Dusting engines

KAMPALA.

Mohammed Essa did more than dominate the 2012 Shell V-Power Pearl of Uganda Rally. As he smothered his competition, he thrilled the fans too.

His parting shot came at the end of Day One. “You can’t win an event at the sprint but you can lose it. It’s purely entertainment,” Essa said in an interview with Daily Monitor.

That statement must ring in the eyes of rally crews as they race at the Busiika Motosport Arena today hoping to fire the first shot of the 2017 edition at the V-Power Super Special Stage. This is the fourth round of the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) and fifth for National Rally Championship (NRC) drivers.

The standings are led by Ronald Ssebuguzi and Kenya’s Jaspreet Chatthe heading into the 492.83km, 203.30km of which is competitive with 56 rally crews taking part.
Fittingly, Ssebuguzi hits the road first with last year’s winner Hassan Alwi Junior in pursuit. Chatthe, the 2015 winner of this event goes third.

Desperate to hold onto his NRC lead, Ssebuguzi, one of the biggest Ugandan drivers never to win this event, will not get drawn into the ARC race.

“My priority remains the NRC (National Rally Championship),” Ssebuguzi told Daily Monitor. “I want to finish in the top three,” the Mitsubishi Evo X driver added.
The crew of Ssebuguzi and Leon Ssenyange lead the NRC standings on 250 points, 90 ahead of second placed Duncan Mubiru.
Christakis Fitidis is third on 125 while Ambrose Byona and Omar Mayanja complete the top five, the latter two on 100 points apiece.

That ARC race Ssebuguzi would rather avoid has Chatthe on 30 points lead Leroy Gomes by four points. The pair will be wary of Manvir Baryan, the in-form driver coming into this event. The Skoda Fabia driver has won two of the last four events in the Kenyan championship thus far.
After today’s 8.76km stage, drivers will start with the longest section in Bwakedde, 52.63km, tomorrow morning after leaving Silver Springs Hotel where they will spend the night.

PEARL OF AFRICA RALLY START LIST
Driver Co-Driver
Ronald Sebuguzi Leon Ssenyange
Jaspreet Chatthe Gugu Panesar
Hassan Alwi Jnr Joseph Kamya
Manvir Baryan Drew Sturrock
Duncan Mubiru George Semakula
Valery Bukera Jean Giesen
Omar Mayanja Hussein Mukuye
Giancarlo Davite Silvia Vindevogel
Arthur Blick Noella Blick
Leroy Gomes Urshlla Gomes
Musa Kabega Roger Sirwoomu
Ranjit S. Kuku Musa Nsubuga
Fred Wampamba Paul Musaazi
Christakis Fitidis Eric Maxime Nzamwita
Ambrose Byona Derrick Lubambula

Yusuf Bukenya Umar Kakande
Kleevan Gomes RIyaz Latife
Andrew Kananura Moses Matovu
Dilraj Chatthe Riyaz Ismael
Adam Rauf Essa Aaron Nsamba
Kepher Walubi Suzanne Kalema
Godfrey Lubega Justin Mungoma
Wilbert Pole Pole Unissan Bakunda
Yasin Nasser Ali Katumba
A. Mohammed Rahma Mohammed
R. Mohammed Mohammad Abbas
Fred Kitaka Mildred Kibuka
Andrew Musoke Joseph Bongole
J. C. Gakwaya Jean Claude Mugabo
J. B. Lumu Arnold Ddungu
Godfrey Kayizi Urban Mulindwa
Mansoor Sanya Abdallah Nyombi
Alex Wakabi Muhamad Ssebina
Peter Kalule Mariam Nambasa
Black Widow Nichole Nalumu
Abdul Katete Lawrence Mwambazi
Graham Nagasha Raymond Munyigwa
Byron Rugomoka Hakim Mawanda
E. Mungyereza Sirajih Kyambadde
J. Sserwanga Ronald Kyeyune
A. Mayinja Frank Serugo
Abdul Sempebwa Ahmed Minjo
Fred Senkumba Hamza Lwanga
Edward Mukiibi Daniel Mbabazi
Edwin Kalule Michael Kizito
Musa Kizito David Woshale
Ismail Otega Joseph Lutalo Jr.
F. Y Nyiridandi Regis Remera
G. Balondemu Stephen Bunya
Ismael Lule Ronald Bukenya
ChaRles Ssansa Asuman Muhammad
Didas Matsiko Ashraf Nkata
Sadat Negomba Abdalla Zubeda
Tim Marty Gawaya Agatha Umutoni
Umar Kakyama James Francis Emaru
Japheth Lugayizi Hamza Kakande