SAFARI RALLY KENYA (25-28 February)
1999 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3

MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION HOLDS
SECOND PLACE ON SAFARI RALLY

Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Tommi Makinen, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, has finished the second leg of the Safari rally in an excellent second position. Mitsubishi has also played a starring role in the Group N production class, holding the top two places.

Kenya’s Safari is renowned as the most gruelling event in the FIA World Rally Championship and it has more than lived up to its reputation in the second leg, the longest and the roughest of the rally. Eager crowds have followed the competitors as they tackled the roads of north-western Kenya, including such demanding sections as the ascent of the 3,000-metre Mau Escarpment and Eldama Ravine. The second leg has claimed the last remaining works Subaru, as Richard Burns suffered terminal suspension failure.

Tommi Makinen and fellow Finn Risto Mannisenmaki have set the pace in their Michelin-shod Lancer Evolution, climbing the field, despite catching the dust of slower cars and running into one or two small technical problems.

"We have had a little bit of bad luck today, but the car is so strong and the tyres have been good. It’s been hard work and there is still a long way to go, but I am looking forward to tomorrow," said Makinen.

"It’s been a difficult day, but I think every team has found that. The car has stood up well to these conditions and the mechanics have done a fantastic job. It’s a lot rougher than last year with lots of rocks. Tomorrow will be another tough day for everyone," commented Marlboro Mitsubishi Ralliart team manager Phil Short.

Oman’s Hamed Al-Wahaibi and New Zealander Tony Sircombe, sponsored by Marlboro, have set an amazing pace in Group N, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Even a minor electrical problem failed to put any dent in their lead, as Al-Wahaibi finds that much of the route reminds him of rallying in the Middle East.

"I really pushed yesterday, but now I am taking it carefully and I’m planning to cruise to the finish. This is a hard rally for any car, even a Mitsubishi!" said Al-Wahaibi.

The last leg of the rally is similar to the first leg, with four sections on the plains south of Nairobi, totalling 277 kilometres, before the finish on Sunday afternoon.