# 2017 African Rally Championship

The 2017 African Rally Championship was the 37th season of the African Rally Championship (ARC), the FIA regional zone rally championship for the African continent. The season began on February 10, 2017 in the Côte d'Ivoire, and ended on October 22, 2017 in Zambia, after seven events.
The championship was won for the first time by Skoda Fabia driver Manvir Singh Baryan. Baryan won four of the seven rallies in the championship, winning in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia after the first three rallies of the season were won by drivers not contesting the championship. Baryan won the title by 35 points over Mitsubishi Lancer driver Leeroy Gomes. Gomes' best performance was a second place points finish at the York Rally in South Africa which was dominated by non-point scoring local drivers. Baryan's victory was the first time a Skoda driver has won the ARC and the first new manufacturer to claim the drivers title since Subaru driver Satwant Singh won in 1996.

## Event calendar and results

The 2017 African Rally Championship was as follows:
| Round | Rally name | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Podium finishers | Statistics | Statistics | Statistics | Statistics |
| Round | Rally name | Rank | Driver | Car | Time | Stages | Length | Starters | Finishers |
| 1 | Rallye Bandama - Côte d'Ivoire (10–12 February) | 1 | Moriféré Soumaoro | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 2:32:01.6 | 12 | 248.22 km | 30 | 8 |
| 1 | Rallye Bandama - Côte d'Ivoire (10–12 February) | 2 | Maxime Abondio | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | 2:40:49.1 | 12 | 248.22 km | 30 | 8 |
| 1 | Rallye Bandama - Côte d'Ivoire (10–12 February) | 3 | Loïc Malherbe | Subaru Impreza STi | 2:48:10.8 | 12 | 248.22 km | 30 | 8 |
| 2 | Safari Rally (17–18 March) | 1 | Tapio Laukkanen | Subaru Impreza WRX STi R4 | 1:54:12 | 9 | 201.54 km | 45 | 30 |
| 2 | Safari Rally (17–18 March) | 2 | Ian Duncan | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 1:54:34 | 9 | 201.54 km | 45 | 30 |
| 2 | Safari Rally (17–18 March) | 3 | Carl Tundo | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 1:56:18 | 9 | 201.54 km | 45 | 30 |
| 3 | York Rally (21–22 April) | 1 | Japie Van Niekerk | Ford Fiesta S2000 | 2:24:50.3 | 14 | 205.27 km | 25 | 15 |
| 3 | York Rally (21–22 April) | 2 | Guy Botterill | Toyota Etios R2 | 2:31:32.2 | 14 | 205.27 km | 25 | 15 |
| 3 | York Rally (21–22 April) | 3 | AC Potgieter | Volkswagen Polo R2 | 2:35:38.4 | 14 | 205.27 km | 25 | 15 |
| 4 | V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally (30 June–2 July) | 1 | Manvir Singh Baryan | Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:09:13 | 11 | 231.75 km | 51 | 20 |
| 4 | V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally (30 June–2 July) | 2 | Christakis Fitidis | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 2:19:04 | 11 | 231.75 km | 51 | 20 |
| 4 | V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally (30 June–2 July) | 3 | Giancarlo Davite | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 2:19:51 | 11 | 231.75 km | 51 | 20 |
| 5 | Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania (4–6 August) | 1 | Manvir Singh Baryan | Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:21:35 | 8 | 280.34 km | 26 | 13 |
| 5 | Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania (4–6 August) | 2 | Ahmed Huwel | Ford Fiesta Proto | 2:27:52 | 8 | 280.34 km | 26 | 13 |
| 5 | Oryx Energies Rally of Tanzania (4–6 August) | 3 | Harinder Singh Deere | Subaru Impreza STi N12 | 2:32:49 | 8 | 280.34 km | 26 | 13 |
| 6 | Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally (8–9 September) | 1 | Manvir Singh Baryan | Škoda Fabia R5 | 1:55:10 | 14 | 203.95 km | 16 | 9 |
| 6 | Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally (8–9 September) | 2 | Giancarlo Davite | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | 2:00:07 | 14 | 203.95 km | 16 | 9 |
| 6 | Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally (8–9 September) | 3 | Valery Bukera | Subaru Impreza STi N12 | 2:00:21 | 14 | 203.95 km | 16 | 9 |
| 7 | Gomes Pembe Zambia International Rally (21–22 October) | 1 | Manvir Singh Baryan | Škoda Fabia R5 | 2:08:12 | 10 | 183.80 km | | 12 |
| 7 | Gomes Pembe Zambia International Rally (21–22 October) | 2 | Muna Singh, Jr. | Subaru Impreza STi R4 | 2:11:27 | 10 | 183.80 km | | 12 |
| 7 | Gomes Pembe Zambia International Rally (21–22 October) | 3 | Muna Singh | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | 2:15:21 | 10 | 183.80 km | | 12 |

## Championship standings

The 2017 African Rally Championship points are as follows:
| Pos. | Driver | Vehicle | BAN | SAF | YOR | PoA | TAN | RMG | ZAM | Total |
| 1 | Manvir Singh Baryan | Škoda Fabia R5 | | 3 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 115 |
| 2 | Leeroy Gomes | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | Ret | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 80 |
| 3 | Christakis Fitidis | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X | | 12 | | 2 | 2 | | 4 | 48 |
| 4 | Kleevan Gomes | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX | | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | Ret | Ret | 38 |
Key :
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Black | Excluded (EX) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Withdrew entry from the event (WD) |