Mt. Gorilla Rally preps gain momentum

After Round 4 - Oryx Tanzania Rally Position Drivers Pts Gary Chaynes (Civ) 58 Jaspreet Chatthe (Ken) 58 Mohamed Essa (Zam) 50 Giancarlo Davite (Rwa) 27 Morifere Soumoro (Civ) 18 Abdu Sempebwa (Uga) 18 PREPARATIONS for the 2014 Mountain Gorilla rally have reached a promising stage according to the event’s Manager Yves Kagina. The Mt. Gorilla Rally, which is the fifth round of the Africa Rally Championship is scheduled to be held in Rwanda from July 18-20. Speaking to Times Sport yesterday, Kagina said everything is going as planned. He said the competition routes will be known after finalising negotiations with prospective sponsors. “Our budget stands at $50,000 (Rwf 34.5m) and we are doing everything to raise the needed international requirements for the rally,” Kagina said. Registration is ongoing and according to the organisers, over 20 drivers are expected since the battle for the Africa Rally Championship crown is still open. “We are expecting drivers from Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda,” added Kagina. Kenyan Jaspreet Chatthe won the fourth round of the continental championship to blow the title chase open after Cote d’Ivoire’s Gary Chanyes and Zambia’s Mohammed Essa failed to garner any points in the Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania last month. Chaynes and Chatthe are joint-top of the standings going into Mt. Gorilla Rally with 58 points each. Essa who crashed out of the Tanzania rally is placed third with 50 points while Rwandan Giancarlo Davite who was suspended also in Tanzania rally for receiving outside assistance is fourth with 27 points with the duo of Morifere from Ivory Coast and Ugandan Abdu Sempebwa sitting bottom of the standings with 18 points each. Continental drivers expected for Mountain Gorilla rally include defending champion Davite, Mohammed Essa (Zambia), Abdu Sempebwa (Uganda), Jaspreet Singh Chatthe (Kenya), Shafik Ssemuju (Uganda), Manvir Singh Baryan (Kenya), Asad Anwar (Kenya), Charles Muhangi (Uganda), Gary Chaynes (Ivory Coast), Morifere Soumaoro, Kenneth Musoka (Zambia) and Jas Mangat (Uganda). Local drivers who will be vying for national rally championship points include; Claude Kwizera, Burundian Abbas Mohammed, Ange Cyatangabo, Johhny Murengezi, Mayaka Felekani, Claude Gakwaya, Genesse Semana and Janvier Mutuga among others.

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Mt. Gorilla Rally preps gain momentum