The Zambia International Motor Rally, also known as Safari Zambia and Zambia Rally, is an international rallying event organised by the Zambia Motorsports Association. The rally is based in the Zambian capital of Lusaka and travels north of the capital to Chisamba for its competition stages.[1] The event is a round of the African Rally Championship and the Zambian Rally Championship.
The event, one of the oldest in Africa, was first founded in 1969 by the Lusaka Motor Club with John Ireland as Clerk of the Course, who was then ZMSA Competition Secretary, it gained a reputation for being tough and for its formative years was some 2000 miles in length. Apart from a break from 1977 to 1984 during an economic crisis the event has been held continuously. The event is one of the veteran rallies of the African Rally Championship.
Zambian motorsport legend Satwant Singh has dominated the event, winning 14 times, his first in 1972, his most recent in 2002. This included a five-year consecutive streak in the 1990s. Foreign drivers have taken several victories, the first in 1987 to Zimbabwean driver Bill Rautenbach. His son Conrad is the most recent in 2011. While Super 2000 cars have moved in on several FIA zone events in recent years they only have a single victory, Conrad Rautenbach's second win in 2011 as Group N Subarus and Mitsubishis continue to hold sway over the results.
Sourced in part from:[2] [3] [4]
| Year | Winner | Car | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Mike Bond | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1970 | Mike Bond | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1971 | Peter Alexander | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1972 | Satwant Singh | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1973 | Guru Singh | Datsun 710 | |
| 1974 | Satwant Singh | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1975 | Satwant Singh | Datsun 1600 | |
| 1976 | Guru Singh | Fiat 131 | |
| align=center | 1977 - 1984 | COLSPAN=3 | Not held |
| 1985 | Satwant Singh | Opel Manta 400 | |
| 1986 | Satwant Singh | Opel Manta 400 | |
| 1987 | Bill Rautenbach | Audi Quattro | |
| 1988 | Manjit Sandhu | Volkswagen Golf GTi | |
| 1989 | Satwant Singh | Volkswagen Golf GTi | |
| 1990 | Walter Costa | Peugeot 205 GTi | |
| 1991 | Satwant Singh | Volkswagen Golf GTi | |
| 1992 | Aldo Riva | Audi 90 Quattro | |
| 1993 | Aldo Riva | Audi Coupé S2 | |
| 1994 | Satwant Singh | Volkswagen Golf GTi | |
| 1995 | Satwant Singh | Hyundai Accent WRC | |
| 1996 | Satwant Singh | Hyundai Accent WRC | |
| 1997 | Satwant Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 1998 | Satwant Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 1999 | Hannes Cruger | Toyota Conquest | |
| 2000 | Satwant Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 2001 | Muna Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 2002 | Satwant Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 2003 | Fernando Rueda | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | |
| 2004 | Jess Watson | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | |
| 2005 | Jess Watson | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI | |
| 2006 | Conrad Rautenbach | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 2007 | Muna Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX | |
| 2008 | Hideaki Miyoshi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX | |
| 2009 | Muna Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | |
| 2010 | Muna Singh | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | |
| 2011 | Conrad Rautenbach | Ford Fiesta S2000 | |
| 2012 | Mohammed Essa | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | |
| 2013 | Mohammed Essa | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | |
| 2014 | Mohammed Essa | Subaru Impreza WRX STi | |
| 2015 | Jaspreet Singh Chatthe | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |