Pearl no distraction for Ssebuguzi’s NRC fight

KAMPALA.

The rains are here, again! Rally drivers dread the kind of conditions they encountered as they did when they went through the route for Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally yesterday.

It was common for cars to skid off the road as drivers and their navigators did their pace notes and studied the 492.83km route they must beat tomorrow and Saturday.

The fact that crews followed one another into the route ensured that roads got from bad to worse to near impassable.

While tomorrow’s Super Special Stage at Busiika Motorsport Arena may not pose the biggest of challenges, a change in conditions once they return to Kayunga on Saturday will provide fresh questions.

Just imagine the possibility of the sun baking the murram roads of the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (SCOUL) plantations over the next two days.

Crews will then find a dry course, something they weren’t planning for at sunset yesterday. It’s important to set a target regardless of the changes in the conditions like Ronald Ssebuguzi has.

The three-time national rally champion, whose record in the biggest event on the Ugandan rally calendar is unpalatable, maintains that winning the local title comes first.

“My priority remains the NRC (National Rally Championship),” Ssebuguzi told Daily Monitor. He has won once, finished second on two occasions and failed to finish an event this year.

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.

“I want to finish in the top three.” The latter would be a mega achievement in itself as Ssebuguzi failed to reach the checkered flag last year.

As the 2017 NRC leader after four events, Sssebuguzi’s Mitsubishi Evo X will be flagged off first with Africa Rally Championship (ARC) leader Jaspreet Chatthe in pursuit.
“I am used to going first. There is no fear,” Ssebuguzi warned.
With the next local driver, Mubiru, leaving the ramp in sixth ahead of last year’s winner Hassan Alwi Junior, Ssebuguzi will have ‘comfort’ in the NRC subplot.

PEARL OF AFRICA UGANDA RALLY
PROVISIONAL START LIST – TOP 10
R. Ssebuguzi/L. Ssenyange (Evo X)
J. Chatthe/G. S. Panesar (Evo X)
H. Alwi Junior/J. Kamya (N14)
M. Baryan/D. Sturrock (Evo 9)
D. Mubiru/G. Ssemankula (Evo X)
V. Bukera/J. Gusen (Impreza)
O. Mayanja/H. Mukuye (EvoX)
G. Davite/S. Vindevogel (Evo X)
A. Blick/N. Blick (Impreza)
L. Gomes/U. Gomes (Evo X)