FIA have appointed Zambian Herminder Bhandhair as an observer

The African Rally Championship (ARC) Tanzania leg that flags off in Dar es Salaam from June 14, has secured new sponsorship deal with Oryx Oil Company, the Automobile Association of Tanzania’s chief executive officer Yusuf Ghor confirmed yesterday.

Sanctioned by Federation International de Automobile (FIA) the ARC 2014 is the fourth event in the unfolding season and expect to draw competitors from all over the continent according to organisers.

The event will start and finish at the TAZARA Railway station alongside Nyerere Road. This is a two-day event covering 350 kilometres within Dar es Salaam and Coast Region areas.

Besides title sponsors Oryx that carries the name of the event, other associate sponsors   joining the fray include CMC Automobiles Ltd, NIC, Hari Singh & Sons, Knight Support, KTM/Polaris, D.B Shapriya & Co Ltd, TAZARA, Fleet Track and veteran rally driver Jayant Shah.

FIA have appointed Zambian Herminder Bhandhair as an observer, Willie Du Plessis from South Africa as chairman of stewards, David Bitalo from Uganda as steward and Viren Goricha as technical delegate.

The route is being planned by the rally event director Satinder Singh Birdi and his team which will be revealed shortly.

The AAT president Nizar Jivani has urged more sponsors to join in and has thanked all others who have given their support in promoting motorsports.

The ARC series has a total of eight rounds and Tanzania is the fourth after three rounds were held in Ivory Coast, South Africa and Zambia. After the event in Dares Salaam, the series will attain a half way stage with other competitions to be held in  Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Madagascar.

Competing rally drivers are expected all the way from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Madagascar, South Africa and Ivory Coast to fight for  the Continental championship and majority of domestic-based Tanzania drivers will also participate.

The ARC will serve as a championship for not only continental title but also as stage for domestic drivers to earn points in the race towards national motor rally title.

During the previous event staged in Dar es Salaam, Ugandan Jas Mangat cruised to victory beating Zambian Jas Singh to the second place as domestic-based Gerald Miller topped the home participants to collect maximum points that boosted his tally to win national championship title at the end of the season.