The third round of the Madagascar Asphalt Hill Climb Championship took place on Sunday in Ambohibary Sambaina. Tovonen Jr remains unbeatable.
This was the first race held outside the capital. Young FMMSAM club driver Juan Rakotojohary, alias ‘Tovonen Jr’, continues his flawless run, confirming his dominance by securing his third consecutive victory in the Madagascar Asphalt Hill Climb Championship. Having already won the first three rounds on dirt and the first two on asphalt—held on the ‘Route des Œufs’ at Antanetibe Mahazaza and Imerinkasinina—the four-time national slalom and hill climb champion has added another success to his record. He triumphed during the third national round, organized on Sunday by the AS 110 club in Ambohibary Sambaina, about thirty kilometers from Antsirabe.
After finishing second in the timed trials, Juan Rakotojohary, driving a Renault Clio also used by his father during this round, clocked a scratch time of 1 min 22.15 s on his second run of the 1.7 km circuit, which featured four chicanes. He had already set the fastest time in the first climb at 1 min 22.33 s. Tovonen Jr secured the overall victory across all categories, as well as in the youth category, the M11 class, and the two-wheel-drive class. With victory assured, he did not start the third and final climb.
‘Although I had driven this car in rallies and slaloms before, this was my first asphalt race. Fortunately, I was able to adapt quickly without encountering too many difficulties,’ Juan noted.
‘The track was not very technical compared to the first two rounds, which favored powerful cars. The chicanes slightly broke the speed, making it difficult for me to manage the gap against the larger displacement engines,’ he added.
MSA club driver Heriniaina Rajemison, behind the wheel of a Golf VI in the M12 class, who set the best time in the timed trials (1:26.50), finished second in the overall standings with a best time of 1:22.97 achieved during his second climb. Heriniaina won his class.
The champion’s father, Tovohery Rakotojohary of the FMMSAM club, driving the same Renault Clio M11, completed the podium with a best time of 1:24.61 on his first run. Tianina Rahary, known as ‘Tiann’ from MSA, also in a Renault Clio M11, finished just off the podium with a best time of 1:26.45. Nany Arianala from the Run Mada club, driving a Citroën Saxo, who set the third-best time in the trials (1:27.39), took fifth place (1:26.79) and won the M10 class.
The next national round, the fourth and penultimate of the Madagascar Championship, will take place on September 5 and 6.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-04 06:08:58 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/course-de-cote-sur-asphalte-juan.html