Super Africa Rally: Difference between revisions

The '''Super Africa Rally''' ('''SAR''', {{IPAc-en|s|ɑː|r}}; {{w|French language|French}}: ''Super Rallye d'Afrique'', '''{{lang|fr|SRA}}'''){{Efn|content=The French name is more commonly used in Africa than the English counterpart, whilst the rally is best known by its English name internationally, outside of Africa.}} is a {{W|Continent|cross-continent}}, multi-stage, long distance {{W|Rally raid|endurance rally}} along the western coast of {{W|Africa}}. Taking place between {{W|Tangier|Tangier, Morocco}} and {{W|Cape Town|Cape Town, South Africa}}, the competition runs through ''21 countries'' and over 14,000 kilometers of road. It is the longest regularly organized motor race of its kind, having run every year since 1961, excluding {{W|COVID-19 pandemic|2020}}. The rally is organized by the ''Libertan National Motorsports Organization'' (LNMO), coordinated and managed through the ''Rally Motorsport Union of Africa'', and regulated by the {{W|Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA}}. The competition is organized into a three-week period, each day the contestants have to average roughly 750 kilometers. Contestants race {{W|Time trial|against the clock}}, but penalties can result in the first car to cross the line not being declared the winner. Crossing the finish line first results in a Championship trophy, whilst winning by fastest overall time results in the Cup of Africa trophy. Crossing the finish line first as well as winning by fastest overall time is referred to as a “super-swing”, awarding the winning team with both trophies. The competition is unique among similar large-scale rallies as it requires four persons per participating car, two drivers, one {{W|Riding mechanic|mechanic}} and one {{W|Co-driver|navigator}}.  

Racing is permitted between 9 am to 5 pm, this time is known as the ''racing schedule'', driving outside of the schedule is only permitted if contestants have not yet reached their checkpoint. Doing so results in a penalty by adding the amount of delayed minutes to the team's time.{{Efn|content=If a contestant arrives within 10 minutes after racing schedule for the day has concluded, 10 minutes are added as penalty regardless.}} Racing is done on {{W|Public infrastructure|public}}, sometimes highly trafficked roads. According to the [[SAR Accords]], signed by each participating country, contestants are exempt from all {{W|Speed limit|speed restrictions}} as long as they are able to maintain control of their vehicle.{{Efn|content=''Control over a vehicle'' is defined by the LNMO as ''"being able to, at a given speed, successfully avoid accidents which would be within the driver's ability to avoid, within reason given the situation and circumstances."''}} Once the last car in the race has left a country, the roads of said country are no longer considered to be part of the ''active raceway'', and can therefore return to ordinary road policing.{{Efn|content={{w|Senegal}} and {{w|Gambia}} are exempt from this rule due to their unique borders, and are therefore counted as one country together.}}

Most of the route of the Super Africa Rally is based on its non-televised, enthusiast counterpart and predecessor, the ''Great West Africa Rally'', inaugurated in 1946. In order to avoid local instabilities, the route of the rally has been subject to numerous alterations throughout the years. The rally has changed significantly since its inception, starting out as a comparatively small competition, with a total of ten teams. Most of the viewers were Libertan, and coverage was made by radio, switching to {{W|Broadcast delay|deferred live television}} in 1979. In 1986 the number of participants was increased to 25 teams, and again to 50 teams in 2003. In 1994 the televised program was reorganized to feature constant live broadcasting and made frequent use of {{W|Action camera|action cameras}} mounted on top of and inside the cars. The rally has increasingly diversified, both in drivers and spectators. In 1983 {{W|Ghana|Ghanian}} ''Kacely Yeboah'' was the first black African to participate as a driver, and in 2008 the {{W|South Africa|South African}} ''Gugu Zulu'' became the first black African to achieve a super-swing victory. As more African drivers participate, the rally has gone from a mostly Libertan and Western European audience to roughly 90% African spectators. Today the Super Africa Rally garners over 280 million non-concurrent television viewers per season, being among the most watched events ever. The final day is regularly the most watched, with estimates ranging over 100 million watching. The SAR is credited with having contributed to local African interest in motorsport, acting as a multicultural social event across borders, as well as facilitating improved diplomatic relations between African countries. The rally has also drawn criticism and controversy over the alleged promotion of {{W|Reckless driving|dangerous driving}}, increase in {{W|Environmental issues in Africa|pollution}}, {{W|Neocolonialism|neocolonial}} {{W|bribery}} and {{W|influence peddling}}. Several safety precautions have been introduced following repeated accidents involving participating rally cars, pedestrians, and other cars.

One of the participants in the 1958 Great West Africa Rally, Libertan {{W|magnate|business magnate}} and eccentric Harold Granius, was fascinated with the rally, but viewed its execution as far too elitist and antiquated. He consulted the ''Libertan National Motorsports Organization'' (LNMO), of which he was a member, about the possibility of conducting a similar competition, but to a professional degree. The organization did not seriously consider his idea, which it viewed as far too ambitious and bombastic, until he managed to win support from the neocolonialist ''African Interest Bureau'' (AIB), which had connections to the Libertan government. Granius spent the next two years traveling and visiting various foreign dignitaries across western Africa. During the early 1960's, the last colonies in Africa were granted independence. Granius viewed this tumultuous time as ideal for leveraging political favors in order to achieve the materialization of an African rally. He reportedly managed to convince many African leaders by branding the rally as a {{W|Pan-Africanism|Pan-African}} idea, bringing a "modern form of sport" into the hands of the newly emancipated Africans.

