At least 15 drivers have confirmed their participation at the forthcoming 2023 Huye Rally which gets underway from Friday, March 24 to Sunday, March 26 in Huye and Gisagara Districts, Southern Province. The rally, third racing event of the national Rally championship, is organized in honour of late Jean Claude Gakwaya who died in a motor accident in 1986. To date, he is still widely regarded as one of the best rally drivers that the country has ever produced. The race was last held in 2019 where Jean-Claude Gakwaya and Jean-Claude Mugabo emerged champions. “Huye Rally is back after three years, this year’s edition will be special as it will be played in three days,” said Eric Gakwaya, one of the organizers of the three-day weekend event. “Huye and Gisagara people will hopefully enjoy it, I encourage everyone to come over and watch what they’ve missed,” he added. The rally kicks off Friday, March 24, at 8:00pm with a qualification stage which will cover a distance of two kilometres. It will be raced in Huye town to decide how the drivers will lineup on Saturday. On the second day, drivers will compete in four stages before the fifth takes place at night. The first and second stages will be played in Gisagara at a distance of 40 kilometers, starting at 1:00 – 2:00pm. The third and fourth stages will cover 12 kilometers and will be played in Rugongwe starting at 10:00am while the night stage will be held twice starting at 8:00pm on the same itinerary. Four more stages will be contested for on Sunday, March 26, starting with two first stages from Save-Shyanda at 9:30 am at a distance of 10 kilometers. The third and fourth stages will start at 12:00pm and 1.00pm respectively and will cover a distance of 10 kilometers, but in the opposite direction, Shyanda-Save.
