National rally champion Giancarlo Davite touched base in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday night ahead of the 61st edition of the Kenya Commercial Bank Safari Rally slated for this weekend.

Davite and his lady navigator Sylvia Vindevogel wanted to use Wednesday and Thursday to test their Mistubishi Evo X on the planned route before the rally starts on Friday.

The Italy-born driver is in third position in the Africa Rally Championship title race with 33 points, 15 points behind leader Jassy Singh from Zambia and just seven behind Ugandan Jas Mangat in second place.

The Rwandan international rally driver, who crashed out in the Tanzania rally last month, is determined to make up for the lost opportunity by getting a podium finish in the tough Kenya Safari rally.

Reigning Africa champion Mohammed Essa of Zambia is most unlikely to compete in Kenya having crashed his car in Tanzania.

After Kenya contenders for the continental title will head to Kampala for the Pearl of Africa Rally in August and then the Mountain Gorilla Rwanda Rally in September.

The FIA-ARC championship will wind up with the Madagascar International Rally in November.