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South Africa, Kenya drivers set for ARC event in Tanzania

South Africa, Kenya drivers set for ARC event in Tanzania

By  MAJUTO OMARY

What you need to know:


  • The rally - which is the fifth on the current calendar of the Tanzania National Rally Championship - will cover 230 kilometres

Dar es Salaam. Drivers from South Africa and Kenya will feature in the third round of Fia’s 2021 African Rally Championship scheduled to take place at the Ubena Highland Estates in Tanzania’s Coast Region from July 23 to 25 this year.

The rally - the fifth event on the Tanzania National Rally Championship calendar - will cover 230 kilometres, says directors of rallies at the Automobile Association of Tanzania (AAT), Satinder Birdi.

Birdi says they had a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 2021 World Rally Championship which was held last weekend - and at which the South African motor-sport governing body and its Kenyan counterpart confirmed they would send competitors to the event, which is sponsored by Oryx Energies.

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However, the number of drivers to come and compete in Tanzania f would be known in due course.

“We met in Nairobi during the Kenya Safari Rally - the 6th round of the 2021 World Rally Championship - at which we discussed many development issues on motor sports. In the event, we managed to get official confirmation from South Africa and Kenya on their coming to Tanzania.

“We will give details of the competition as we go along with the preparations. It will be a great opportunity for us to host this championship. It will be a two-day event,” said Birdi.

He also said that competitors from Uganda and Zambia were also expected to compete in the event. However, they have opted out because of Covid-19 lockdowns and related restrictions. “We expect to have a successful event due to the fact that many prominent drivers in the continent are expected to compete in the championship. I call on Tanzanian drivers to start preparing for the event,” he said. ARC is an international automobile rally championship run under the auspices of the international federation of motor sports, Fia. The championship was first held in 1981 - and ws won by Shekhar Mehta. The most successful driver in the championship’s history is the Zambian Satwant Singh, who won eight championships. The reigning champion is the Kenyan driver Manvir Baryan.

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