Host country Kenya Stages 16 | Rally base Nairobi | |
Dates run 28 February – 2 March 1998 Overall winner Richard Burns
Team Mitsubishi Ralliart Crews 49 at start, 19 at finish | ||
The 46th Safari Rally Kenya was held between 28 February-2 March 1998.
It was the first World Rally Championship victory for Richard Burns and his co-driver Robert Reid after his team-mate Tommi Mäkinen and fellow Briton Colin McRae both retired.
Report
A total of 49 cars gathered in Nairobi for the Safari Rally of 1998. The young Briton, 27-year-old Richard Burns, won stage 1. But his more experienced team-mate, Tommi Mäkinen, snatched the lead in stage 2. He was determined to win for the second time, as 1996's winner. But his hopes were dashed after his timing belt broke, causing him to retire. Burns retained the lead as a result, held it to the end, and won his first WRC rally in his career. It was the Ford Escorts of the Finns Juha Kankkunen and Ari Vatanen, both previous Safari Rally winners, who completed the podium in second and third respectively.