Shekhar Mehta
{{Short description|Kenyan rally driver (1945–2006)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox WRC driver
| name = Shekhar Mehta
| image= Shekhar Mehta.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|06|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Uganda
| death_date = {{death date and age|2006|04|12|1945|06|20|df=y}}
| death_place = London, England
| nationality = {{flagicon|KEN}} Kenyan
| Co-driver = {{flagicon|KEN}} Lofty Drews
{{flagicon|GBR}} Geraint Phillips
{{flagicon|FIN}} Ensio Mikander
{{flagicon|GBR}} Keith Wood
{{flagicon|KEN}} Mike Doughty
{{flagicon|GBR}} Martin Holmes
{{flagicon|GBR}} Robert Bean
{{flagicon|KEN}} Yvonne Mehta
{{flagicon|GBR}} Henry Liddon
{{flagicon|KEN}} Rob Combes
| Teams = Datsun, Lancia, Opel, Nissan, Audi, Peugeot
| Races = 47
| Championships =
| Wins = 5
| Podiums = 11
| Stagewins = 13
| Points = 229
| First race = 1973 Safari Rally
| First win = 1973 Safari Rally
| Last win = 1982 Safari Rally
| Last race = 1987 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire
}}
Shekhar Mehta (20 June 1945 – 12 April 2006) was a Ugandan-born Kenyan rally driver. He won the Safari Rally a record five times (1973, 1979–82), including four consecutively,[http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=rally&rallytype=Ken Safari Rally Roll of Honour], Rallybase.nl and in 1981 finished fifth in the World Rally Championship.[http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=standing&standingid=wcd1981 1981 World Rally Championship for Drivers Final classification], Rallybase.nl
Biography
A Ugandan of Indian Gujarati descent, he was born in 1945 to a family of plantation owners in Uganda, and began rallying behind the wheel of a BMW aged 21.[http://www.fia.com/automotive/issue4/news/article2.html "Shekhar Mehta and John Large"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061017111809/http://www.fia.com/automotive/issue4/news/article2.html |date=17 October 2006 }}, Issue 4 Article 2, FIA News In 1972, he and his family fled Idi Amin's regime to Kenya,[http://www.nationaudio.com/News/EastAfrican/09092002/Opinion/Opinion14.html "Come, Let Us Now Praise Famous Ugandans..."], Joachim Buwembo, The Daily Nation, 2 September 2002. the year before he clinched his first Safari Rally title.
File:Datsun HLS30 240Z (22022010450).jpg
He was born into a wealthy business family, the son of Khimji Mehta and the grandson of Nanji Kalidas Mehta, founder of the Mehta Group. He was the cousin of Indian businessman, Jay Mehta who is the head of the Mehta Group.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lohana.info/May06.htm |title=Shree Shekharbhai Khimjibhai Nanji Kalidas Mehta (formerly of Lugazi) died in London on Wednesday 12 April at the age of 61 years. |access-date=15 June 2011 |archive-date=27 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627001730/http://www.lohana.info/May06.htm |url-status=dead }} He married his sometime co-driver Yvonne Pratt in 1978 after a ten-year courtship, and they had one son, Vijay, in 1980.[http://www.sportsmonthly.wananchi.com/issue52/achieng.shtml "Rally icon remembered"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312151736/http://www.sportsmonthly.wananchi.com/issue52/achieng.shtml |date=12 March 2007 }}, Sports Monthly, issue 52.
Through the most successful period of his career he drove Datsun cars. He won the inaugural African Rally Championship in 1981,African Rally Championship [http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 Past Winners] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611050426/http://www.africanrallychampionship.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=65&Itemid=80 |date=11 June 2012 }} and the Cyprus Rally in 1976.[http://www.cyprusrally.com.cy/en/pastrallies.htm Cyprus Rally - past events] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708181557/http://www.cyprusrally.com.cy/en/pastrallies.htm |date=8 July 2008 }} He was on the podium at the 1981 Rally Codasur, twice at the Acropolis Rally and three times at the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire. His career came to an end in 1986 after a nearly fatal crash at Rallye des Pharaons, Egypt while driving for Peugeot.
After his driving days were over he held various administrative positions at the FIA. He became president of the FIA Rally commission in 1997, and was re-appointed as interim President of the World Rally Championship commission shortly before his death. He died in London on 12 April 2006 from liver problems, hepatitis, and illness relating to complications from an old injury.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060418102419/http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news_s.php?articleid=1143950939 "Shekhar Mehta dies in London"]}}, Eastandard.net, 13 April 2006.[http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/12042006/29/shekhar-mehta-loses-battle-illness.html "Shekhar Mehta Loses Battle With Illness"]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Yahoo UK & Ireland Sports, 12 April 2006.
