Ssebuguzi out as Alwi leads Pearl Rally

Kampala/Mubende. Three-time national champion Ronald Ssebuguzi was the first major casualty on Day Two of the Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally yesterday.
Third after Friday’s Day One at the Motorsport Arena, Busiika, Ssebuguzi was helpless as the tyre nuts of his Mitsubishi Evo. X unscrewed unknowingly. This happened in the first of the day’s seven competitive sections, the 24.01km in Kikandwa, Mubende District.

It’s the section that another driver Andrew ‘Desh’ Kananura warned about in the build-up.
“Kikandwa might decide the eventual winner. It’s fast and tricky,” Kananura said after doing recee. Consequently, National Rally Championship (NRC) hopeful Hassan Alwi became first on the road.
Kannaura would later exit in the next section in Bakojja (40.05km) as his Mitsubishi Evo. X bizarrely ran out of fuel. This section also claimed Day One leader Duncan Mubiru due to a mechanical problem on the Subaru Impreza.
Ambrose Byona and Geoffrey Nsamba were also forced to rescind their positions as competitors to become spectators soon after.

Alwi became the leader on the road as the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) decider headed to its climax in Tooro Mpango (46.12km), Old Mubende (5.19km) and Kaweri (41.82km).
Tooro Mpango and the shortest section were to be be repeated before the checkered flag is waved for the last time to signal the end.
By press time, Zambian Muna Singh Jnr, second on the ARC standings, was second with the continental table leader Kenya Don Smith, in fifth and largely driving safe. Reigning national champion Arthur Blick was running third, just ahead of Christakis Fitidis.

Day 1 results
D. Mubiru (Subaru Impreza) 4.42.3
Hassan Alwi (Evo. X) 4.43.2
Ronald Ssebuguzi (Subaru) 4.47.5
Arthur Blick (Subaru) 4.49.6
Desh Kananura (Evo. X) 4.52.1
Muna Singh Jnr (Subaru) 4.53.8
Ambrose Byona (Evo. IX) 5.11.5
Ranjit Kuku (Evo. X) 5.14.3
Fred Wampamba (Subaru) 5.18.5
Ashraf Ahmed (Subaru) 5.22.0
Don Smith (Subaru Impreza) 5.25.8.

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