally was considered very punishing, and thus many of the successful teams were specifically focused on it, leading to a different set of front-runners than led most other rallies. The rally was won by a local driver, Shekhar Mehta
.
In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. Like the drivers, the cars were different for Africa than for other rallies. As a result, the successful types did not mirror the results of other rallies on the circuit, and Datsun
and Peugeot
both made strong showings. Additionally, cars were not broken into separate groups or classes as in other rallies, so only overall results were classified. Time was not measured as the total elapsed through special stages as with other rallies, but instead a penalty was assessed at each time control for not meeting the target: total penalty time was the measure of who was in what place.
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
, and the fourth round of the inaugural World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
season. Run in mid-April in central Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, the Safari was a markedly different rally from the other dates on the WRC schedule. About 5300 km of gravel roads comprised the course, though there were not distinct special stage
Special stage (rallying)
Special stages are the competitive sections of a stage rally event where the goal is to cover a stretch of closed road in the shortest time. On a special stage cars are set off individually at set intervals to reduce the chances of being impeded by other competitors. Each special stage is a...
s as in other rallies, but instead the course was uncontrolled. The rally was considered very punishing, and thus many of the successful teams were specifically focused on it, leading to a different set of front-runners than led most other rallies. The rally was won by a local driver, Shekhar Mehta
Shekhar Mehta
Chandrashekhar "Shekhar" Mehta was a Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver. He won the Safari Rally a record five times , including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally Championship...
.
In 1973, and for several years afterward, only manufacturers were given points for finishes in WRC events. Like the drivers, the cars were different for Africa than for other rallies. As a result, the successful types did not mirror the results of other rallies on the circuit, and Datsun
Datsun
Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd...
and Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
both made strong showings. Additionally, cars were not broken into separate groups or classes as in other rallies, so only overall results were classified. Time was not measured as the total elapsed through special stages as with other rallies, but instead a penalty was assessed at each time control for not meeting the target: total penalty time was the measure of who was in what place.
Results
| Finish | Penalty | Car # | Driver Co-driver |
Car | Mfr. points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 m : 46 s | 1 |  Shekhar MehtaShekhar Mehta Chandrashekhar "Shekhar" Mehta was a Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver. He won the Safari Rally a record five times , including four consecutively, and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally Championship... Lofty Drews |
 Datsun 240Z |
20 |
| 2 | 6 m : 46 s | 9 |  Harry KällströmHarry Källström Harry "Sputnik" Källström was a Swedish professional rally driver who debuted in 1957 and competed in the World Rally Championship in the 1970s. Prior to the forming of the WRC, Källström won the RAC Rally in a Lancia Fulvia 1.6 Coupé HF in 1969 and 1970... Claes Billstam |
Datsun 1800 SSS |
|
| 3 | 8 m : 47 s | 7 | Ove Andersson Ove Andersson Ove Andersson was a Swedish rally driver and the first head of Toyota's F1 program. His nickname was "Påven" .-Early life:...  Jean TodtJean Todt Jean Todt was born on February 25, 1946, in Pierrefort, Cantal, France. After a successful career as a rally co-driver he made his reputation in motor sport management, first with Peugeot Talbot Sport, then with Scuderia Ferrari, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari from 2004... |
Peugeot 504 Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:... |
12 |
| 4 | 9 m : 14 s | 19 | Tony Fall Tony Fall Richard Anthony Fall was a British rally driver. He was born in Bradford. He began his rallying career as a club rally driver in a Mini. He was considerably better than his peers, however, and was soon spotted by the BMC team; this led to a drive in their works team alongside Paddy Hopkirk, Timo... Mike Wood |
Datsun 1800 SSS |
|
| 5 | 12 m : 7 s | 28 | Peter Huth John McConnell |
Peugeot 504 Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:... |
|
| 6 | 13 m : 10 s | 17 | Hugh Lionnet Phillip Hechle |
Peugeot 504 Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:... |
|
| 7 | 14 m : 3 s | 20 |  Satwant SinghSatwant Singh (rally driver) Satwant Singh, is a Zambian rally driver and 8-time African Rally Championship winner.-References:...  John Mitchell |
Mitsubishi Colt Galant |
4 |
| 8 | 14 m : 34 s | 23 | Robin Ulyate Ivan Smith |
 Fiat 125 S |
|
| 9 | 14 m : 37 s | 27 | Mike Kirkland Bruce Field Bruce Field Bruce Field is a public airport providing a general aviation service, located approximately southwest of Ballinger, Texas.-History:Opened on 4 October 1941, it began training United States Army Air Corps flying cadets under contract to Harmon Flying School... |
Datsun 1600 SSS |
|
| 10 | 15 m : 5 s | 44 | Jim Noon Rager Barnard |
Datsun 1600 SSS |
|
| 11 | 16 m : 16 s | 18 | Joginder Singh Joginder Singh (rally driver) Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu was a successful endurance rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.-Career:The eldest of ten children... Tim Samuels |
