Zambia: Champ Muna Out of Sunday Rally

15 July 2011

ZAMBIAN champion Muna Singh has been ruled out of this Sunday’s third round national rally championship set for Fringilla in Chisamba area due to a technicality with his Madison Subaru Impreza.

The engine of Muna’s Madison Subaru Impreza N10 is still in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania where he had taken it for repairs after it ceased during the recent Zambia International Rally.

Muna’s absence from the rally leaves his Team Madison mate Mohammed Essa as favourite to win his second successive national rally after he emerged a respectable third during the Zambia International Rally behind Zimbabweans Conrad Rautenbach and Jamie Whyte who were first and second positioned respectively.

Essa is still working on his Madison Subaru N11 in readiness for the 125.84 km-race set to attract notable drivers like veterans Geoffrey Chulu, Ken Mukosa, Azim Ticklay, Ashish Patel and Paul Monge.

Other drivers worth mentioning are Muna’s son Jassy, his son Imran Ticklay, Dani Beaini and Salim Mohammed.

Muna, who is yet to score national championship points this season said in an interview yesterday he was, however, hopeful that the engine would be back in Zambia before the fourth round.

“My car is not yet ready…the engine is still being worked on but as soon as it is ready and back, we will definitely enter some national rallies just to keep in shape,” Muna said.

Essa said Muna’s absence was a blessing in disguise but he was quick to state that his participation was dependant on a successful test drive.

“I am testing the car right now. I will let you know how the car is when I am done with testing,” Essa said.

Zambia Motor Sport Association (ZMSA) vice-president, Sam Ching’ambu said all was set for the rally that was deferred from June 26 because of the national mourning declared in honour of second president of the Republic of Zambia Frederick Chiluba who was put to rest on June 27.

“We are finalising everything this evening (last evening). Depending on what will be agreed, we may have a super special stage on Saturday around 16:00 hours at the Lusaka Motor Club in the Showgrounds,” Ching’ambu said.

The rally will feature seven competitive stage totalling 88.86 km on and around Chaloshi, GM, Kamilonga, Westgate and Morning Side (MSF) farm areas, while 36.98 km will be liaison.

Westgate which will be run as stage two and seven is the longest stage at 16.78 km with MSF featuring stages one and six the shortest 9.50 km.

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