Kenya’s Piers Daykin Makes Massive Statement at Opening Leg of 2025 East African Safari Classic Rally

MRF Tyres East African Safari Classic Rallyday 1 closed with a commanding lead for Kenya’s Piers Daykin and co-driver Lloyd Destro, who topped the overall standings after three demanding stages.

Driving a Datsun 280Z, Daykin delivered a near-flawless performance across SS1, SS2, and SS3 to end the opening day with an overall time of 01:55:18.2, placing him 3 minutes 40.1 seconds ahead of second-placed compatriot Baldev Chager.

Speaking after finishing day one and before reflecting on his performance, he summed up the opening leg as a good one.

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“This is a new car and for me but you have to remember that this event has got such a psychological weight on me because of the last experience I had. So, to have had a good first day, it kind of makes me pretty happy,” he said.

“This is a new build, it’s the car that I had an accident with in the last Classic. But for today, the first stage was like a shakedown to get the car to work.”

Fellow Kenyan and multiple Safari Rally champion Baldev Chager, in the Porsche 911, sits second overall on 01:58:58.3, keeping himself firmly in contention heading into the longer, harsher stages that lie ahead.

“Day 1 is always a day to just settle in. We caught Eugenio in the first stage and sat in his dust for about 10 kilometers, which is all part of the game,” said Chager.

“Stage 2 was narrow, flowing and very tricky with a lot of traffic, so being first on the road wasn’t fun at all. We had to slow down often because every few brows had something and the last thing you want is to hurt somebody or ourselves. The third stage went reasonably well.”

Geoff Bell and Tim Challen opened their charge in their Datsun 260Z to secure third overall with a cumulative time of 02:00:33.9, just over a minute behind Chager.

“It was very nice, actually really nice stages. We had no problems until right at the very end when, with about 11 kilometers to go, we picked up a puncture. But we managed to get to the end on it, so it didn’t affect us too much. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Good fun, absolutely great. The car feels strong, the power is great, and everything is working the way it should,” said Bell.

Former Formula One star Jos Verstappen and father to current F1 champion Max, continued his impressive adaptation to African rallying, placing fourth overall in his Porsche 911 with a time of 02:00:43.5, just ten seconds behind Bell.

Kenyan crews have made their presence felt across the leader board. Farhaaz and Tauseef Khan placed 14th overall with a solid, conservative run. Asad Anwar and Mudasar Chaudhry finished 29th in their Ford Escort Mk2, while East African Safari Classic chairman, Joey Ghose and Gordon Noble completed the day in 32nd position.

Shakeel Khan, Basil Criticos, and East African rally legend Glen Edmunds, who endured a difficult opening day, also brought their cars through the punishing terrain and remained in the rally.

The defending champion Eugenio Amos, co-driven by Paulo Ceci, adopted a cautious approach on Day One as he managed early setbacks and looked ahead to the long.

Day Two takes the Safari Classic inland for the first real endurance test as crews tackle CS4 to CS6 through Mwachanda to Mgalani, Mackinnon Road. to Kileva, Ndome, to Maktau.

The leg covers 147.56 km of competitive distance across a total of 425.61 km, combining fast sections, rough surfaces, and long stretches that will punish cars and crews alike.

With a key service stop at Taita Hills, strategy, tyre management, and survival will be critical, and the stages are expected to significantly shake up the overall standings.