Racing record
=Complete IMC results=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" |
| Year
! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 |
|---|
| 1970
! Shekhar Mehta | MON | SWE | ITA | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | AUT | GRE | GBR | | |
| rowspan=2| 1971
!rowspan=2| Datsun 240Z | MON | SWE | ITA | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| KEN | MAR | AUT | GRE | | |
| Nissan Europe Rally Team
| | | | | | | | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR | |
| rowspan=3| 1972
!rowspan=3| Datsun 240Z | MON | SWE | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| KEN | MAR | | | | | |
| Sears Roebuck Ltd
| | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRE | AUT | ITA | USA | |
| Withers of Winsford
| | | | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR |
=Complete WRC results=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |
| Year
! Entrant ! Car ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! WDC ! Points |
|---|
| rowspan=2| 1973
| MON | SWE | POR |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| KEN |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MOR | GRE | POL |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FIN | AUT | ITA | USA | | !rowspan=2| N/A !rowspan=2| N/A |
| Datsun UK Ltd
| | | | | | | | | | | |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR | FRA |
| rowspan=2| 1974
!rowspan=2| Lancia Marlboro | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| KEN | GRE | FIN | | | | | | | !rowspan=2| N/A !rowspan=2| N/A |
| Lancia Beta Coupé
| | | | | | | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ITA | CAN | USA | GBR | FRA | | |
| rowspan=3| 1975
| MON | SWE | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | GRC | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=3| N/A !rowspan=3| N/A |
| Datsun Dealers
| | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MOR | | | | | | | | |
| Shekhar Mehta
| | | | | | style="background:#CFCFFF;"| POR | FIN | ITA | FRA | GBR | | | |
| rowspan=2| 1976
! D.T. Dobie & Co (EA) Ltd !rowspan=2| Datsun 160J | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=2| N/A !rowspan=2| N/A |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GRC | MOR | FIN | ITA | FRA | GBR | | | |
| 1977
! D.T. Dobie & Co (EA) Ltd | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | NZL | GRC | FIN | CAN | ITA | FRA | GBR | | ! N/A ! N/A |
| rowspan=3| 1978
! D.T. Dobie & Co (EA) Ltd !rowspan=2| Datsun 160J | MON | SWE | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | POR | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=3| N/A !rowspan=3| N/A |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GRC | FIN | CAN | ITA | | | | | |
| Opel Euro Händler Team
| | | | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CIV | FRA | GBR | | |
| 1979
| MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| KEN | GRC | NZL | FIN | CAN | ITA | FRA | GBR | CIV | ! 10th ! 20 |
| rowspan=4| 1980
!rowspan=3| Datsun 160J | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| KEN | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=4| 9th !rowspan=4| 30 |
| Nissan Motor Company Ltd
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG | FIN | NZL | ITA | FRA | GBR | | |
| Comafrique
| | | | | | | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CIV | |
| Opel Euro Händler Team
| | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GRC | | | | | | | | |
| rowspan=5| 1981
!rowspan=4| Datsun Violet GT | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| KEN | FRA | | | | | | | | !rowspan=5| 5th !rowspan=5| 55 |
| Ma. Ma. Sa.
| | | | | | | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ARG | | | | | | |
| Nissan Motor Company Ltd
| | | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRA | FIN | ITA | | | |
| Comafrique
| | | | | | | | | | | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CIV | GBR | |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRC | | | | | | | |
| rowspan=4| 1982
! D.T. Dobie & Co !rowspan=3| Nissan Violet GT | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#FFFFBF;"| KEN | FRA | | | | | | | | !rowspan=4| 8th !rowspan=4| 30 |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRC | | | | | | | |
| Dealer Team Nissan
| | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NZL | | | | | | |
| Nissan Motor Company Ltd
| | | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BRA | FIN | ITA | CIV | GBR | |
| rowspan=4| 1983
! D.T. Dobie & Co !rowspan=3| Nissan 240RS | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | FRA | | | | | | | | !rowspan=4| 9th !rowspan=4| 26 |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRC | | | | | | | |
| Dealer Team Nissan
| | | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NZL | | | | | | |
| Audi Sport
| | | | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG | FIN | ITA | CIV | GBR | |
| rowspan=5| 1984
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MON | SWE | POR | | | | | | | | | | !rowspan=5| 9th !rowspan=5| 27 |
| D.T. Dobie & Co
!rowspan=4| Nissan 240RS | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| KEN | FRA | | | | | | | | |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRC | NZL | ARG | FIN | ITA | | | |
| Nissan Motor Company Ltd
| | | | | | | | | | | style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CIV | | |
| Team Nissan Europe
| | | | | | | | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR | |
| rowspan=4| 1985
! D.T. Dobie & Co !rowspan=4| Nissan 240RS | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | FRA | | | | | | | | !rowspan=4| 13th !rowspan=4| 20 |
| N.I. Theocharakis
| | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GRC | | | | | | | |
| Nissan New Zealand
| | | | | | | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NZL | | | | | | |
| Nissan Motor Company Ltd
| | | | | | | | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG | FIN | ITA | CIV | GBR | |
| 1986
| MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| KEN | FRA | GRE | NZL | ARG | FIN | CIV | ITA | GBR | USA ! 49th ! 3 |
| 1987
! Nissan Motorsports International | MON | SWE | POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KEN | FRA | style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GRC | style="background:#DFFFDF;"| USA | NZL | ARG | FIN | style="background:#DFDFDF;"| CIV | ITA | GBR ! 18th ! 18 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=3160 Driver profile], Rallybase.nl
- [http://www.datsunhistory.com/Safari1.html "Datsun and The East African Safari Rally"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506053524/http://www.datsunhistory.com/Safari1.html |date=6 May 2006 }}, Datsunhistory.com
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box | before = inaugural | title = African Rally Champion | years = 1981 | after = Walter Röhrl}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Shekhar}}
Category:Ugandan people of Gujarati descent
Category:Deaths from hepatitis
Category:World Rally Championship drivers
Category:Ugandan emigrants to Kenya
Category:Kenyan people of Gujarati descent
Category:Sportspeople of Indian descent