ZAMBIAN rally ace, Muna Singh, has started the 2008 African Rally Challenge (ARC) with a resounding victory in the Alliance/Kobil/KCB rally of Tanzania at the weekend.
Muna and his co-driver, David Sihoka, in their Subaru Imprezza led from start to finish in the two-day rally to win the race and haul 10 points apiece after round one of the ARC Tanzania rally whose scrutineering was done on Friday.
According to the International Automobile Federation (FIA) African rally championship website, all top cars had passed scrutineering except for Japanese duo, Hideaki Miyoshi and Hakaru Ichino whose Mitsubishi car was still stuck at Mombasa port at the start of scrutineering.
Sihoka was voted the best navigator for the year 2007 and received an award at the FIA motor sports Awards in Monaco, France last December.
Muna said from Tanzania that he and Sihoka had a blessed day on the first day of the rally where the pair led the rally with two minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Ugandan Jas Mangat.
Mangat and Kenyan, Kashif Sheikh, held onto second place also in a Subaru Impreza and finished the race with eight points.
The third place changed in a very exciting finish with female driver Lola Verlaque and her co-driver and sister, Megan Verlaque, from South Africa finishing in third position after trailing seventh on the first day of the rally for six points.
Zimbabwe’s Jamie Whyte and navigator Phil Archenoul who were fifth in the first leg managed to finish the rally a position better at fourth position with fifth points.
According to the website, Muna and Sihoka were leading the rally after Stage five by five minutes 30 seconds from Mangat and Sheikh.
Ugandan Emmanuel Katto and Moses Matovu were in third place but fell way below the first six at the end of the rally.
The next ARC rally will take place in Kenya from March 21 to 23, 2008.
Position Standing points:
1 Muna 10
2 Mangat 8
3 Lola 6
4 Whyte 5
6 Miyoshi 3
Co-Drivers standings
1 Sihoka 10
2 Megan 8
3 Archenoul 6
4 Ichino 5
[Times of Zambia]
Good job muna and sihoka. Keep it up and good luck in the next rally.
go muna, u have never disappointed us like chipolopolo, i actually wish the government could be sponsoring rally
Congrats Muna.we are proud of you mudala even if you haven’t been honoured.
Yep! congrats Muna, try make good use of the money you win like helping the poor, building schools etc… We need people like you to put zambian on the map.
“One zambia, One nation”
I’m proud of you son. Help Rammy regain his status.
ya thats true
do good for others u get good for you just remember that !!!