All roads lead to Arusha as 50 drivers prepare for major rally

The October 23 race will feature title holder Dharam Pandya, who heads the Puma Energy team.

PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • The drivers from five clubs will compete in the sixth round of this year’s National Rally Championship, according to the chairman of the Rally organising committee, Robert Sander. Prominent drivers are expected to come from Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Morogoro.

Dar es Salaam. A total of 50 drivers have confirmed their participation in the much-awaited Maji Poa Guru Nanak Rally scheduled to take place in Arusha Region on October 23, this year.

The drivers from five clubs will compete in the sixth round of this year’s National Rally Championship, according to the chairman of the Rally organising committee, Robert Sander. Prominent drivers are expected to come from Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Morogoro.

Sander said the event would cover a distance of 146 kilometres in the famous northern zone region. The drivers is race through Arusha, Arumeru and Monduli districts along the main Great North Highway.

Some of the prominent drivers are Jamil Khan, who leads the ‘Siera Zulu’ team, Randeep Singh, who is the national first runner-up and current second runner up, Gurpal Sandhu.

Also in the race is incumbent title holder Dharam Pandya who heads the Puma Energy team. Pandya, who is the defending champions, is now ranked fourth after he suffered a puncture in the previous championship, which led him to losing crucial points.

But Pandya’s navigator, Manmeet Singh, said their target is to win the title and if they fail, they will have to at least finish among the top three.

“It is very tough to grab the top position because most of the country’s prominent drivers have already scored good points after we dropped points. But the battle is still on and we believe we will show our best,” said Singh. As far as Singh is concerned, Jamil Khan is at his best at the moment, and is followed by Randeep Singh. Gurpal Sandhu is the third and Dharam the fourth. “What happened to us can also happen to others, we are determined to win the race, and we are sure to make it,” he said. Pandya has also vowed to come back from his misfortune.