Giancarlo embarks on ARC Challenge

CONFIDENT:With enough preparations he believes he will do betterRWANDA’s rally driver Giancarlo Davite is in Harare in search for continental glory when the 50th edition of the Toyota Challenge Rally revs off on Friday, kick-starting the eight-legged 2012 FIA African Rally Championships Series.Davite, who left for Harare yesterday, told Times Sport that he hopes to have a bright start to his Africa Rally Championship campaign.“I am ready and well set for the rally. I am confident to snatch victory because I have had enough preparations,” added Davite.The Toyota challenge rally will be mainly composed of Zimbabwe born drivers as they dominate the entry list. There are 13 Zimbabwe drivers and four foreign drivers coming from Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda.Leading the Zimbabwean charge are former champions Jamie Whyte and Chase Attwell, who won the event in 2009 and 2010, respectively.Attwell, who will be co-driven by Miles Skinner in a Toyota Auris S2000, was only 19 when he romped to victory in 2009 before two-time African champion, Whyte followed up with a win in 2010.Conrad Rautenbach notched up his fourth Zimbabwe Challenge, last year, to complete a hat-trick of wins by local drivers. The two-time African champion will, however, not be there to defend his title, this year, after taking a one-year sabbatical from motor rallying.South Africa’s Schalk Burger (Jnr), Giancarlo Davite and the Zambian duo of Muna Singh and Mohammed Essa were the only foreign drivers who took part in last year’s event which was won by Zimbabwe’s motor rallying hotshot Conrad Rautenbach.Giancarlo came third in Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally behind Zimbabwean James Whyte who finished in second spot.Apart from Giancarlo and his trusted female co-pilot Sylvia Vindevogel, Kenya’s Don Smith and his navigator Sony Smith, Zambia’s Mohammed Essa, who will be having Greg Stead as his navigator, and Uganda’s Jas Mangat, are among other foreign drivers that will grace the rally.2012 Toyota Zim Challenge Rally Provisional Entry List1. Robson Maganezi (Zim)/Dannie Stassen (SA (N4 Subaru Impreza)2. Jas Mangat/Gihan de Silva (Uganda) (N4 Subaru)3. Pieter Pilusa (SA)/George Chitepo (Zim) (S Nissan 140 GX)4. Jess Watson/Sasha Watson (Zim) (N4 Mitsubishi Lancer)5. Mohammed Essa/Greg Stead (Zambia) (N4 Subaru)6. Craig Green/Mike Exton (Zim (N4 Mitsubishi Evo 8)7. Michelle Yorke/Stephen Murton (Zim) ( Mitsubishi Evo 4)8. Giancarlo Davite/Sylvia Vindevogel (Rwanda) (N4 Subaru Impreza)9. Tyrone Carr/Matthew Murrell (Zim) (N2 Toyota Corolla)10. Chase Attwell/Miles Skinner (Zim) (S2000 Toyota Auris)11. Jamie Whyte/Gareth Dawe (Zim) (N4 Subaru Impreza)12. Don Smith/Sony Smith (Kenya) (N4 Subaru Impreza)13. Rowan Whyte/Craig Archenoul (Zim) (S Subaru WRX)14. Richard Robinson/Colin Schreiber (Zimbabwe) (N4 Mitsubishi Evo 8)15. Big “Bigs” Chitima/Amos Chamunokara (Zimbabwe) (N4 Subaru Impreza)16. Laureen Marufu (Zimbabwe) (N3 Toyota RunX)17. Ronald Parsell/Bronwyn Ebrahim (Zim) (N4 Mitsubishi Evo 6)

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Giancarlo embarks on ARC Challenge