Rallying returns to Fort Portal after three decades of waiting
On her season debut, ‘Super Lady’ Muwonge will be in the mood to dominate the event right from the onset. Muwonge (inset) is the 2011 national champion. PHOTO BY JB SSENKUBUGE
What you need to know:
MOTORSPORT. Whereas Muwonge will be returning from a break, the big fight for points will be between Blick Jr, Mubiru and Ssebuguzi.
KAMPALA. You only need to listen to the responses given by various stakeholders to understand that it has been long since locals in Fort Portal got a piece of motor rallying action, three decades, most of them say.
Whatever the time though, the long wait ends today as 30 crews descend on Tooro for the fourth round of the National Rally Championship (NRC) - the Uganda Motor Club (UMC) Mountains of the Moon Rally.
The crews head into the round that starts with a Super Special Stage (SSS) today with Arthur Blick, winner of the last two NRC events in Jinja and Mukono, holding an 85-point lead over Duncan ‘Kikankane’ Mubiru (175).
Changing navigators
Blick has also so far shown the required consistency after finishing third in the opening round in Mbarara. The same cannot be said of Kikankane, who after winning in Mbarara, dropped out in the second round before finishing second in Mukono in May. Kikankane will be navigated by Edward Kiyingi in a Subaru N16, the third time he is changing co-drivers having raced with Musa Nsubuga and most recently George Ssemakula.
Reigning champion Ronald Ssebuguzi (Evo X), currently 150 points behind Blick, will like other drivers that upgraded cars this season (Evo VIII) and John Consta (Evo IX) seek to revive his season’s fortunes.
Today’s rally also marks the first outing this season for 2011 NRC winner Susan ‘Super Lady’ Muwonge. Several fans from Kampala have already camped in Fort Portal.
