{"id":892399,"date":"2025-12-26T11:45:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=892399"},"modified":"2025-12-26T11:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:45:14","slug":"jeff-zwart-conquers-the-worlds-toughest-rally-in-a-classic-porsche-911","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/jeff-zwart-conquers-the-worlds-toughest-rally-in-a-classic-porsche-911\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Zwart conquers the world\u2019s toughest rally in a classic Porsche 911"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At 70 years old, Jeff Zwart has little left to prove. The American Porsche icon has built a career spanning award-winning film direction, record-setting runs at Pikes Peak and the creation of the globally celebrated Luftgek\u00fchlt gatherings. Yet even for Zwart, one legendary challenge remained unfinished business.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892393\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-4-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>More than half a century after first reading about it as a high school student, Zwart has finally completed the East African Safari Classic Rally, widely regarded as one of the most brutal motorsport events on the planet, behind the wheel of a competition-prepped classic Porsche 911.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892391\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-2-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Run over nine relentless days and covering 2,220 competitive kilometres, the rally put drivers and machines through extremes of heat, mud, dust, water crossings and unpredictable wildlife. Zwart, co-driven by Alex Gelsomino, brought their early F-series 911 home in an impressive 17th place overall from a field of roughly 60 cars, more than half of them classic 911s. The winning entry was also Stuttgart-bred, underlining Porsche\u2019s deep-rooted Safari pedigree.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892395\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-6-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;This is probably the hardest event I\u2019ve ever done,&#8221;<\/em> Zwart admitted. <em>&#8220;In the 1970s, this rally was considered the most difficult automotive event in the world, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s any easier now.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-5-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The modern Safari Classic traces its origins to 1953, when the original East African Safari Rally was created to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Revived in 2003 for historic competition, the event now runs every two years, this time traversing Kenya\u2019s vast landscapes around Diani, Voi and Amboseli, with Mount Kilimanjaro forming a dramatic backdrop.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892398\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-9-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For Zwart, the rally was as emotional as it was physical. Gelsomino previously co-drove for the late Ken Block, who competed in the event in 2022 and strongly encouraged Zwart to take part.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Ken told me how incredible this rally was and said, \u2018Jeff, you\u2019ve got to do it,\u2019&#8221;<\/em> Zwart recalled. <em>&#8220;Being here with Alex feels like coming full circle. There were some very emotional moments for both of us.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-3-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The challenges were relentless. Suspension damage on day three and a transmission issue late in the rally forced the pair to limp nearly 40 kilometres through a stage in first gear. Remarkably, they lost minimal time and the 911 continued to perform flawlessly until the finish, crossing the line ahead of a beachside awards celebration.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892397\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-8-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>&#8220;Every day the 911 surprised me with how well it handled the punishment,&#8221;<\/em> Zwart said. <em>&#8220;The team keeping these cars alive has done a super-human job.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Exhausted but elated, Zwart describes the Safari Classic as <em>&#8220;the adventure of a lifetime.&#8221;<\/em> And after days of searing heat and humidity, there\u2019s one thing he\u2019s looking forward to most. <em>&#8220;I\u2019ll be glad to be back in the snow,&#8221;<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-892396\" src=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-100x56.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-293x165.jpg 293w, https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-7-1400x788.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At 70 years old, Jeff Zwart has little left to prove. The American Porsche icon has built a career spanning award-winning film direction, record-setting runs at Pikes Peak and the creation of the globally celebrated Luftgek\u00fchlt gatherings. Yet even for Zwart, one legendary challenge remained unfinished business. More than half a century after first reading about it as a high school student, Zwart has finally completed the East African Safari Classic Rally, widely regarded as one of the most brutal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":892390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16906],"tags":[23231,89,18837],"class_list":["post-892399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-porsche","tag-east-african-classic-rally","tag-porsche","tag-porsche-911"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jeff Zwart conquers the world\u2019s toughest rally in a classic Porsche 911<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/jeff-zwart-conquers-the-worlds-toughest-rally-in-a-classic-porsche-911\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jeff Zwart conquers the world\u2019s toughest rally in a classic Porsche 911\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At 70 years old, Jeff Zwart has little left to prove. The American Porsche icon has built a career spanning award-winning film direction, record-setting runs at Pikes Peak and the creation of the globally celebrated Luftgek\u00fchlt gatherings. Yet even for Zwart, one legendary challenge remained unfinished business. More than half a century after first reading about it as a high school student, Zwart has finally completed the East African Safari Classic Rally, widely regarded as one of the most brutal [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/jeff-zwart-conquers-the-worlds-toughest-rally-in-a-classic-porsche-911\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Supercars.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Supercars.net\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-26T11:45:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2025-East-African-Classic-Rally-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark Smeyers\" \/>\n<meta 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