Davite in Tz Puma Energy rally

RWANDA’s speedster Giancarlo Davite is one of the international drivers who will compete in the Puma Energy Rally scheduled to start today in Dar es Salaam.

Saturday, September 01, 2012
Davite Giancarlo is second in ARC title race but still way behind championship leader Mohammed Essa. The New Times/File.

RWANDA’s speedster Giancarlo Davite is one of the international drivers who will compete in the Puma Energy Rally scheduled to start today in Dar es Salaam.The two-day event will serve as the sixth round of the African Rally Championship, which will feature a number of prominent drivers.Rwanda Motorsport Federation boss Christian Gakwaya confirmed yesterday that Davite arrived in Dar three days ago and he was accompanied by honorary president Dismas Kayibanda, who will be a FIA steward for the rally.Davite and his female co-driver Sylvia Vindevogel are challenging ARC leader Mohammed Essa for the African title.Essa needs points in single digits from the Rally of Tanzania to be crowned African champion for the first time in his career that commenced in 2006 after his switch from motocross where he was the squad’s national champion in 2005.Rwanda’s national champion, who stands second on the African Rally Championship with 37 points, will be seeking to exert pressure on Essa, who leads the standings with an assailable 89 points.Though the Zambian is odds on to bag the ARC title, any mishap in Dar es Salaam may help Davide to reduce the gap with two rounds to go.Former African champion Muna Singh’s son and Zambia Rally Championship leader Jassy and Salim Mohamed are the other drivers expected to compete in the rally.The rally will have two legs with the longest distance in the opening day to cover 307km. The second leg on Sunday will cover 97 kilometres. Atlantis Hotel (formally Karibu Hotel) on Haile Selassie Road in Oysterbay is the starting and finishing point for Saturday and Sunday legs respectively.