Davite vows to rewrite history in Pearl Rally

RWANDA’S national rally champion Giancarlo Davite says he is ready to dethrone  Africa Rally Championship leader Jas Mangat in the VPower Pearl of Uganda rally which starts on Friday with a Super Special Stage at Lubiri in Kampala.

Thursday, August 15, 2013
Giancarlo Davite last finished on the podium in the Zambia Rally back in May. Times Sport / Courtesy.

RWANDA’S national rally champion Giancarlo Davite says he is ready to dethrone  Africa Rally Championship leader Jas Mangat in the VPower Pearl of Uganda rally which starts on Friday with a Super Special Stage at Lubiri in Kampala.Davite, who will be navigated by Slyvia Vindevogel is eying  a win of  the Africa Rally Championship title to re-write the history books. He currently sits in fourth position with 33 points, 25 points behind the top contender Mangat of Uganda.With 75 more points to be won in the remaining three rounds, the Rwandan driver believes he can close the gap, starting this weekend. He said before heading to Kampala on Wednesday that he is ready for the battle.Driving a Mistubishi Evo X, commonly known as Miss X, Davite says his target is to finish on the podium in the two-day rally following his bad luck when he crashed out of the KCB Kenya Safari Rally last month."We want to get a better place finish. I expect the rally to be very competitive because of the quality of the drivers, but we have worked on our vehicle. I am  ready to fight all the way, the most importat thing is to finish the rally,” stated Davite, who will be flagged off seventh.Mangat, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVOX, is hoping to win both the continental and the Uganda National Rally Championship (NRC) titles in the same year. He currently leads both races.His biggest challenger could be Zambia’s Muhamed Essa, who will be flagged off second in a Subaru Impreza N16.Ronald Ssebuguzi (EvoIX), Jassy Singh (Zambia, Subaru N10), Carl Tundo (Kenya, EVOIX), Arthur Blick Jnr (Subaru), Davite (Rwanda, EVOX), Christakis Fitidis (Subaru N12), Ponsiano Lwakataka (Subaru N8) and Frank Tundo (EVOIX) complete the top ten.Unlike in past when competitors battled for three days, after the super special stage, they will have only one day to fight for silverware.They will cover eight competitive sections in Zirobwe and return to Kampala for the ceremonial finish, and with just eight stages, competitors will virtually have no breather to take the foot off the pedal.