Mitsubishi Galant Mitsubishi Galant The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ... |
|
| 12 | 17 m : 57 s | 15 |  Zully Remtulla Nizar Jivani |
Datsun 1800 SSS |
|
| 13 | 18 m : 58 s | Pat Neylan Lofty Reynolds |
Mazda RX-2 Mazda RX-2 The Mazda RX-2 was a midsize car introduced in 1970 and sold through 1978. It used a rotary engine and shared a chassis with the piston-engined Mazda Capella/616/618.... |
||
| 14 | 19 m : 8 s | 3 | Vic Preston Jr. Bev Smith |
Ford Escort RS1600 | |
| 15 | 20 m : 0 s | Brian Barton Chris Flyer |
Datsun 180B |
||
| 16 | 20 m : 12 s | Davinder Singh David Doig |
Mitsubishi Galant Mitsubishi Galant The first generation of the car, initially known as the Colt Galant, was released in December 1969. The design was dubbed "Dynawedge" by Mitsubishi, referring to the influence of aerodynamics on the silhouette. Three models were available, powered by the new 'Saturn' engine in 1.3 or 1.5 L ... |
||
| 17 | 20 m : 19 s | Ewart Walker Anton Levitan |
Datsun 1600 SSS |
||
| 18 | 20 m : 52 s | John Rose Steve Rose |
Datsun 1600 SSS |
||
| Retired (mechanical) | 2 | Roger Clark Roger Clark Roger Albert Clark, MBE, was a British rally driver during the 1960s and '70s, and the first competitor from his country to win a World Rally Championship event when he triumphed at the 1976 RAC Rally.-Biography:... Jim Porter |
Ford Escort RS1600 | ||
| Retired (mechanical) | 4 |  Hannu MikkolaHannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola is a retired world champion rally driver. He was a seven time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.- Career :... John Davenport |
Ford Escort RS1600 | ||
| Retired (mechanical) | 5 |  Sobiesław Zasada Marian Bień |
 Porsche 911Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998... |
||
| Retired (accident) | 6 | Rauno Aaltonen Rauno Aaltonen Rauno August Aaltonen , also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. Before WRC was established Aaltonen competed in the European Rally Championship. He won the championship in 1965, with Tony... Paul Easter |
Datsun 240Z |
||
| Retired (accident) | 8 | Bert Shankland Chris Bates |
Peugeot 504 Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:... |
||
| Retired (mechanical) | 10 | Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979... Hans Thorszelius |
Porsche 911 Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998... |
||
| Retired (mechanical) | 11 | Edgar Herrmann Edgar Herrmann Edgar Herrmann is a German-born Kenyan former rally driver. He also competed in sports car racing, driving mainly a Porsche 911. Herrmann notably won the Safari Rally in Kenya both in 1970 and 1971. Sports Illustrated journalist Robert F... Hans Schüller |
Datsun 240Z |
||
| Retired (excluded) | 14 | Perre Parsons Jim Cowper |
Peugeot 504 Peugeot 504 The Peugeot 504 is a large family car manufactured by French automaker Peugeot between 1968 and 1983, with licensed production continuing until 2006.-1968 — introduction:... |
||
| Retired (accident) | 16 | Timo Mäkinen Timo Mäkinen Timo Mäkinen was one of the original "Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is most famous for his hat-tricks of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally-Career:... Henry Liddon |
Ford Escort RS1600 | ||
| Retired (mechanical) | 22 | Jack Simonian Mike Doughty |
Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV |
||
| Retired (mechanical) | 25 | Bill Fritschy Kim Mandeville |
Porsche 911 Porsche 911 The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998... |
||
| Retired (accident) | 29 | Peter Shikuyah Kim Gatende |
Ford Escort RS1600 | ||
Championship standings
| After round 4 | Team | Season end | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Points | Position | Points | |
| 1 | 52 | Alpine Renault |
1 | 147 |
| 2 | 22 | Datsun Datsun Datsun was an automobile marque. The name was created in 1931 by the DAT Motorcar Co. for a new car model, spelling it as "Datson" to indicate its smaller size when compared to the existing, larger DAT car. Later, in 1933 after Nissan Motor Co., Ltd... |
6 | 34 |
| 3 | 22 | Fiat Fiat FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli... |
2 | 84 |
| 4 | 20 | Saab Saab Automobile Saab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden... |
5 | 42 |
| 5 | 13 | Lancia Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more... |
13 | 17 |
| 6 | 12 | Citroën Citroën Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that... |
7 | 33 |
| 12 | Peugeot Peugeot Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion... |
16 | 13 | |
| 8 | 12 |  FordFord Motor Company Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK... |
3 | 76 |
| 9 | 8 | Porsche Porsche Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry.... |
9 | 27 |
| 10 | 6 | Volkswagen Volkswagen Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is... |
15 | 15 |
| 11 | 5 | Opel Opel Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929... |
11 | 25 |
| 12 | 4 | BMW BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands... |
8 | 28 |
| 4 | Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Motors is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production... |
17 | 4 | |
| 11 | 3 |  ŠkodaŠkoda Auto Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group... |
18 | 3 |
| 13 | 2 | Volvo Volvo Cars Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish... |
4 | 44 |
See also
- 1973 World Rally Championship season
- Safari RallySafari RallyThe Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
- 21st East African Safari Rally at Rallybase
- Safari 1973 at Jonkka's World Rally Archive
- 1973 Safari Rally, WRC Round 4 at Rallye-info