Africa-Press – Tanzania. USAMBARA Motor Sports Club of Tanga has unveiled the routes for the first round of the National Rally Championship heads for a flag off on May 22nd in Tanga.
The club’s chairman, Hussein Moor told the africa-press on phone from Tanga yesterday that they have introduced new but shorter sections to enable spectators enjoy all spectacular actions from the drivers.
He said the main action will be at Pongwe, an area about 10 kilometres west of Tanga municipality as the main section of the drivers’ spectacular actions mostly involving Subaru Imprezas and Mitsubishi Evos.
He said there are over 120 kilometrers of the competition section in the event that also serves as the season opener. The first section, according to Moor, will start at Muheza Mkumbi and climax at Pongwe town covering about 31 kilometres.
The second section, according to him will see cars starting at Pongwe Korea and return to Pongwe town after covering 9 kilometres Thirty drivers and navigators have so far listed for Tanga Rally, the season opening event on May 22 this year.
As revealed yesterday by the club’s chairman, Moor the drivers who have already confirmed come from Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Tanga while other drivers from Morogoro and Iringa are expected to confirm later.
Usambara Motorsports Club is the new club formed three years ago and this will be their first national level event. The rally also serves as the 2021 season’s opening event and according to Moor it will be an exciting event whose routes visit historic sites and panoramic sites of Tanga.
“Everything is in place and we have already received entries from four clubs in Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Tanga,” he said. Muheza-based driver Saidi Bahoza, who retired from motorsports, has announced a comeback and is among the contenders of the event’s diadem.
Moor named other topclassed entries as Gurpal Sandhu from Arusha who drives Mitsubishi Evo 10, Randeep Birdi from Dar es Salaam in Mitsubishi Evo 9. Dharam Pandya, one of the country’s prominent drivers will miss the opener, according to Moor.
Moor said like in the past the season opener will remain a two-horse battle that frequently pits Subaru Imprezas against Mitsubishi Evos. Usambara club began operation two years ago when by staging the Club Rally Championship (CRC).
Manver Birdi who was navigated by Zubayr Peredina won the rally after clocking the fastest time of 46:42. Tanga’s Ally Asger Fazal who was navigated by Ally Hamoud finished second in 56:09.
