Rally drivers out for a ‘3-day ride’
By Sports Reporter
THE long-awaited 557.45-kilometre Zambia international motor rally revs off this afternoon at the Lusaka Motor Club (LMC) in the Showgrounds where a combined field of 13 foreign and local crews start the three-day battle on a fast but twisty and tricky super special stage.
The two-km circuit will be run twice with the slowest vehicles revving off first in that order after which crews will return to Barn Resorts, the Rally HQ, for an overnight stop in readiness for the rally proper to run tomorrow and Sunday in Fringilla, Chisamba.
Four of the 13 crews are foreign teams led by International Automobile Federation (FIA)- African Rally Championship (ARC) pacesetters, James Whyte and Philip Archenoul from Zimbabwe driving a Prodrive-built Jailing Motorsport Subaru Impreza N10.
Others are Ugandans Emmanuel Katto/ Moses Matovu in a Tommi Makinen Racing prepared EMKA Subaru N14 and Rwandese Olivier Costa/ Sylvia Vindevogel driving a Subaru N11, who are all scoring for the FIA-ARC.
The three crews will be standing in the paths of Team Madison Racing local heroes Muna Singh and co-driver David Sihoka (Madison Subaru N10) and Mohammed Essa co-driven by Ajit Naik (Madison Subaru N11) in their quest for African titles.
The Zambia International Rally is the penultimate round of the five-event African championship series after the Kobil Rally of Tanzania, KCB Safari Rally Kenya and KCB Pearl of Africa Rally Uganda.
Whyte/ Archenoul lead the pack with 24 points apiece followed by Katto/ Matovu on 15 and 16 points respectively, Muna/ Sihoka are third with 13 points, Costa is fourth with 9.5 points and completing the top five bracket is 20-year-old Essa on 7.5 points.
Any of the five crews can win the African titles currently being held by Hideaki Miyoshi/ Hakaru Ichino, also winners of last season’s Zambia International Rally, although veterans Whyte/ Archenoul who were runners-up last year have the advantage.Going by their impressive performance this season, another good run for these Zambia International Rally regular campaigners this weekend may just see them wrap up the titles with a home rally to spare.
The ideal thing that can halt the Zimbabweans this weekend is failing to finish the rally and such an opportunity will certainly be greatly utilised by Katto/ Matovu, Muna/ Sihoka, Costa and Essa who are without doubt praying for such misfortune.Double African champion Muna, hopes to repeat the great form from the Pearl in Uganda where he scored his first win of the season although that triumph was overshadowed by the death of local driver Riyaz Kurji.
Essa is using this rally to book a berth at the Africa Pirelli Star Driver (PSD) final set for Kigali, Rwanda in September and luckily for him and Zimbabwe’s Chase Attwell (Subaru N12), they automatically qualify for the finale because they are the only contestants from this round.
According to the Africa PSD rules, two crews qualify for the Rwanda finals from each of the four qualifying championships, Kobil Rally of Tanzania, KCB Safari, Zambia International Rally and Zimbabwe Challenge that takes place next month in Harare. Elsewhere, locals Paul Monge/ Raymond Thornicroft (Poncho Subaru N12B) who are neither registered for this season’s FIA-ARC nor the Zambia championship are tipped to give the six front runners a good run for money.
The rest of the locals are Ashish Patel/ Mark Terken (Heineken Subaru N6), Azim/ Imran Ticklay (Toyota Landcruiser), Dani Beaini/ Adrian Sutherland (Poncho Landcruiser), Jimmy Dons/ Mali Chulu (Subaru N6), Joseph Felemenga/ Ernest Zulu (Subaru N8) and Ken Mukosa/ Nash Chisenga (Subaru N8).
Africast Exhibition Management, AfriConnect, Amerex Fire Equipment, Autoworld, Barn Resorts, Benmak Car Hire, Chaloshi, Fringilla and GM farms, Group Three Security and Kamilonga Farm, have bankrolled this year’s rally.
The rest of the sponsors are Madido Investments, Madison General Insurance Company Zambia (MGen), Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development, Old Farm, Protea Hotel Lusaka, Road Transports and Safety Agency, Total Zambia and Westgate Farm.
