Davite surges ahead in ARC ranking

Zambia Int’l Rally1. Mohammed Essa 3:08:352. Giancarlo Davite +6:473. Jas Mangat +11:184. Mukosa +29:325. Jassy Singh +35:056. Dani +49:087. Toofail +1:14:48ARC standingsDrivers1. G. Davite 33 points2. S. Jassy 30 3. M. Essa 25Navigators1. D. Sihoka 372. S. Vindevogel 363. G. Stead 25DETERMINED to surge ahead in the FIA-Africa Rally Championship (ARC), Rwanda national champion Giancarlo Davite and his co-driver Slyvia Vindevogel are in pole position after finishing second in the Puma Energy Zambia International Rally over the weekend.Davite finished second behind reigning African champion Mohammed Essa of Zambia, who won the rally in 3hours; 8minutes and 35seconds. Davite came six minutes and 47 seconds later ahead of Ugandan Jas Mangat, who settled for third.Davite’s second place finish pushed him to top position on the ARC rankings with 33 points, three ahead of second-placed Jass Singh of Zambia and eight minutes ahead of Essa.From the first day of the 488.70km rally, the Rwandan champion finished in second position, with a slim difference in time behind Essa.In the Super Special Stage held on Friday, Davite came four seconds behind Essa while on Saturday, Davite maintained second place with a four minute cushion on Mangat on a grueling day when Penyaonse stage 10 (21.72km) was cancelled because of severe sand storms.In general, six crews, among them, Jamie Whyte and his navigator Philip Archenoul, pulled out from the rally after encountering mechanical problems.Noel Masadza (turbo), Farook Ticklay (electrical), Azim Ticklay (radiator), Muna Singh jr (ball joints) and Walter Wasamunu (engine) are the other drivers, who didn’t finish the three-day rally.Drivers now turn focus to the fourth round of the African Rally Championship scheduled to be held in Tanzania from June 14-16.

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Davite surges ahead in ARC ranking