Today

Super stage - Nyamata The 2013 African rally champion Jassy Singh and the current points leader on the African Rally Championship (ARC) standings Jaspreet Chatte will be hoping to earn maximum points when the Mt Gorilla rally championship gets underway today in Nyamata.

The 22-year-old Zambian driver revealed that he is using this weekend’s event to close down on his archrivals including Kenyan Jaspreet Chatte who is currently leading the ARC standings with 50 points as Singh trails with 36 points.

"It is a big championship we are fighting for. It is my second time because I was here in 2013 and it is a beautiful country, beautiful stages and beautiful people. The organisation has improved. I am looking forward to competing here and I want to win and close the gap with Chatte before it gets late because we have just two more events after this,” said Singh in an exclusive interview with Times Sport yesterday.

The Pearl of Africa rally is next in Uganda from August 28-30 before the final event in Madagascar from November 6-8 but Singh wants to secure pole position before then for a chance to win his second continental title.

However, he faces tight competition from Burundian rally ace Rudy Cantanhede who is a three-time winner of the annual event, Rwanda’s number one rally driver Davite Giancarlo who has won it twice and will be hugely relying on home advantage as well as Burundian Valery Bukera.

"I have not won the Mt Gorilla rally since 2008 and from what I saw while wrecking, I think the road is very fast and it is not good for my car but I will try to do my best,” said Cantanhede.

The total distance of the rally will be 503.9km including transport. Stage 1 will include Nyamata A & Nyamata B (Mwogo) and the Super Spectator Stage in Nyamata near The new Hotel (new estate under construction), a total distance of 70.80km.

Stage 2 will commence at the main headquarters at Rugende with the competitive section including four sections from Ndera to Rugende, Nyagasambu to Musha, Mwurire to Gahengeri and Gahengeri to Mwurire.

The drivers will cover each section twice and will cover a total distance of 156.20km.

Meanwhile, six drivers have pulled out of the race including Christakis Fitidis, Peter Kakaire, Felekeni Mayaka, Julien Mayaka and Ismael Ortega.

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