2008 FIA African Rally Championship
1. Muna Singh (Z) 16
2. James Whyte (ZW) 15
3. Hideaki Miyoshi(J) 11

Olivier Costa navigated by Jean Francois Ruhashyankiko in their Subaru Impreza will drive the race of his life when the KCB Safari Rally gets underway this Friday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The Italian-born driver, driving on a Rwandan competition license in the three-day rally, will be Rwanda’s sole flag bearer after Rude Cantanhede pulled out over lack of sponsorship.

Cantanhede accumulated two points after finishing ninth in Tanzania’s Alliance/Kobil rally, the first round on the ARC calendar.

The KCB Safari rally is the third round on the FIA Africa Rally Championship calendar. Costa, who flew to Kenya on Monday, finished third in last month’s Mountain Gorilla which was won by Cantanhede.

A close source to Rwanda’s rally governing body, RAC told Times Sport yesterday that it was time for Costa to weigh himself with Africa’s top drivers after a good domestic run.

"He has improved a great deal over the last couple of years. He is currently fifth on the national rally championship table.

"It’s very hard to say that he will win in Kenya but there is no doubt that he will benefit from the exposure,” the source stated.

Costa is one of twelve foreign drivers, who have confirmed their participation in the rally which has attracted 53 drivers.

Two-time African champion Muna Singh (Zambia) will lead the surge in Nairobi alongside Zimbabwe’s James Whyte and Japanese Hideaki Miyoshi. 

The trio is at the helm of the ARC charts with 16, 15 and 11 points respectively.

The event, which is considered by many as the world’s toughest rally was originally slated for March but was moved to June in the wake of post election skirmishes in Kenya.

Ends