The experienced driver, who competes for the Linglong Rally Team with the backing of Linglong Tire, Admire oil, Admire lube said his runner-up finish has only strengthened his determination to fight for victory in the next championship event
Dar es Salaam. Renowned Tanzanian rally driver Tufail Tufail has vowed to return stronger in the next round of the Tanzania National Rally Championship (NRC) after finishing second at the recently concluded Rally of Kisarawe.
The experienced driver, who competes for the Linglong Rally Team with the backing of Linglong Tire, Admire oil, Admire lube said his runner-up finish has only strengthened his determination to fight for victory in the next championship event.
Tufail, who partnered with co-driver Zuber Kara, produced a solid performance throughout the demanding rally to secure second place in a Subaru Impreza GC8, earning another podium finish in one of the country's toughest motorsport competitions.
Despite narrowly missing out on the overall victory, Tufail remained upbeat, insisting that his focus is now firmly on climbing to the top step of the podium in the next NRC event.
"I have finished second in this race and managed to secure a podium finish. In the next event, I will be back on the podium, but this time I will be the number one winner," said Tufail.
He expressed confidence that his team has identified areas for improvement and will work hard to ensure they are fully prepared to challenge for victory when the championship resumes.
Tufail also paid tribute to his main sponsor, LingLong Tire, thanking the company for its unwavering support throughout the season.
"I would like to thank LingLong Tire, Admire oil, Admire lube for believing in me and supporting our team. Their contribution motivates us to keep pushing harder, and I promise we will not let them down," he said.
The Rally of Kisarawe proved to be one of the most competitive rounds of this year's National Rally Championship, attracting many of Tanzania's top rally drivers to battle across demanding stages that tested speed, precision, endurance and mechanical reliability.
Asas Rally Team's Manveer Birdi, navigated by Zubayr Piredina, emerged as the overall winner after completing the challenging stages in a combined time of 1:14:20.
Tufail and Kara followed in second place with a time of 1:19:12, while Walid Nahdi and co-driver Ally Hamoud completed the podium in third after recording 1:26:36.
The event also saw strong performances from Charles Bicco and David Matete, who finished fourth, while Harinder Deree and Victor Jackson rounded out the top five.
Several competitors, however, failed to finish after mechanical problems and other setbacks highlighted the demanding nature of the Kisarawe stages.
