Chinese driver's late stage rally

Lu Jin had been waiting for this moment for 32 years.

As his gray Honda Fit, sporting No 111, roared across the finish line of the KNRC Safari Rally Kenya, the third stop of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship, in late March, Lu's childhood dream of competing in an international rally had finally come true.

For his maiden race on a World Rally Championship course, Lu, the sole Chinese entrant at the rally, shed 9kg to meet the event's 72kg weight limit, subsisting on three small bowls of noodle soup a day, and fighting off hunger with water and occasional bites of chocolate. The rigors of preparing his car also helped him reach the required weight in just 25 days.

Across the week that included the four grueling race days, Lu got barely 24 hours of sleep in total.

However, for all this effort and sacrifice, neither the clock, nor the scoreboard mattered to him — the only thing that did was simply crossing the finish line.

Lu's passion was sparked in the late autumn of 1993, when he watched his first-ever motor sports event — the Hong Kong-Beijing Rally — in Shijiazhuang, capital of North China's Hebei province.

"I was blown away, as if seeing a UFO touch down," recalled Lu, now aged 49.

The sight of the cars, piloted by legends like Colin McRae and Lu Ningjun, thundering toward Shijiazhuang's city center with the blinding beams of their headlights piercing through the dusk, remains etched in his memory.

The sport became an obsession ever since. Upon coming of age, Lu acquired his driver's license to aid the family business, learned the art of car repair from his father, and secretly honed his skills in motor racing.

Without formal training, he pored over videotapes of Jimmy McRae — father of 1995 World Rally Champion Colin McRae — coaching Lu Ningjun, one of China's most battle-tested rally drivers.

Unable to afford a turbocharged four-wheel drive, Lu Jin perfected his drifting in a small pickup truck. With no qualification to compete officially, he drew tracks at a driving school, and used rented cars to race with friends.

"If you ask me whether I had any other dreams back then, the answer is no," said Lu, whose life still revolves around cars to this day.

A driving instructor, a custom car shop owner, a car review columnist, a drifter on contract, and a motor sports event organizer — Lu carries a wealth of experience in the automotive realm, along with provincial and national accolades in drifting and short-course racing.

But, a spot in the international paddock had long eluded him. His bid for the 2024 Safari Kenya Rally fell through at the last minute due to a delayed parts shipment. This year presented a fresh opportunity thanks to an easing of the entry rules.

From designing parts and liaising with overseas factories, to managing shipping, assembly and certification, Lu handled every detail personally. In 28 days, he converted a stock two-wheel drive Honda Fit into an FIA-compliant rally car, with the help of four local mechanics.

His residence, located over 200 kilometers northwest of Kenya's capital Nairobi, doubled as his garage.

Days of refitting the car, to him, felt like "being a monk in a temple", something he says only those who truly know automobiles would understand.

"Motor racing pushes you to constantly set new goals," said Lu. "I've been through it all — rollovers, crashes — everything. I built this car, bolt-by-bolt, with my own hands. I trust it, and I believe in myself to control it," he smiled.

"I'm not aiming to be the fastest, and I don't want to wreck the car. Just to finish the race — that's the biggest success I crave."

With Lu competing in the local 2WD category, the 2025 race spanned 1,397.91km, including 21 special sections over 383.1km, and traversed terrains of mud, rock, grassland, fesh fesh (sand that has been worn down from its typical granular consistency, into dust like particles that closely resembles talcum powder) and water crossings. Held during Kenya's rainy season, the unpredictable weather added further challenges.

"It was very difficult to judge the grip level, and what's coming next. The rain came so heavy, and it changed the conditions so quickly," Toyota's Welsh driver Elfyn Evans told reporters after winning the main WRC rally.

Punctures, loss of control, spins and technical issues plagued the elites. Among the lower-ranked underdogs, debutant Lu was not spared from such thorny challenges, either. A wiring issue caused a gearbox malfunction, forcing him to lose the second day to repairs.

Fortunately, the rally's rulebook allows previously retired contenders to rejoin the race.

When Lu returned on the third day, the 26.97km "Sleeping Warrior "stage dealt another heavy blow.

Half-meter-deep mud pits, dense water holes and jagged rocks formed a series of damaging obstacles.

Lu and his pit crew labored until 2 am to ensure the car could race again the next day.

Six hours later, the final leg kicked off. Fortunately, Lu hit his peak on the section he had most longed to conquer — Hell's Gate.

Hell's Gate National Park earns its name from a narrow break in the cliffs. Within it lies a 10.53km stretch of track that serves as the last stage before the finish line, marked by steep slopes, blind corners and deep sand.

"Once you make it safely down the mountain, a long straight awaits," Lu said. "Then, it's all about going full throttle."

Flying at speeds up to 150km/h, with the engine's thunderous growl filling his ears, Lu said he just focused on the revs, with nothing else crossing his mind.

He was fully in the zone, drawing on every ounce of his driving skill to unleash his Honda's full potential.

As he cut the engine at the finish line, 32 years of passion, a month of relentless preparation, and four sleepless days coalesced into a simple yet meaningful result — a finisher's trophy.

In a sport where Finland's sensation Kalle Rovanpera became the youngest world champion at just 22, Lu felt no regret over his modest, late-blooming breakthrough, but only a quiet pride in staying true to his own pace.

"Motor racing requires time and experience. When everything matures, that's when you can try, and the results are reliable. Rallying is not for fun, but a real battle that requires careful planning," he said.

Will he come back again?

"Of course! Why not?" Lu responded. "I already have a plan. From May, we'll begin rebuilding the car. By next year, I'll make sure it can keep pace with the four-wheel drive ones."

Xinhua