91-yr-old driver Sobieslaw Zasada enters Kenyan World Rally Championships

Meet 91-yr-old racing in Kenyan Safari Rally [Video]

Mwangi Gathanwa

June 23, 2021 1:14 PM

His last competitive drive was 24 years ago when he finished alongside his wife in Kenya.

Sobieslaw Zasada

The Kenya leg of the World Rally Championships will see 91-year-old Sobieslaw Zasada come out of retirement after 24 years.

Zasada, who last participated in the WRC in 1997 will make history as the oldest competitor to start an FIA World Rally Championship round.

His last competitive drive was 24 years ago when he finished 12th in Kenya alongside his wife, Ewa, in a Mitsubishi Lancer.

During the June 24 to June 27 event, the nonagenarian will be behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta designed and developed in Poland.

Making its debut into the WRC, the car is a four-wheel-drive turbocharged car, powered by a 1.5-litre engine.

According to WRC, Zasada is a rally legend who has won three times in his distinguished career in 1966, 1967 and 1971.

The driver said in a recent interview that the Kenyan leg used to be the toughest in the world.

He has been an official driver of different car brands including Steyr Puch, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz.

“I’ve always found the Safari to be a fantastic rally. I have already competed in it eight times - the last time in 1997. I am very curious to see what this rally looks like in its present form and that’s why I decided to go,” he explained his reason for participating in the race.

Three-time European champion will face off against drivers almost 70 years his junior.

His grandson, Daniel Chwist, will also be competing in the race.

Sobieslaw Zasada inside a Mercedes Benze Pulse Live Kenya

“I taught my grandchildren to drive when they were 12 years old. From the beginning, I told them the most important thing is to get to the finish line at the right speed.

“Daniel drives very well and we talk a lot about rallies and driving techniques. My younger grandson, Artur, is also a very good driver and successfully competes in the 24 hours series driving a KTM GTX car,” he said.

One of his strongest memories in Kenya is an accident that happened in 1972, costing him a strong lead but he still managed to finish second.