Davite ready for Pearl Rally title challenge

ARC standing1. J. Mangat [Uga] 582. M. Essa [Zam] 503. J. Singh [Zam] 484. G. Davite [Rwa] 33Rwanda’s national rally champion Giancarlo Davite is bracing himself for the upcoming V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally due this weekend in Kampala.The event slated for August 16-17, is the sixth round of the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) and Davite, who is seeking to win his first African Rally Championship title, will be hoping to stage an outstanding performance to close the gap on the front-runners including Jas Mangat (Uganda) and Muhamed Essa (Zambia).Driving a Mistubish Evo X (Miss X), the Italy-born rally driver will be navigated by his regular co-driver Sylvia Vindevogel.After crashing out of the Kenya Safari rally last month, Davite has since worked on his ‘Miss X’ and he believes he has a good chance to win the Pearl Rally title this year after posting a third-place finish last year.Speaking to Times Sport on Saturday, Davite said, “I am looking forward to this year’s race with both enthusiasm and hope.”“I won’t give up (on the ARC title push) until it is mathematically impossible. The car is in top condition after our bad luck in the last race (the Kenyan Safari rally) and we are confident,” he added.There is a 25-point gap between Davite and the leader [Jas Mangat] but there are still 75 more points to be won in the remaining three rounds and the Rwandan driver believes he can close the gap, starting this weekend.Apart from Davite, other Rwandan drivers who have confirmed their participation in the upcoming rally include; Elefter Mitraros/Paolo Paganin and Christakis Fitidis/Eric Nzamwita, both of whom are competing in the Uganda National Rally Championship.The event has a total of 450km of which 235km is competitive start with a Super Special Stage (SSS) in Lubiri. Shell Uganda is the official sponsor.The foreign entry list:Carl Tundo (Kenya, EvoIX), Frank Tundo (Kenya, EvoIX), Ian Duncan (Kenya, Ford Capri), Peter Horsey (Kenya, Datsun Pickup), Mohammed Essa (Zambia, Subaru N16), Jassy Singh (Zambia, SubaruN12), Helen Shiri (Kenya, Subaru), Dennis Mwenda (Kenya, Sprinter GT)Others are; Samuel Nyori (Kenya, Toyota Vitz), Ben Muchemi (Kenya, Subaru), Minesh Rathod (Kenya, Subaru), Jaspreet Chatha (Kenya, EvoIX), Elfterios Mitraros (Rwanda, Subaru N10), Izhar Mirzi (Kenya, EvoIX).

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Davite ready for Pearl Rally title challenge