Baldev Chager tightened his grip on the overall lead as the MRF Tyres East African Safari Classic Rally roared back into action on Wednesday, following a crucial rest day.

Crews tackled three punishing stages across Kajiado County, where rough terrain, wildlife crossings and loose gravel tested endurance and precision.

Chager, navigated by Gareth Dawe who celebrated his birthday during the competition kept his Porsche 911 steady through the harsh conditions to close Day 6 with a cumulative time of 11:56:59.1, extending his command at the top.

British driver Harry Hunt and co-driver Steve McPhee remained second overall in another Porsche 911, clocking 12:13:25.2, 16 minutes and 26.1 seconds off the lead.

Russia’s Evgeny Kireev, partnered with PG Andersson, completed the top three on 12:23:04.8, maintaining a tight 9-minute gap ahead of fourth-placed Jourdan Serderidis.

Serderidis and co-driver Grégoire Munster sit on 12:24:27.3, leaving the battle for third place finely poised heading into Thursday’s marathon stages.

Northern Ireland’s Keith McIvor, in a Ford Escort Mk2, rounded out the top five with 12:56:11.1, nearly an hour behind the leader.

Wednesday’s route featured CS13 (Isineti–Selengai), CS14 (Mashuru–Isinya Chicks) and CS15 (Limukutani–Iremito), each producing its own standout performances.

Charlie Tuthill opened the day with a dominant win on CS13, while South African Johnny Gemmell seized CS14. Piers Daykin delivered one of the day’s highlights by powering his Datsun 280Z to victory on CS15.

Drivers spoke of punishing terrain, unpredictable wildlife, and the need to strike a balance between pace and preservation as the rally entered its second half.

The competition now heads to Taita Hills for a grueling three-stage leg featuring a 138km epic from Isineti to Simba one of the longest stages of the event where tyre management and mechanical discipline are expected to be decisive.

TOP TEN OVERALL
Pos Car No. Driver Class Total Time Gap to Leader
1 3 Baldev Chager 4 11:56:59.1 —
2 10 Harry Hunt 4 12:13:25.2 +16:26.1
3 4 Evgeny Kireev 4 12:23:04.8 +26:05.7
4 2 Jourdan Serderidis 4 12:24:27.3 +27:28.2
5 18 Keith McIvor 3 12:56:11.1 +59:12.0
6 36 Roger Hodenius 4 13:10:10.7 +01:13:11.6
7 7 Geoff Bell 4 13:15:21.3 +01:18:22.2
8 16 Roger Samuelsson 4 13:15:42.0 +01:18:42.9
9 21 Farhaaz Khan 4 13:16:04.2 +01:19:05.1
10 17 Thomas Bell 4 13:16:41.9 +01:19:42.8