EVER since Rudy Cantanhede bowed out of the national rally championship, Davite Giancarlo has established himself as the best driver in the country.

The driver asserted his new found fame after claiming his second national championship title by winning the season-closing Rallye des 1000 Collines last Sunday.

The thrilling series finale saw the Italian born driver, who claimed his first national title last year edge out Fitidis Christakis by seven points to secure the championship crown.

The defining moment in Giancarlo’s campaign came during the KCB Mountain Gorilla rally when he recovered from a disastrous day one performance to win the three-day grueling rally which had also attracted Africa’s top drivers.

Giancarlo, who was overshadowed by Olivier Costa on the FIA Africa Rally Championship (ARC), completed the challenging 805km rally in three hours, 45 minutes and 28 seconds, eight seconds clear of the Pirelli-WRC Star duo of Peter Horsey (Kenya) and Tanzania’s Navraj Hans.

It was one of the closest finishes in local rally and signaled Giancarlo’s intentions of becoming only the second driver to defend the national title after Rudy Cantanhede.

"It’s been another great year for me and I’m happy to defend the national title. It was not easy with Fitidis breathing down my neck but I’m happy that I came through,” he said before adding, "I now hope to come back stronger in next year’s FIA Africa Rally Championship.”

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