By PETER NJENGA

Joint World Rally Championship series' leader Colin McRae of Britain arrived in Nairobi yesterday confident and elated with his performance this year but apprehensive of the Safari.

"We have had a really good run lately, and I have to admit feeling confident coming to the Safari," said McRae who has won the last three of the seven rounds already done in the 2001 WRC series.

"However, the Safari is so unique, with so many variables, that you can never be too sure."

McRae will drive a Ford Focus and started testing immediately ahead of the official start of official "recce" on Saturday. His navigator, Nicky Grist, arrived on Monday to gather data for his driver. Peugeot's Didier Auriol was in the same plane.

Ford's other crew Carlos Sainz and Francois Delacour arrives today.

Meanwhile local driver Shaheed Wissanji has withdrawn from the Safari following a back injury, his rally team spokesman S.M Murji announced yesterday.

Wissanji, who was to be navigated by Mohamed Verjee for the 2001 Safari Rally, had entered a Group "N" car sponsored by Sopa Lodges.

Wissanji, presently leading the Group "N" category in the domestic championship, was airlifted to Nairobi from Arusha last Wednesday suffering from a severe and recurring back injury.

He is undergoing treatment at the Nairobi Hospital. He is unlikely to return to rallying this season.

"It is rather sad and most unfortunate that Shaheed has had to abruptly abandon his rally programme this year and particularly the chase for the Group "N"title," said Murji.

"This was well within his reach having impressively won the category in all the last
three Kenya National Rally Championship events preceding the Safari."

In another development, International Sports Communication (ISC) has awarded the Safari broadcasting rights to the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. ISC will shoot film and provide footage to the station for daily broadcasting.

Everybody is gearing for the Safari which will be held between July 20 and 22 for the first time. It was previously an Easter weekend event until 1997 when it was moved to February. Organisers were granted permission to push the event to July last year due to logistical problems they faced on the February date.