Giancarlo in the mix for Sasol Rally crown

Rwanda’s rally driver Davite Giancarlo will be among a pack of 44 drivers, who will compete in the second leg of the Africa Rally Championship, Sasol rally due April 19-21 in South Africa.

Sunday, April 15, 2012
Davite Giancarlo is targeting the continental crown this year after years of near misses. The Sunday Times / File.

Rwanda’s rally driver Davite Giancarlo will be among a pack of 44 drivers, who will compete in the second leg of the Africa Rally Championship, Sasol rally due April 19-21 in South Africa.Giancarlo finished fourth in the Rally of Zimbabwe, the first event of the ARC calendar behind Zimbabwe’s pair of Jess Watson and Criag Green and Zambia’s Mohammed Essa.He currently sits in fourth position with 12 points, 13 points behind leader Watson.Giancarlo is targeting the continental crown this year after years of near misses.This is the second time Giancarlo and his lady co-driver Sylvia Vindevogel in their KAPS Transmissions Subaru Impreza STI are competing in the South African rally after it was drafted into the African rally calendar last year.Last year, he crashed out of the same race on the second day.The Italian-born rally ace is the only regional driver registered for this race and he will be expecting tough challenge from Zambian Mohammed Essa and Johnny Gemmel, who will be driving in Team castrol Toyota.Following their best start in a rally season in three years after claiming a podium place during the season-opening Total Rally last month, all indications are that Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich will again deliver a top-drawer performance when the Sasol Rally gets underway on Friday.The Basil Read Ford Rally Team stalwarts have a set-up for the Fiesta S2000 that suits the multiple motorsport champions far better than in recent seasons.The Sasol Rally gets underway at 10hrs on Friday from the Sabie Market Square. Day one starts with four gravel stages in the York Timbers forests in the Sabie and Graskop areas and ends with the immensely popular tarmac night stages in Sabie and White River.