PSD Starts in Tanzania
The first FIA regional championship rally takes places in Tanzania, opening round of the African series and the first opportunity for under 27 year old driver to qualify for the six free drive Pirelli Star Driver awards in the 2010 world rally championship. Eight PSD eligible drivers have registered in this category, four from Kenyan, three from Tanzania and for the first time, one from Madagascar. Drivers this year will be selected according to various criteria, including the best special stage times when compared with their peers. All the registered PSD drivers in the ARC category this year have entered orthodox Group N cars even though the PSD winner from Africa last year drove a VW Polo Super 2000.

African Rally Championship
20-22.02 Rally of Tanzania (EAT)
03-05.04 KCB Safari Rally Kenya (EAK)
01-03.05 KCB Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally (EAU)
03-05.07 Zambia International Rally (Z)
28-30.08 Zimbabwe Challenge Rally (ZW)
17-19.09 Rwanda Mountian Gorilla Rally *
* rezerva ARC

Nick Thomas Appeals Pirelli Star Driver Decision
21 year old Cypriot driver Nick Thomas is to appeal the FIA for his right to the fifth and final Pirelli Star Driver award for the 2009 world championship season, which offers six free drives in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X on world rallies this year. Initially he was declared the Middle East championship category winner of the award, but shortly after the final round of the MERC in 2008, FIA officials declared that his rival (26 year old Nick Georgiou from Lebanon) would take the award instead. There had been considerable confusion during the 2008 season as to the criteria how the award would be decided. The appeal is to be held in Paris on Friday 27th February, a few days before training sessions for all the five winners are to start.

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Photo 1: Hideaki Miyoshi in ARC 2008
Photo 2: Thomas and Georgiou