The Equator Classic Rally started in an electrifying pace with Piers Daykin and navigator Lloyd Destro blazing through and winning all the three stages of the day to seize an early lead in their Datsun 280Z after clocking an impressive 02:39:16.2 at the Teita Hills Estate.

Birthday boy Daykin’s performance was nothing short of dominant, out pacing a star-studded field. Hot on his heels was rally icon Ian Duncan, co-driven by Des Page Morris, also behind the wheel of a Datsun 280Z.His was a solid performance reflecting on a positive run, mechanical tweaks, and the need to balance pace with caution:

“The day has been good; we just need to change the clutch. I have had some really bad experiences on these sides and to have a good run today on my birthday is a plus and I am happy with that. However I think for the pace we are going too fast and we have to realistically back off a bit,” he stated.

Despite his efforts, Duncan trails by 04:42.0 from the leader, setting the stage for an epic duel in the days ahead. Duncan shared his thoughts reflecting on the day’s highs and a minor mechanical hiccup:

“It’s a pretty good day, some of it was really good fun and had a brake issue but it was all alright. It’s nice to come to a different part of the country to rally. For now we will have a look at the car. I think we broke a brake pipe but we will have a look.”

Geoff Bell, with Douglas Rundgren navigating their Datsun 260Z, ended the day in third posting a time of 02:50:01.7. They remain 10:45.5 off the lead.

Bell described a tough but memorable start to the Equator Rally, with late car preps, mechanical issues, and plenty of improvising to get through the day:

“The car was only ready about 20 minutes before the start today so went into the first day with the alignment completely out and we discovered we did have a power steering which makes a huge difference in this type of car so I think I have grown some more muscle today. We changed a drive shaft in one of the services and also we did not have any water to clean the windscreen so we had to keep on pouring water to clean it.”

In fourth place, Farhaaz Khan and navigator Tauseef Khan muscled their classic Porsche 911 to wrap up the day with a time of 02:58:12.4.Despite an early setback in the opening stage, Khan remained optimistic, praising the event’s organization and the quality of the pace notes that helped him regain momentum:

“We got stuck in the first stage and we lost quite a bit of time, about 7 minutes and now we are playing catch up. The notes are really good and well done to the organisers’. When the notes are good for us as drivers it makes it better so it was quite good and kudos to the organisers.”

Meanwhile, the day tested the endurance and resilience of many crews, with several teams facing significant challenges on the demanding stages.