Vic Preston Jr (20 November 1950 – 15 March 2022) was a former rally driver from Kenya. His career spanned from 1966 to 1990.
Safari Rally icon Vic Preston Jr. was among Kenya’s most distinguished rally drivers. Although he never claimed victory in his home event, the legendary Safari Rally, he twice captured the Kenyan National Rally Championship title.
Born in 1950, Vic Jr. came from one of Kenya’s most celebrated rallying families — the Preston family — who operated the well-known Vic Preston Shell Petrol Station along University Way in Nairobi and served as Kenya’s Kawasaki importer. His father, Vic Preston Sr., was himself a rally legend, having won the East African Coronation Safari (later renamed the Safari Rally) in 1954 and 1955.
Vic Jr.’s passion for motorsport began early. As a teenager, he raced Kawasaki motorcycles on the Nairobi and Nakuru tracks before transitioning to rallying. At just 16 years old, he made his debut in the 1966 East African Safari Rally, driving a Ford Cortina alongside co-driver Robert Gerrish, finishing 80th overall.
Over the next 25 years, Vic Preston Jr. became one of Kenya’s most respected professional rally drivers, competing for several top factory teams including Lancia, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, and Nissan. He took part in 18 editions of the Safari Rally, achieving his best result — second overall — in 1978 with co-driver John Lyall in a Porsche 911. He also secured third-place finishes in 1972 and 1980.
While the Safari Rally remained his primary stage, Vic Jr. also competed internationally — in England, Australia, Greece, and Côte d’Ivoire. One of his notable overseas performances came in 1985, when he finished fourth overall in the Rally Costa Smeralda (Sardinia, Italy), driving a works Martini Lancia Rallye 037 again with John Lyall.
His rally career came to a close in 1990, after he retired from the Marlboro Safari Rally due to suspension failure in his Nissan 200SX.
Vic Preston Jr. passed away on Tuesday night, 15 March 2022, in Seychelles, following complications from pneumonia. He was 71 years old.
Racing record
Complete IMC results Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1971 East African Standard Ford Escort Twin Cam MON SWE ITA KEN6 MAR AUT GRE FRA GBR 1972 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON SWE KEN3 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 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1600 MON SWE POR KEN14 MOR GRE POL FIN AUT ITA USA GBRRet FRA N/A N/A 1974 Vic Preston Service Station Ford Escort RS1600 POR KEN9 FIN ITA CAN USA GBR FRA N/A N/A 1975 Vic Preston Jr Lancia Stratos HF MON SWE KEN11 GRE MOR POR FIN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1976 Vic Preston Jr Lancia Stratos HF MON SWE POR KEN12 GRC MOR FIN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1977 Ford Motor Company Ltd Ford Escort RS1800 MON SWE POR KENRet NZL GRC FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR N/A N/A 1978 Martini Racing Porsche 911 SC MON SWE KEN2 POR GRE FIN CAN ITA CIV FRA N/A N/A Vic Preston Jr Ford Escort RS2000 MON SWE KEN POR GRE FIN CAN ITA CIV FRA GBR3 1979 D.T. Dobie / Daimler-Benz Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC MON SWE POR KENRet GRE NZL FIN CAN ITA FRA GBR 22nd 10 Vic Preston Jr CIV4 1980 D.T. Dobie / Daimler-Benz Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC MON SWE POR KEN3 13th 20 Daimler-Benz GRC14 ARG FIN NZL ITA FRA GBR SEACI Mercedes-Benz 500 SLC CIV5 1983 Audi Sport Audi Quattro A1 MON SWE POR KENRet FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR NC 0 1984 Martini Racing Lancia Rally 037 MON SWE POR KEN6 FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR 30th 6 1985 Martini Racing Lancia Rally 037 MON SWE POR KENRet FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA CIV GBR NC 0 1986 Martini Lancia Lancia Rally 037 MON SWE POR KENRet FRA GRE NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR USA NC 0 1987 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta HF 4WD MON SWE POR KEN14 FRA GRE USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR NC 0 1988 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta Integrale MON SWE POR KENRet FRA GRC USA NZL ARG FIN CIV ITA GBR NC 0 1989 Nissan Motorsport International Nissan 200SX SWE MON POR KEN6 FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR 42nd 6 1990 Nissan Motorsport International Nissan 200SX MON POR KENRet FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN AUS ITA CIV GBR NC 0
