Mohammed Essa 'Finally' Settles For Zimbabwean Navigator Greg Stead
 
By Ignatius Mazeko
 
ZAMBIAN rally champion, Mohammed Essa of Team Madison Racing has secured the services of highly rated 26-year-old Zimbabwean navigator, Greg Stead for the future assignments, starting this season.
 
The 24-year-old Essa, who is on course to retain the national title as the Zambia Motor Sports Association (ZMSA) motor rallying season comes a close next weekend in Chisamba, unveiled the development in an interview in Lusaka on Tuesday.
 
Stead, the second born of Zimbabwean rally official Ralph, replaces veteran Zambian navigator, Ajit Naik whose involvement in calling notes has been limited because of work commitments.
 
Essa and Stead paired for the first time last weekend in the Tom Savory Memorial Rally in Monze where they fashioned out a second position finish overall, one minute 10 seconds behind African champions, Jamie Whyte and Philip Archenoul.
 
“He is the one I will use in all the remaining rallies this year - be it national or international, and also I think for years to come. He is a very good navigator and I am sure together we will win a number of local and international titles,” Essa said.
 
Stead recorded his maiden rally success in August when he guided compatriot teenage driver, Chase Attwell to scoop the Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge, the final tier of this season’s FIA African Rally Championship (ARC).
 
This is the Zimbabwean’s first appearance on the international scene having navigated a couple of compatriots in the Sables Motor Club-organised local championship that draws well over 10 crews.  
 
Essa on the other hand has improved tremendously having started rally only at the start of the 2006 season and already his opponents that include Team Madison Racing mate Muna Singh have tipped him to be a major contender for next year’s African title.
 

Coincidently, Essa and Stead are lying second in the annual Zim-Zam Challenge behind Whyte and Archenoul who have an eight-point lead going into the final two rounds of the six-event championship. ©ZMSA