Defending African Rally Champions Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba have said they are going to Tanzania just to have fun as the 2026 African Rally Championship (ARC) comes to a close in Morogoro.
Nasser’s crew won last year’s African title by a single point ahead of Kenya’s Samman Vohra after picking up a vital bonus point in the Power Stage.
“We are just out to have fun and drive for our sponsor, Moil Tanzania,” Nasser said before flying out to Tanzania on Monday.
Kenya’s Karan Patel, who won last year’s final round, is chasing another continental title.
PATEL IN COMMAND
Patel now leads the championship with 118 points, 33 points clear of fellow Kenyan Aakif Virani, after collecting maximum points in the season opener at the WRC Safari Rally (ARC category) and backing it up with strong performances at the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally and the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally.
NTAMBI AND MUWONGE CHASE ARC2 HONOURS
The battle for honours in the ARC2 category is likely to be a Ugandan affair. Debutants Oscar Ntambi and Suzan Muwonge, who impressed during the third round in Rwanda, are targeting podium finishes.
Ntambi currently leads the ARC2 standings with 69 points, followed by Rwanda’s Christian Kanangire on 62 points, while Muwonge sits on 21 points.
Muwonge will be making her debut in Tanzania, a country with mixed memories for Ugandan motorsport. In 2011, Ponsiano Lwakataka retired in Tanzania while fighting for the Uganda National Rally Championship, only for the title battle to be settled back home in Mukono, where Muwonge eventually won the championship.
“We are definitely targeting an ARC2 podium in Tanzania,” said Musa Nsubuga, who will co-drive Muwonge in Morogoro.
HUWEL VS BIRDI FOR NATIONAL CROWN
At the national level, Tanzanians Ahmed Huwel and Manveer Birdi are locked in a tight fight for the Tanzania National Rally Championship.
Birdi, who is tied with Huwel’s teammate Waleed Nahdi on 70 points, leads Huwel by seven points heading into the final round in Arusha.
“Points in the ARC are doubled, so it matters a lot. We need to finish seven points ahead of Birdi,” explained Huwel’s co-driver Rahim Suleiman.
RALLY ITINERARY
The final ARC round will start with the 2.5km Mkwawa Qualifying Stage on Friday, October 2.
On Saturday, crews will tackle Ruaha (13.35km) and Serengeti (16.25km) three times each, before Mkwawa returns as the Super Special Stage to close the day. The day’s competitive distance is 91.2km.
On Sunday, crews will face Kilimanjaro (22.36km), the longest stage of the rally, and Ngorongoro (9.5km), with both stages repeated twice. The final run through Ngorongoro will serve as the Power Stage.
