Champion Drivers on Race4Change Safari
Race4Change.org -‐ the philanthropic organisation racing this year’s East African Safari Classic Rally to promote the economic empowerment of women in Africa -‐ has announced the first three drivers supporting its 2011 campaign.
Leading the Race4Change charge is Björn Waldegård, motorsport’s first-‐ever World Rally Champion and a five-‐time winner of this historic event: four times on Safari and once on Safari Classic. As with their first Classic Safari victory in 2007, Mathias Waldegård will co-‐drive for his father.
Backing Björn will be X-‐Games legend and NASCAR superhero, Travis Pastrana. “Competing in the East African Safari Rally is something I have always dreamed of doing,” said Travis. “With the help of Race4Change, I’ll finally be able to realise my ambition. Supporting such an important cause makes this event all the more special; I can’t wait to get to Africa in November with Race4Change.”
Third man on the list is Patrick Njiru, former WRC driver and local hero. Driving for Subaru on the 1994 Safari, Njiru crossed the line in fourth, one place ahead of Richard Burns in similar machinery and winning Group N in the process. Patrick has completed the car‐killing Safari an impressive seven times.
“Safari is the ultimate rally challenge,” said Dr Steven Funk, the Canadian philanthropist underwriting the Race4Change. “The bigger Race4Change goal: to promote the economic empowerment of women in Africa, using this epic event to reach the widest possible audience, is no walk in the park either. By rally end, our entire team will have pushed itself to the limit, but what else is life for?”
Renowned rally experts, Tuthill Porsche of Oxfordshire, England, are supplying the cars and on-‐event support. “Driving our cars the full distance, exposing them to as many engaged spectators as possible, with our story attracting support and donations on the Race4Change.org website is a key part of the campaign,” says Funk. “Our partnership with Tuthills couldn’t be more important.”
“With world class drivers and world class cars, a Race4Change victory at the Safari Classic is not outside the realms of possibility, but it all comes down to your definition of winning. Crossing the line faster than the rest is one definition: changing the lives of thousands, even hundreds of thousands is another.
“Whichever you prefer, Race4Change.org supports both. This is a charitable endeavour that motoring enthusiasts, microfinance advocates, African Diaspora and everyone in between can buy in to and support. Using rally cars to drive social change and attempt to end poverty is the opposite of effortless, but it’s sure going to be a whole lot of fun! We’ll see you in Africa!”
