Italian rally star driver Amos Eugenio wins East Africa Safari Classic Rally
By Charles.Thuku, December 20, 2023
Italian rally star driver Amos Eugenio was on Monday evening named the winner of the 2023 East Africa Safari Classic Rally that ended on Monday in Diani, Kwale County.
Navigated by Paulo Ceci, Eugenio, who has led the Classic Rally since day three of the event, clocked 14:42:35.2 to finish top in a nine-day contest, 10 minutes ahead of Kenya’s defending champion Baldev Chager.
“I am happy to have won this year’s East Africa Safari Classic Rally. This is my second time participating after 2019, where I finished seventh. It was an amazing experience driving on Kenyan’s soil with the toughest courses. I want to thank my crew and all the sponsors for making this event a success,” said Eugenio.
Kris Rosenberger of Canada clocked 15:11:40.2 to finish third, with Kenya’s Bonamy Grimes and Ian Duncan settling for the fourth and fifth positions after clocking 15:32:56.3 and 16:12:10.4, respectively.
Other Kenyans in the top fifteen include Farhaaz Khan (tenth) and Shakeel Khan (fourteenth).
This year’s East Africa Safari Classic Rally received a major boost of Sh 6 million from Safaricom’s M-PESA Super App platform. The rally featured 63 drivers from 27 countries globally, comprising 44 international participants and 19 local contenders.
“As Safaricom, this event means a lot to us as a company, and we are committed to supporting the growth and development of sports talents and sports tourism, which also promotes our country’s economy. That’s why we have been a part of the EASCR for the third year now through our M-PESA Global and M-PESA Super App platforms,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO Safaricom
The Classic Rally covered approximately 4,000 kilometres, traversing 11 counties, cutting across Kilifi, Nakuru, Nairobi and back, with the prize-giving ceremony taking place at Diamond Beach Resort, Diani, in Kwale County.