By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE –
MUNA Singh Junior won the 2015 Samfuel national rally to take over sole leadership of the drivers log after opening up a seven-point lead over his elder brother Jassy to brighten his chances of claiming the title.
The seventh national rally that revved off in Ndola on Saturday, attracted 23 drivers but it was A-class driver Muna Junior, navigated by Adrian Sutherland, who outsmarted his opponents from the onset of the rally in Ndola on his way to finishing first.
Muna Junior was in an uncompromising mood claiming pole position on the first day at Ndola Motor Cross before wrapping up the rally in style with an impressive one hour 13 minutes and 30 seconds in the tough terrain of Mindolo Dam in Kitwe on Sunday.
The teenage driver, who walked away with a K4,000 prize, courtesy of Gomes Haulage, is now top of the leader board with 125 points, seven ahead of reigning champion Jassy, who dropped into second place.
Jassy started the race on a sluggish note, trailing in third position on Day One behind Muna junior and Zubair Essa, but upped his game in Kitwe to finish second in the final classification with one hour 13 minutes and 46 seconds.
Essa claimed third position after timing an hour 19 minutes and four seconds but remained seventh on the drivers’ chart with 58 points as Vyon Pinto moved two places up into third position on the leader board after finishing fourth.
Pinto, who timed one hour 19 minutes and 10 seconds, moved to 78 points, relegating Leroy Gomes, who missed out on the top 10 into fourth place with 75 points.
Chibula Kapala, Chimanga Biyela and Kumaren Naidu finished fifth, sixth and seventh after clocking 1:20: 11, 1:20:55 and 1:24:07 hours, respectively.
Veteran driver Azim Ticklay provided a spectacle in his Toyota Landcruiser during the rally but could only manage to finish in ninth place with the time of one hour 32 minutes 13 seconds behind Mohammed Hassan, who timed one hour 26 minutes 53 seconds.
Closing the top 10 was Mayure Patel, who finished with the time of one hour 37 minutes 17 seconds.