References
Sources
FIA World Rally Championship – Obituary: Vic Preston Junior The Standard – The immortals: The Vic Prestons were mad about motor sports The Standard – Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72 [M1] eWRC-Results.com – Vic Preston Jr. Profile DirtFish – Obituary: Safari Rally star Vic Preston Jr. Nation Africa – Safari Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72 by Abdul Sidi AUTOSPORT Forums – Gone, but not forgotten…, post by Tim Murray, citing [M1] Citizen Digital – Safari Rally Great Vic Preston Junior Dies Aged 72 by Alex Kinyua Website FIA World Rally Championship, page https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2022/wrc/obituary-vic-preston-junior/ . Website The Standard, article "The immortals: The Vic Prestons were mad about motor sports", page https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/nainotepad/2000224576/the-immortals-the-vic-prestons-were-mad-about-motor-sports . Website The Standard, article "Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72", page https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/motorsport/2001440490/rally-icon-vic-preston-junior-dies-at-72 [M1]. Website eWRC-Result.com by Tomáš "Shacki" Wanka, page https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile/9724-vic-preston-jr/ . Website Dirtfish.com, page https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/obituary-safari-rally-star-vic-preston-jr/ . Website Nation Africa, article "Safari Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72" by Abdul Sidi, page https://nation.africa/kenya/sports/motorsports/safari-rally-icon-vic-preston-junior-dies-at-72-3749896 . Website AUTOSPORT → Forums → The Nostalgia Forum, thread "Gone, but not forgotten...", posting by "Tim Murray", page https://forums.autosport.com/topic/189815-gone-but-not-forgotten-reloaded/page-16#entry9813892 citing [M1]. Website Citizen Digital, article "Safari Rally Great Vic Preston Junior Dies Aged 72" by Alex Kinyua, page https://www.citizen.digital/sports/safari-rally-great-vic-preston-junior-dies-aged-72-n294712 . .
External links Vic Preston jr. rally profile, eWRC-Results.com
Website FIA World Rally Championship, page https://www.wrc.com/en/news/2022/wrc/obituary-vic-preston-junior/ . Website The Standard, article "The immortals: The Vic Prestons were mad about motor sports", page https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/nainotepad/2000224576/the-immortals-the-vic-prestons-were-mad-about-motor-sports . Website The Standard, article "Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72", page https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/motorsport/2001440490/rally-icon-vic-preston-junior-dies-at-72 [M1]. Website eWRC-Result.com by Tomáš "Shacki" Wanka, page https://www.ewrc-results.com/profile/9724-vic-preston-jr/ . Website Dirtfish.com, page https://dirtfish.com/rally/wrc/obituary-safari-rally-star-vic-preston-jr/ . Website Nation Africa, article "Safari Rally icon Vic Preston Junior dies at 72" by Abdul Sidi, page https://nation.africa/kenya/sports/motorsports/safari-rally-icon-vic-preston-junior-dies-at-72-3749896 . Website AUTOSPORT → Forums → The Nostalgia Forum, thread "Gone, but not forgotten...", posting by "Tim Murray", page https://forums.autosport.com/topic/189815-gone-but-not-forgotten-reloaded/page-16#entry9813892 citing [M1]. Website Citizen Digital, article "Safari Rally Great Vic Preston Junior Dies Aged 72" by Alex Kinyua, page https://www.citizen.digital/sports/safari-rally-great-vic-preston-junior-dies-aged-72-n294712 .