Granius initially wished to call the rally the "West Africa Rally", but found the abbreviation of "WAR" to be problematic. He instead settled on the name "Super African Rally" (later changed to "Super Africa Rally"), taking advantage of the {{W|cognate}} ''super'' also existing in the French language. Together, Granius, other members of the LNMO, and fifteen dignitaries representing the coastal countries along the west African coast met in Lagos to deliberate on an agreement. Together they drafted the Super Africa Rally accords, which each country was to sign if they agreed to be a host of the rally. In total, 15 independent countries were signatories, along with the {{W|United Kingdom}} (on behalf of {{W|Gambia Colony and Protectorate|Gambia}}), {{W|Portugal}} (on behalf of {{W|Portuguese Guinea|Guinea-Bissau}} and {{W|Portuguese Angola|Angola}}), {{W|Francoist Spain|Spain}} (on behalf of {{W|Spanish Guinea|Equatorial Guinea}}), and {{W|Union of South Africa|South Africa}} (on behalf of {{W|South West Africa|Namibia}}). In addition, Liberta was also a signatory, through the the LNMO. This brought the total number to 20, and by June 1961 all countries had ratified the agreement.

Preparations had occurred during the months prior to the ratification, and the race was officially inaugurated on the 6th of July. In total, ten teams participated, two of which failed to complete the race; the race cars used were of three types, the American small-block {{W|Ford_Falcon_(North_America)#First_generation_(1960–1963)|Ford Falcon}}, the German {{W|Volkswagen_Beetle#1960–1969_models|Volkswagen Beetle}}, and a Swedish {{W|Saab 96}}. The Falcons suffered reliability problems, as its suspension was designed for the smooth highways of America. Similarly, the Beetles suffered from {{W|transaxle}} related lubrication issues, though this occurred in the lags legs of the race. The Saab faced major cooling issues and transmission difficulties stemming from a weak linkage system. Furthermore, the LNMO lacked the leverage to ensure that the signatories would clear public roads for the rally, and as such, the rally ran concurrently to regular traffic. The dangers of this would later be discussed by the parties in 1969, leading to the 1970 amendment to the accords, ensuring that countries were responsible for clearing traffic from the section of track that was used during the racing schedule. The race was also rerouted to avoid the {{W|Strike in Baixa do Cassange}}, in {{W|Portuguese Angola}}.

In comparison to the predecessor, the Great West Africa Rally, Granius intended for the rally to be as visible as possible. He would travel to the cities which the rally would run through beforehand, and attempt to garner public interest in the race. However, despite his efforts, the primary audience of the rally was in large part expats of the colonial nations which had ruled the newly independent African nations. In order to fund the race, Granius and the LNMO struck advertising deals with various companies, sticking their logotypes onto the cars. The cars would be depicted onto commercial paraphernalia such as postcards and sold in Western European countries. Despite his vision of an African rally where the native population were spectators, he found that they were generally uninterested in such an obscure annual event, with a major exception in the Key cities of the rally; the Key cities were cities which the rally had to pass through, and the race saw considerably more native spectators there, as politicians were eager to amass crowds to the modern automotive spectacle. Granius did also manage to stir up a sizable crowd for the finale in Cape Town. The by that point only existing trophy of the race, the Cup of Africa, was handed out in a ceremony in the harbor of Cape Town.[[File:The Singh brothers & Volvo PV 544 Safari Rally 1965 001.jpg|thumb|The Kenyan Singh brothers' Volvo PV 544, as they race through Nigeria in 1965.]]The 1962 rally brought with it the stability of repetition and insights from the 1961 inaugural event. The cars were standardized in their equipment, with major modifications to suspension and structural components. Team sponsorships were introduced instead of a universal arrangement, and the race was officially sanctioned by {{W|Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA}}, which brought access to {{W|News agency|news agencies}}, and in turn, public attention. Major cities were sectioned off for the race beforehand, drawing the curiosity of locals, and an elaborate starting ceremony in {{W|Tangier}} brought international press to cover the start of the race. Much of the public-relations successes were masterminded by friend of Granius and LNMO member John Paccius, who created ''SAR-PR'', the public relations division of the rally. The race featured the {{W|Citroën_2CV#Sahara|Citroën 2CV Sahara Edition}}, the {{W|Mini (Mark I)|Mark I Austin Mini}}, and the Ford Falcon. The Citroën 2CV won the trophy.  

In 1963 the rally was further changed with the introduction of the ''racing schedule'' system, which stated that all contestants must travel a given distance each day (a so-called "section"), meet up at the stopping point, and depart at the same time the next day. Paccius had pushed hard for such a system to be put into place, as he found it problematic how several contestants did not arrive until hours or even days after the victor had crossed the finish-line, wanting a nice photogenic finish. The initial schedule stated that contestants must depart at 7:00 am and arrive no later than 11:00 pm, with the stopping point located some 500 kilometers away. The limited road network at the time made this a great challenge, as the team's mechanics were flown across the African continent to Key cities, where they would await the car. They were not available at all stops, leaving the team riding in the car to fix any mechanical faults that occurred along the road. This race featured the {{W|Ford_Cortina#Mark_I_(1962–1966)|Mark I Ford Cortina}}, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the {{W|Peugeot 404}}. The Peugeot 404 won the trophy.