Davite Giancarlo has yet again proved he is the man to watch out for in this year’s National Rally Championship season after landing another victory over the weekend.

The Belgian driver put on a strong performance to clinch the inaugural Women in Motorsport Rwanda (WIMR) race on Saturday in Bugesera District, Eastern Province.

Cruising his Mitsubishi Evo X 10, Giancarlo dominated all the Super stages from Gako through Gasenyi to Nemba as he undisputedly finished top after covering the 177.5km circuit race in a stunning 55 minutes and 46 seconds.

Last year’s national champion, Din Imitiaz, representing Burundi, came second with a time of one hour, thirteen minutes and forty-nine seconds.

Jean Jean Giesen, in his Celica, completed the podium after posting 48 seconds ahead of Randy Muyenzi (1:19:58) in the fourth position.

Out of the seven entries on Saturday, only four screws managed to complete the demanding course.

Driving his Subaru Impreza N10, Jean Claude Gakwaya could not defend the title he won last year after becoming one of the early casualties. Fabrice Yoto and Adolf Nshimiyimana were the other two abandons, all with mechanical problems.

This was the third event on the year-round calendar of domestic rally championship, with the fourth race – the famous Mountain Gorilla Rally – slated for October 5-6.

Giancarlo also won the season opener, Nyirangarama-Tare Sprint Rally, in March while Gakwaya claimed this year’s Huye Rally in June.

After the Mountain Gorilla Rally, which also serves as the final event of the Africa Rally Championship, the local season will come to a climax with the Rally de Mille Collines on November 23-24.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com