The 2016 Rally de Huye will take place on the weekend of October 15-16, according to organizers, the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC).
The 2016 Rally de Huye will take place on the weekend of October 15-16, according to organizers, the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC).
The two-day event which is part of the National Rally Championship will be held in memory of the late Claude Gakwaya, one of the best Rwandan rally drivers, who sadly passed away in a motor accident in 1986.
Eric Gakwaya, the event organizer revealed that: "This year’s rally will be special and more interesting because it will involve Motocross Freestyle races.”
"We shall be introducing freestyle Motocross racing for the first time in Huye where we’ll have two renowned South Africa riders as well as ten local Motocross riders, who will be competing at night in the freestyle category,” Gakwaya explained.
On the first day, the drivers will be flagged off on Saturday afternoon in Huye town and will do a transverse twice from Rango- Gisagara, Butare-Save in covering a distance of 25km.
They will also drive twice in the evening during the Night Stages from 8pm, racing at Save-Gisagara a distance of 11km before concluding the event on Sunday with another transverse at Save-Save, covering a 10km distance.
Last year’s Rally de Huye winner, Davite Giancarlo as well as Claude Kwizera and Jonny Murenge will not take part in this year’s event due to personal reasons. This year’s event will attract a total of 13 drivers, including six from Uganda, four from Rwanda and three from Burundi.
Those from Burundi include; Roshanali Mohamed, Sultan Kalula and Zamin Mwananteba while the 2016 Mountain Gorilla Rally winner, Valery Bukera will also not take part.
The 30th edition of Huye Rally is the 5th round on the Rwanda National Rally calendar. After Rally de Huye, there will be two more rounds remaining – Rally de l’Est also known as ‘Jean Pierre Memorial Rally’ on November 1 and Rallye des Mille Collines set for December 10-11.
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