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Rally legend and late Motorsport Personality of the Year winner Jim Heather-Hayes. [Courtesy]
Even though Kenyan rally legend Jim Heather-Hayes is gone, his cherished memories remain.
The life and times of the late Motorsport Personality of the Year winner will be celebrated this season.
Part of the commemoration will be the inaugural Jim Heather Hayes Memorial Rally set for December 13-15, in Nanyuki, Laikipia County.
Even though the contest's entry deadline is November 25, 2024, all the 50 unveiled slots by the organizers have been snapped up in record time, with the number swelling to 55 now.
The rally, which will also act as the fourth edition of the Rift 1000 challenge annually held by the Rift Valley Motor and Sports Club, is unique in that it allows all types of vehicles to enter.
From the rally raid cars, cars whose Motorsports homologation has expired, SPV class- whereby one can develop any type of car- and finally the historic cars like the Ford Escorts, Porsche 911s, and Datsun’s, just to name a few.
"The uniqueness of the rally allows enthusiasts who can not afford high-end cars to compete," the organizers said in a statement.
"Never before has there been an event that has such a selection of models taking part against each other and against the clock, over the most picturesque part of Kenya, at the foot of Mt. Kenya and the Laikipia region," added the statement.
Top speedsters who have signed up for the rally include multiple Kenya national champions Flash Tundo, Ian Duncan and Baldev Chager.
Tundo's father Frank is also in the mix together with Eric Bengi who will be navigated by Mindo Gatimu.
Other spectacle to watch is the brothers affair involving Aslam Khan and Arshad Khan and father and son effort entailing Russel Parkinson and Steve.
Jim was renowned as one of the greatest legends in the sport of rallying, recognized for his pivotal role in mentoring the next generation of motorsport champions.
He first tackled the real Safari Rally as a World Rally Championship event notably in 1984 when the event was sponsored by Marlboro and was part of the World Rally Championship series
Following his retirement, Jim led a group of service teams dedicated to supporting professional rally drivers, earning fame for his invaluable assistance to the rallying community.
In 2023, Jim’s enduring contribution to the sport was acknowledged as he was posthumously honoured with the title of Motorsport Personality of the Year.
Jim Heather Hayes Memorial Rally entry list
Team Huzi: Tony Hughes/ Lynda Hughes Historic
Steve Rose/ Mike Rose Historic
Destro: Malcolm Destro/ Lloyd Destro Historic
SSS Rallysport: Garry Bimler/ Al Cullen Historic
Peter Glover/ Tim Bates SPV
Piers Daykin/ TBA Historic
Ian Duncan Rallying: Ian Duncan/ Jaspal Matharu Historic
ALS Motorsports: Farhaaz Khan/ Tauseef Khan Historic
ALS Motorsports: Aslam Khan/ Arshad Khan Historic
ALS Motorsports: Shakeel Khan/ Assad Mughal Historic
Scuderia Dagoretti: Jonathan Somen/ Richard Hechle Historic
Quest Performance: Robert Calder/ Gavin Laurence Historic
Team From Milan: Andrew Doig/ Pierre Arries Historic
The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting,
digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading
multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
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