BY SAMSON ATEKA
The 2012 African Rally Championship (ARC) champion Essa Mohammed of Zambia is among the top continental drivers coming for the KCB Safari Rally 2014 on September 12-14.
Others expected are Gary Chaynes of Ivory Coast and Giancarlo Davite of Rwanda. Essa will be driving a Subaru N16 navigated by Gareth Dawe of Zimbabwe.
Essa hopes to make up for the Safari jinx which saw him finish 7th overall at last year edition despite winning the ARC Class.
And like racing purists would put it, ‘being a champion is not by chance’- it comes with huge talent and grit, all combined with quite a bit of luck.
Having already taken some impressive scalps and tasting the joy of being an ARC champion Essa is back in the Safari to pursue what incidentally slipped through his grasps in the 2013 season when his compatriot Jassy Singh was crowned the youngest ever continental champion.
And having to meet face to face with the likes of legendary Sebatien Loeb at the 2012 FIA Awards Gala Ceremony, Essa is now determined to take back his crown and pick up with other world champions where they left it! But Gary Chaynes and Kenya’s Jassi Chatthe have already expressed their interest in showing him that it is no longer like the walk in the park!
Essa is no doubt the fastest driver amongst the drivers registered for the 2014 ARC series having already won the Sasol Rally of South Africa, Zambia International Motor Rally and most recently the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally. Chaynes a.k.a Le Petit Prince du Rallye Ivoirien (the Ivorian Rally Little Prince) is a 27- year old Abidjan based driver who is also entering the Safari for the first time.
Chaynes rose to fame in 2013 when he won the Ivory Coast National Rally Championship title with Romain Comas de Miranda.
Courtesy of the-star.co.ke