WHYTE BACK FOR SAFARI
 

ZIMBABWEAN oldies Jamie Whyte and Phil Archenoul return to Kenya with a purpose. Besides their burning ambition to lay hands on the 2009 FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) series title, the duo hope to mount a spirited fight towards their defense of the 2009 KCB East African Rally Challenge course.
Indeed, the Zim duo is also at pains to clinch a maiden KCB Safari Rally diadem -having taken some impressive scalps in Kampala and Dar es Salaam.

Jamie returns to Nairobi –this time- leading the FIA African Rally Championship (ARC) series with 10 points. This follows his win at the Kobil Rally of Tanzania in February. His closest challenger in the ARC series is the crack Ugandan, Emmanuel Katto, who hopes to banish the ghosts of KCB Safari Rally.

Katto was well on course for victory in Tanzania until punctures stymied his run. Katto teams up with Tanzania based co-driver Moses Matovu in a Subaru N12. The two face stiff opposition from Zambian Muna Singh. Muna, a two time ARC champion, was headed for great things at last season’s KCB East African Challenge but his dominance was put under test in Kampala when Whyte won the 2008 KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally contrary to all expectations. Whyte’s win belied proceedings of the fast and furious exchange between Riyaz Kurji and Katto prior to their exit.

Besides Muna , Zambia also has Mohamed Essa. Essa, who is a contender in the Pirelli star driver series teams up with Zimbabwean Dave Milner. The only ARC registered driver is Navraj Hans.

Tanzania also has the likes of Ahmed Huwel, Anwar Pandya, Pirelli Star Driver contender Randip Birdi and Salim Haji.

Rwanda has entered the likes of Oliver Costa and Giancarlo Davite who will be navigated Sylvia Vindevogel.

Kenyans- Baldev Chager, Carl Tundo, Alastair Cavenagh and defending champion, Lee Rose- are expected to dominate this event what with their fearless and flat-out attitude towards the sport.

The KCB East Africa Rally Challenge-introduced last year- is a series of three events starting with the KCB Safari Rally on April 3-5.

The second round of the Challenge is the KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally set to zoom off from Kampala May 1-3. The World Motor Sport Governing body,FIA, approved the inclusion of the 2009 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally as a reserve event for 2009 ARC calendar and the date has been changed to 17-19 September 2009. The KCB Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally wraps up the 2009 KCB East *African Rally Challenge tour.

2009 KCB East African Rally Challenge Calendar April 3-5 KCB Safari Rally Kenya (EAK)

May 1-3 KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally September 17-19: KCB Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally

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