Ugandan driver wins Tanzania National Rally Championship

Dar es Salaam. Ugandan driver Yassin Nasser has won the Tanzania National Rally Championship (NRC), the Automobile Association of Tanzania (AAT) has revealed.

Nasser has collected 94 points from three events, according to the final report released by the director of rallies at the Automobile Association of Tanzania (AAT), Satinder Birdi.

The report shows that Nasser garnered 30 points in the Iringa Motorsport event before taking another 30 points from the Mount Usambara event and later scored 34 points from the just ended AAT event held in Iringa Region.

In the event Randeep Birdi was placed second with 84 points. Birdi collected 24 points in the Mount Usambara Motorsport event and later scored 60 points in the just ended AAT event. The third place went to Manveer Bird with 84 points and Gurpal Sandhu of Arusha was placed fourth with 72 points.

A driver who finished in top five is Kelvin Taylor who collected 43 points. Other drivers who scored points in the Tanzania rally event calendar are Vishal Patel, who collected 38 points, Sultan Chana (37 points), Bob Taylor (30 points), Charles Bicco (19 points) and Himid Mbatta of Iringa, who garnered 13 points.

Drivers who did not score a single point in the 2023 events are Mussa Mswaki, Shane Abbas Fazal, Yusuf Akida, Aliasger Fazal, Prince Nyerere, Ahmed Huwel and Issack Taylor.

Speaking with The Citizen recently, Sandhu, one of the drivers, who competed in the Africa Rally Championship (ARC), said they enjoyed the calendar that was thrilling and called upon sponsors to support drivers.

Sandhu said competing in a rally event requires support from sponsors, whom he urged to take part in the next year’s events.

“It is good that we competed in all events including the ARC in Tanzania. Basically, competing in the ARC is very expensive as you are required to compete in various countries. Lack of sponsors makes many drivers fail to compete internationally,” said Sandhu.