Zim pull out of ARC series

This comes after members of the local motorsport family, at their meeting recently held in Harare, voiced their concern over the way the competition was being run.
They also felt that the continent’s top motor rallying event “is in a mess”.
According to sources at the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation, Zimbabwe’s participation in the ARC series was discussed during last week’s meeting at Sables

Motorsport Club in Harare and the majority of the local motor rally competitors agreed that the country should pull out of the continental event.
The Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally has over the past two years been acting as the opening round of the eight-event FIA ARC series.
“In fact, the state of the ARC series was discussed during our recent meeting in Harare and most of the local competitors were of the opinion that the competition was in a mess.

“For example, there were only two real contenders in last year’s series and there were only three for this year who included Rwanda’s Giancarlo Davite who is possibly not carrying on after he failed to last the distance during the Kenya Safari Rally.
“And they (the local motor rally competitors) felt that not much was being done to promote this event or bring more continental drivers to compete in the whole ARC series thus the decision (of Zimbabwe) to pull out of the event, starting from next year,” said a source, who asked not to be named.

He also said that one of the local motorsport officials suggested that “our rally guys must come up with a plan on where they want to go and if the ARC is going to be part of their plan in the future.

“If it is, they need to come up with some ideas or suggestions on what to change for the ARC in the future”.
Phil Archenoul, one of the country’s top motor rally officials, yesterday confirmed that they have decided to withdraw the Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally from the ARC series next year.

“Basically this decision had to do with the economics of running the sport and it includes finances because motor rally is a very expensive sport and is struggling attract some good sponsors.
“The Zimbabwe Challenge Rally has also been failing to attract some foreign drivers. In fact, foreign entries have been very few for this event and I also think that they (the foreign drivers) are also battling to raise their own resources to come down here to take part in this event.

“So, it’s true that the Zimbabwe Challenge Rally will not be part of the ARC series next year and hopefully it’s just for one year,” said Archenoul, who is a two-time ARC Co-drivers champion.
Zimbabwe are now expected to officially pull out of the ARC series during the next FIA Confederation of African Countries in Motorsport (CACMS) meeting later this year.

In fact, Archenoul said the world motorsport governing body, FIA, were looking at changing the rules of the ARC series.
“The ZMSF is still firmly a member of FIA, nothing has changed. But the FIA are looking at making a rule change for Africa and they are looking at allowing cars that are older to come back and compete in the competition and score points.

“This will see more drivers or competitors coming back into the sport as they will be allowed to race in their old cars which they would have used in motor rallying before they (the cars) were put off the road,” Archenoul said.

Zimbabwe are a member of the CACMS whose other members include fellow African countries such as DR Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

Of these countries, eight — South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Madagascar and Zimbabwe — have been hosting one round each of the eight-legged FIA ARC series in the past years.

In fact, the ZMSF have over the past years been throwing in the country’s premier motorsport event — the Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally — into the fray, with the competition coming in as one of the eight rounds of the annual FIA ARC series.