The Covid-19 outbreak has forced the Alfa Romeo Owners Club to postpone the Africa Concours d’Elegance by one year. The Concours is the classiest event on the Kenya motorsport calendar and has Africa continental status for cars and motorcycles and has been recognized and sanctioned by the FIM Africa since 2006.
A large crowd of motoring enthusiasts gather at the Nairobi Racecourse on the last Sunday of September each year to admire the work of the competitors who spend months and sometimes years to prepare their gleaming and glistening cars and bikes for judging. The throngs of spectators in their thousands make social distancing difficult and consequently health limitations on holding large events make it impossible to have the Concours this year.
The pandemic has had a drastic effect on schedules for major sports events throughout the world and the Concours is the latest to bow to the inevitable. The expectations of competitors, sponsors, spectators and organizers have been bruised by this turn of events but the Concours organizers are cognizant of the need to adhere to the laid down health and safety protocols in fighting this pandemic.
It is likely that the motor sport calendar for 2021 will be nearly a replica of this year’s calender. Accordingly the Alfa Romeo Owners Club anticipates that the postponed Concours will be listed for September 26th 2021.
The lack of the Concours this year is bad news for the competitors and their helpers who have already spent money and many months preparing their magnificent cars and bikes. The disappointment will be felt beyond Kenya’s borders and affects the 24 Ugandans who have already submitted entries.
This year’s event would have been the 50th in the unbroken annual series organized by the Alfa Rome Owners Club as an anniversary celebration and an opportunity for owners of well kept machines to showcase them at the Nairobi Racecourse. They also have the chance to and earn prizes for the overall winners and the top competitors in the 20 different classes.
