The legendary East African Classic Safari rally is running again here in five months’ time.
Except the organizers have just announced that the legendary motor racing event routes will not cover Tanzania this time.
Racing after every two years, the last time the East African Classic Safari Rally took place was in 2023 which marked its 20th Anniversary after its revival, back in 2003.
This year, the motor racing event will take place from the 5th of 13th of December 2025. It will be flagged off from Diani Diamonds Leisure Beach, Resort and Golf Course in the outskirts of Mombasa.
Drivers are expected to cover 1300 kilometers in the total racing distance, including the scenic Amboseli, the leeward side of Mount Kilimanjaro and other spectacular landscapes.
But why snub Tanzania from the motorized excitement?
“It is not possible to go there for the 2025 Safari, because there is an election taking place close to the Rally dates,” the organizers explained.
“Elections create possible changes in the personnel who authorize the rally and people, or parties who make commitments, may no longer be in power,” added the official statement from EACSR 2025.
By the time the rally gets to run again in 2027, Kenya will also be conducting the country’s General Elections.
We are not sure what will happen then, will Tanzania get to host the rally alone, or the event has to be postponed again to the year 2029.
To honor the original Safari Rally, the event only considers passenger type Motor Cars built before 31st December 1985 with not more than six seats (including Estate Car derivatives) and where homologated in period.
Older wheels for the old rally
Datsuns? Hudson hornets? Ford Escorts, Peugeot 504s? Toyota Celicas or Morris Minors?
At least 50 cars with over 100 motorists will be spinning their wheels next December, mostly ‘ancient’ machines.
However, for 2025, a vehicle that has been manufactured after 31st December 1985 and is mechanically and bodily identical to those manufactured and consistent with an appropriate Federation of International Motor Rally (FIA) homologation prior to this date, its body and the vehicle will be considered eligible to enter the event.
As for the routes, the 2025 Classic Safari Rally which has been captivating audiences for decades with its unique charm and challenging course, was initially set to traverse more than 4,100 kilometers across Kenya and Tanzania.
However, the organizers scrapped Tanzania off the itinerary at the last minute.
So, this time again, the rally will only race in Kenya, cutting down the distance to just 1300 kilometers.
From East Africa with Love
Previously the East African Safari started out by planning to rally through the three original East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, but gradually Uganda axed out and now Tanzania also falls under the delete key.
East African Classic is renowned as one of the world’s most difficult rallies, combining the breathtaking beauty of Africa with the elegance of classic cars.
The Classic Safari Rally traces its origins to the legendary East African Safari Rally, first held in 1953 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Renowned for its grueling challenges, it quickly gained prestige, attracting elite international drivers and teams.
In December 2003, the East African Safari Classic Rally emerged as a dedicated event to revive the rally’s legacy, specifically for classic car enthusiasts, capturing the spirit of the original competition while adapting to modern formats and bringing historic vehicles back to the rugged East African terrain.
Past winners of the Classic Rally include Stig Blomqvist, Bjorn Waldegåard, Baldev Chagar and Ian Duncan.
After coming second in 2021, Swedish rally champion and World Rally Championship (WRC) driver Patrik Sandell commented in awe, “I’d thought I’d done some rallying, it turns out I’ve never done a rally.”