Safari Rally Drivers, Officials To Face Doping Tests In WRC Candidate Event

28th June 2019 - by Erick Ochieng

According to the FIA rules, a driver who will be caught cheating during the contest will lose points and prizes, both individual and possibly team results

Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) leader Onkar Rai in a past contes. PHOTO/ SPN

SUMMARY

According to organisers, 'drivers and officials' of the Africa Rally Championship round will be subjected to drug testing as Kenya hopes to convince world governing body, the FIA to restore Safari to the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar from next year
In addition, the culprit will be slapped with a four year ban or a lifetime suspension ors in some cases from all Motorsport activities including training and participation
Intravenous infusions and injections are Prohibited Methods in the contest if they exceed 100ml per 12 hour period, unless legitimately received in the course of hospital treatments, surgical procedures or clinical diagnostic investigations

NAIROBI, Kenya- The 2019 WRC Test Safari Rally will be the first ever edition of the internationally famous event to have doping control in place when action zooms off in Nairobi next Friday (July 5).

According to organisers, 'drivers and officials' of the Africa Rally Championship round will be subjected to drug testing as Kenya hopes to convince world governing body, the FIA to restore Safari to the World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar from next year.

“For the drivers, the rules will be followed to the letter,’ WRC Candidate Event Deputy Clerk of Course George Mwangi underscored.

“It is your personal duty to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters your body. You are responsible for any Prohibited Substance detected in your doping control sample – regardless of whether or not you knowingly ingested, or otherwise used, this Prohibited Substance,” the manual by FIA stated.

The FIA rules states that a driver who will be caught doping during the contest will lose points and prizes (both individual and possibly team results).

In addition, the culprit will be slapped with a four year ban or a lifetime suspension or in some cases from all Motorsport activities including training and participation.

For the officials, doctors will be going for substances that dull the nerves including alcoholic beverages.

“ It will be in- and- out -of -competition. One will be picked from the crowd and chaperoned to doping center where a doctor will first use the alcoblow and if need demand more samples from officials,” Mwangi highlighted.

“The FIA is a member of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and competitors are no exception. The chaperone will be required to keep the person under observation (visual contact) at all times following notification until the end of collection of the sample,” Mwangi noted.

Intravenous infusions and injections are Prohibited Methods in the contest if they exceed 100ml per 12 hour period, unless legitimately received in the course of hospital treatments, surgical procedures or clinical diagnostic investigations.