Safari Rally legend Lofty Drews will return to this year’s Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally.

Drews, who grew up in Kenya before migrating to Queensland, will navigate for Jayant Shah in a Datsun 260Z.

The 60-year-old first won the East African Safari Rally in 1973 with Shekhar Mehta in a Datsun 160J, before graduating to become one of the greatest names in the history of the Safari Rally.

His reputation as a navigator has no equal in this time and era. Drews has always had fond memories of Kenya, especially when the weather played adverse roles in the downfall of many of the drivers.

Should similar conditions befall the 2007 Safari Rally, then Drews says he is well prepared for the rigours he encountered with Rauno Aaltonen in 1977 in a Datsun 160J when part of Kenya suffered a deluge.

That time, he helped to push the original "Flying Finn" Rauno Aaltonen to second place, a result they were to repeat two more times with Datsun and Opel. His last outing with the Finn was in the 1987 Safari in an Opel Kadett, when they finished ninth overall.

Drews honed his rallying career in the Kenyan highlands and was a regular Safari finisher with several world-renowned drivers. He moved to Australia in 1987 and was a regular on the Australian Rally Championship circuit, co-driving on many occasions for South Australian Steve Winwood in a Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8.

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