Porsche Racing Legend Zwart Calls East African Safari ‘Probably The Hardest Event I’ve Ever Done’

If racing a vintage Porsche across Africa sounds like a challenge to you, know that one of the most experienced racers on the planet feels the same way. Jeff Zwart has competed in rallies around the world, and is a regular at the Pikes Peak hill climb, scoring multiple class wins. Zwart recently completed the East African Safari Classic Rally in an air-cooled 911, calling it “probably the hardest event I’ve ever done.”

It’s easy to see why. As explained in a Porsche press release, the rally covers 1,379 competitive miles (not including transit stages) over nine days, with plenty of mud, dust, and heat along the way. It started in 1953 as the East African Safari Rally serving as both a competitive challenge and, in those waning days of colonialism, a way to mark the coronation of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. The rally crossed Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, remaining a fixture on the international rallying calendar for decades before being relaunched in 2003 as an event for classic cars.

“In the 1970s, this was considered the most difficult automotive event in the world, and I don’t think it’s got any easier,” Zwart said in the release. “But the scenery has been unparalleled, the other competitors and all the support crew have been fantastic, and being in a classic 911 just feels like home to me.”

Zwart and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were in good company this year, as more than half of the roughly 60 cars starting the rally were 911s. That included the winner, driven by British endurance racer Harry Hunt, with Steve McPhee co-driving. Zwart and Gelsomino finished 17th. Their car—an early 1970s F-Series 911 specially prepped for the rally—took “an incredible beating” to get them there, Zwart said . It sustained suspension damage on day three, and a transmission issue on the penultimate day forced Zwart to drive almost 25 miles in first gear.

Gelsomino was co-driver to the late Ken Block, including when Block entered the East African Safari Classic Rally in 2022. Sharing a car with him was especially meaningful for Zwart, who worked with Block on some of his most memorable video shoots.

“I remember a conversation with Ken where he told me how incredible this rally was,” Zwart said. “He said, ‘Jeff, you’ve got to do it’ and so to be able to come here with Alex as my co-driver has felt a little like coming full circle. He has been awesome and at times it has been pretty emotional for us both.”

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