DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Jul 23 – After the success of the WRC Safari Rally, Rally Fever has crossed the border into Tanzania Ahead of the ARC ORYX Rally of Tanzania.
Kenya’s FIA Rising Stars jetted into Dar es Salaam armed with their M-Sport Fords ready for their second outing and the third round of the Africa Rally Championship. This comes a few months after the successful ARC Equator Rally in Kenya.
Kenya’s flag will be flown high by amongst others; Mc Rae Kimathi, Hamza Anwar and Jeremy Wahome.
The trio have expressed confidence ahead of the third round of the African Rally Championship that revs off on Friday going through to Sunday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Speaking to Capital Sport McRae Kimathi said “We have learnt a lot from our experience at the WRC Safari Rally especially when it comes to the car and handling it. At the moment I will be driving with a new co-driver.”
The trio who are sponsored by Safaricom and Kenya Airways will be making their debut in Tanzania and will be taking the “sibling rivalry” between them from talk to action.
Mc Rae says “The banter about who is better, faster and who is going to beat who is helping build the hunger to outdo each other. I can’t wait to get to the rally stages so the talking will stop and we can sort this once and for all.”
Wahome is equally excited as he gets the second chance to drive the M-Sport Ford competitively. “I am thrilled at this opportunity because it is my first time to take part in the African Rally Championships. It is a new challenge but from the experience I gathered at WRC Safari Rally last month, I am confident that I will perform well.”
Wahome and Anwar are 22, and while McRae Kimathi is 26 years Old.
They are some of the youngest drivers who featured in last month’s World Rally Championships (WRC) Safari Rally that made a comeback in Kenya after a 19-year absence.
Wahome finished in 16th position and Anwar in 25th while Kimathi retired at the final stage in Hells Gate due to a mechanical problem.
If history repeats itself and Hamza Anwar is able to replicate or better his performance at this African Rally Championships, it will be a fabulous outing considering the fact that he finished 5th during in the ARC Equator Rally held in April. McRae Kimathi finished in 8th driving a Subaru N12.
The ARC ORYX Rally of Tanzania has a star studded lineup that includes a number of Kenyan drivers including Safaricom Sponsored; Minti Sports Driver Carl Tundo, KCB sponsored Issa Amwari, Amref sponsored Karan Patel, Nikil Sachania, Josiah Kariuki and Aakif Virani.
The rally will also have South African Guy Botteril in his Toyota Etios, Yassin Nasser from Uganda, Dharma Pandya, Gurpal Sandhu, Altaaf Munge, Tufail Tufail all from Tanzania and many others.
In support of Kenya’s rally driver Tejveer Rai; the Minti Sport team have the #Tejstrong dotted all over the vehicle.
As of the final list published after scrutineering, 25 drivers have been confirmed to start from the earlier list of 34.
Conspicuously missing from the list include Kenya’s Akhif Virani and Josiah Kariuki, Ugandas Jas Mangat and Duncan Mubiru.
Kenya’s Ravi Chana will navigate Tanzani’s Manveer Birdi while Kenyas Riyaz Ismail will navigate Furjit Dhani.
Up for grabs are the coveted ARC points as all these drivers try attempt to dethrone three time reigning champion Manvir Baryan.
