Sardar Joginder Singh Bhachu (9 February 1932 – 24 October 2013) was a successful Kenyan rally driver in the 1960s and 1970s. Popularly known as "The Flying Sikh", He won the Safari Rally three times, in 1965 driving a Volvo PV544 with his brother Jaswant as co-driver, and in 1974 and 1976 driving a Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 1600 GSR.Safari Rally Roll of Honour, Rallybase.nl website
Career The eldest of ten children born to Sardar Battan Singh and Sardarni Swaran Kaur, first generation Kenyan Asian migrants from the Punjab region of India, he was educated at a boarding school in Nairobi. His first work experience was as a spanner boy in his father's garage, and he gained further experience as a mechanic in other organisations before becoming the Royal East African Automobile Association's first patrolman in 1958."The East African Rally & Joginder Singh", Eric Cecil, Sikh Heritage, 1973
The first Sikh driver ever to win an international rally, and also the first man to win the Safari Rally three times, he was fondly known as the "Flying Sikh" for his exploits behind the wheel. Although Ugandan rival Shekhar Mehta has more outright victories in the event, Singh's record of 19 finishes in 22 attempts is an unprecedented feat of consistency in what has been long regarded as the world's toughest rally, where the attrition rate can exceed 90%."Datsun and The East African Safari Rally" , Merlin, DatsunHistory.com website He was even one of the so-called "Unsinkable Seven" – the only crews in the 1968 event who were able to reach the finish at Nairobi when the rest of the entire field of 74 were stranded on the Mau Escarpment along the western rim of the Great Rift Valley."Recalling the days when Safari was a grand event", Peter Njenga, Daily Nation, 2001-07-21
He had no motorsport experience until he was 26, but made up for his late start by eventually accumulating over sixty wins in the East African Rally Championships in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Aside from his three wins on the Safari Rally, he also scored three top five finishes in the Southern Cross Rally in Australia in the 1970s, and was twice awarded Kenya's Motor Sportsman of the Year title (1970, 1976).Profile of Singh at Rallybase.nl website, including a comprehensive list of international rally results
His historic first Safari win in 1965 proved to be a triumph against expectations and a defiance of superstition. It was the 13th running of the event, and his car was given the number 1 which was at that time considered an unlucky number in the Safari. Nevertheless, there was only good fortune for Joginder and Jaswant, despite piloting the same Volvo which factory driver Tom Trana had used in the 1964 Safari and which had clocked up 42,000 competitive miles on its odometer before the Bhachu brothers' victory.
He spent many years as a resident in the United Kingdom from the 1980s and lived in Canada. He was present as a guest at the opening of the 50th running of the Safari Rally in 2002, and was appointed patron of the Safari Classic for 2007."Joginder Singh is Kenya Airways Safari Classic patron for 2007 " , East African Safari Classic press release
Joginder Singh died of heart failure in London on Sunday 20 October 2013, he was aged 81.
Flying Sikh Singh was called the Flying Sikh in a book by Roger Barnard, Peter Moll, which was illustrated by Mohamed Amin. Published by TransAfrica Publishers in 1975, this 109-page book gives an account of his early life. An article in the Daily Nation quotes the book describing Singh's father as his inspiration.Daily Nation http://mobile.nation.co.ke/Sports/Joginder-Singh-Safari-Rally/-/1951244/2042302/-/format/xhtml/-/b7g3m9/-/index.html
WRC victories # Event Season Co-driver Car 1 22nd East African Safari Rally 1974 David Doig Mitsubishi Colt Lancer 2 24th Safari Rally 1976 David Doig Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR
Racing record
Complete IMC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1970 Nissan Motor Company Ltd. Datsun 1600 SSS MON SWE ITA KEN2 AUT GRE GBR 1971 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort TC MON SWE ITA KEN16 MAR VW Porsche Austria Volkswagen Käfer 1302 S AUTRet GRE FRA Withers of Winsford Ford Escort RS1600 GBRRet 1972 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON SWE KENRet MAR GRE AUT ITA USA GBR
Complete WRC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pts 1973 Simba Motors Ltd. Mitsubishi Colt Galant MON SWE POR KEN11 MOR GRE POL FIN AUT ITA USA GBR FRA N/A N/A 1974 Joginder Singh Mitsubishi Lancer GSR POR KEN1 FIN ITA CAN USA GBR FRA N/A N/A 1975 Joginder Singh Mitsubishi Colt Lancer MON SWE KENRet GRE MOR POR FIN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1976 Joginder Singh Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR MON SWE POR KEN1 GRC MOR FIN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1977 Dia Start International Co. Mitsubishi Colt Lancer MON SWE POR KEN5 NZL GRC FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1978 D.T. Dobie & Co (EA) Ltd Mercedes 280 E MON SWE KENRet POR GRE FIN CAN ITA CIV FRA GBR N/A N/A 1979 American Sports Sales / Daimler-Benz Mercedes 280 E MON SWE POR KEN11 GRC NZL FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR CIV NC 0 1980 American Sports Sales / Daimler-Benz Mercedes 450 SLC MON SWE POR KEN14 GRC ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBR CIV NC 0
References
External links
Joginder Singh Obituary