Three of the five foreign drivers who entered this year’s Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally arrived in Harare on Monday, well ahead of the start of the big motor racing competition scheduled for Friday.

Rwandese champion Giancarlo Davite, crack Ugandan motor rally driver Jas Mangat and Pieter Pilusa of South Africa came in on Monday and they were expected to be joined late last night by Zambia’s Mohammed Essa.

Lisa Upton, the rally’s secretary, yesterday confirmed the arrival of Davite, Mangat and Pilusa ahead of last night’s documentation by foreign teams.

But Kenya’s Don Smith had not yet arrived from the East African country by late yesterday afternoon while there were major doubts over the participation of South Africa-based Zimbabwean driver Robson Maganezi in this weekend’s race.

According to an official of the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation, Temba Mazvimbakupa, Maganezi indicated to him yesterday that he was having problems with his Subaru Impreza and was still holed up in South Africa.

“Robson Maganezi has just phoned me and he indicated to me that he was somewhere in Nelspruit, South Africa, and his car has developed a gearbox problem.

“And judging from the way he was speaking, I think he was not quite sure on whether he was going to arrive in time for the start of the event on Friday afternoon.

“So, we just have to wait until the final scrutineering of the competing cars on Thursday afternoon and that is when we can find out whether he has pulled out of the event or not,” Mazvimbakupa said.