Mohammed Essa Hoping For A Good Start In Kobil Rally Of Tanzania
By Ignatius Mazeko
TEAM Madison Racing driver, Mohammed Essa will be Zambia’s sole representative at the Kobil Rally of Tanzania to be held in the East Africa nation’s commercial capital Dar-es-Salaam from February 19-21.
Essa’s Team Madison Racing mate and 2008 Rally of Tanzania winner, Muna Singh is unable to take part in this FIA’s African Rally Championship (ARC) 2010 season opener because of financial constraints.
Dave Sihoka-navigated Singh, the 2004 and 2005 African champion, has for many years been a regular participant in both the Rally of Tanzania and the FIA-ARC series.
In fact, Singh is the most regular driver on the FIA’s ARC circuit among the current crop of drivers.
According to the Kobil Rally of Tanzania Provisional Entry List, Essa, who will be navigated by Zimbabwean Greg Stead in a Madison Subaru Impreza N11, is one of the 13 entrants in the 674.35-km Rally of Tanzania.
Among the notables on the Provisional Entry List are African champion and Kobil Rally of Tanzania 2009 winner Jamie Whyte of Zimbabwe, local driver Randeep Birdi and Carlo Tundo of Kenya.
Essa, the 2008 and 2009 Zambian champion, will be looking for his maiden finish in the Kobil Rally of Tanzania after an unsuccessful attempt last year when he damaged the gearbox on his Subaru shortly after it got stuck in the mud.
The rally has attracted 10 Group N and three Group S vehicles. ©ZMSA
Provisional Entry List
1. Randeep Birdi (Birdi Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo 7) – Tanzania
2. James Whyte (Jialing Motorsports Subaru N10) – Zimbabwe
3. Mohammed Essa (Team Madison Racing Subaru N11) – Zambia
4. Carl Tundo (Dalbit Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo 9) – Kenya
5. Giancarlo Davite (Subaru) – Rwanda
6. Don Smith (Fly 540 Team Subaru) – Kenya
7. Salim Haji (Haji Rally Team Mitsubishi Evo 7) – Kenya
8. Fitidis Christakis (Subaru) – Congo DR
9. Valery Bukera (Subaru) – Burundi
10. ALAIN DETHISE (Subaru) – Belgium
Group S/2WD
11. JAYANT SHAH (A To Z Team Nissan 260 Z) – Tanzania
12. LARRY HORN (Porsche 911) – Tanzania
13. JASPAL SINGH RUPRAL (Team Khalsa Datsun 160J) – Tanzania
