Rwanda Automobile club (RAC) drivers are expected to take part in the first event of the African Rally Championship slated for February 8-10 in Tanzania.

The RAC Secretary General Christian Gakwaya told Times Sport yesterday that they expect national drivers to take part in the Tanzania rally if they are to earn points for the African Rally Championship.

"Though no one has confirmed to take part in the first event, we expect a high number of drivers to head to Tanzania for the rally," Gakwaya said.

Gakwaya further added that drivers who will take part in the Tanzania race will be known after the third edition of the Memorial Sprint rally scheduled for January 19th.

Gakwaya also said that this rally is expected to kick off the 2008 Rwanda Automobile calendar in addition to preparing national drivers for the Tanzania event.

According to regulations released by Confederation of African Countries in Motorsport (CACMS), African drivers will forfeit all their Africa Rally Championship points if they fail to compete in at least four events.

With a month left to the start of the Tanzania rally, registration fee stands at euros 204 (Frw. 150000) per individual while late registration is only permitted when one changes a co-driver.

Any registered competitor must have started in at least one rally in order to qualify with in the final classification of the championship.

The championship is classified into Northern, Central and Southern regions.
Rwanda and Uganda are in Northern with Kenya and Tanzania placed in Central while Zimbabwe and Zambia form the Southern region.

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