Kenyan driver, Jaspreet Chatthe is setting the pace in this year’s African Rally Championship (ARC) title race after the third round of the continental rally calendar.

The soft-spoken 2015 ARC champion leads the standing with 30 points after he finished tenth in the South Africa’s Sasol Rally last weekend.

His closest challenger is Zambia’s Leroy Gomes, navigated by Urshall Gomes, who has 26 points following his fourth place finish in South Africa.

South Africa’s Japie Van Niekerk, who dominated throughout as he recorded a two-fold victory (ARC and Sasol Rally), in his Ford Fiesta last weekend, is third on the ARC standings with 25 points, tied with Kenya’s Carlo Tundo.

Niekerk covered the 205.31 kilometre rally in 2hours, 24minutes and 24seconds to record his career best finish at home, to collect 25 maximum points.

Zambia’s Kleevan Gomes is fifth with 19 points, followed by Kenyan Multiple Racing Team driver Manvir Baryan (15 points) in the sixth place. Kleevan finished third over the weekend.

Burundi’s Valery Bukera and his navigator Nital Khetia, winners of the 2016 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally are placed 7th with 12 points; two points ahead of Zambia’s Muna Singh/Zunaid Khan.

Muna finished second overall last year behind Kenyan Don Smith.

Kenya’s Piero Cannobio/Thabith Khandwala lie in ninth spot with six points while Natasha Tundo, sister to Carlo Tundo, the only female driver competing in this year’s ARC series is in tenth position with 2 points.

Kenya has the biggest number of drivers in this year’s ARC with five, followed by Zambia with three, while Rwanda has one driver; Jean Claude Mugabo, who is yet to score any points.

He is expected to make his season bow in the next round; the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally scheduled for June 30-July 2 and Rally of Tanzania slated for August 4 -6.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw