Momentum with Nasser as UMC Challenge Rally starts

Going into this weekend’s event, the momentum is with the Nasser and Ali Katumba in Subaru GVB.

Kampala- The UMC Fort Portal Challenge Rally has always produced a dramatic end in the past few years. Last season it took the very last section for the Shell sponsored crew of Ronald Ssebuguzi and Leon Ssenyange in Mitsubishi Evo X to break the Fort Portal jinx and emerge winners.

It was also the event where Christakis Fitidis and Eric Nzamwita in Oryx Energies-sponsored Evo X surrendered their proud record of finishing every event since Mountain of the Gorilla Rally Kabale in March 2016, the last they failed to finish.

In 2015, Arthur Blick Jr in Subaru N10 and John Consta (Evo IX) both ended the event with identical time and it was left to the interpretation of rules for Blick Jr to be declared the winner.

In the same event, drivers had threatened to boycott participation in solidarity with then rookie driver, who had been stopped from driving by the organisers despite registering in time.

How times change! Going into this weekend’s event, the momentum is with the Nasser and Ali Katumba in Subaru GVB.
The Moil Rally team crew lead the National Rally Championship (NRC) with 285 points, 45 ahead of Ssebuguzi, the three time national champion.

Consistency has been the key for Nasser, yet to drop out of any the four events this season. He has two podium finishes, was second in Mukono Rally and last month emerged the best local driver in the Pearl Rally last month. He also scored points in Mbarara and Masaka.
After the Pearl he said: “We have moved a step forward since the debut (2015).There is still a lot to learn but I am happy am slowly bridging the gap with the big boys.”

Elsewhere, Blick Jr is sceptical the new starting formula will be a success this weekend.

Early this week, Joshua Mayanja, the clerk of the course (CoC) explained to SCORE that less powerful cars in CRC, 2WD and Group S categories will hit the road first while top drivers like Nasser, Jas Mangat (Evo X), Christakis Fitidis (Evo X), Blick Jr (Evo X), Duncan Mubiru (Subaru GVB) and Alwi Hassan (Subaru N14) will be last off the ramp. The two day event will have a total of 214.11km of which 132km are competitive.

Today’s sections

Zambia vs. Harugongo (27.7kms)
SSS-4.24km (Boma Grounds)
Sunday sections
Buteebe (11.79kms)
Mabeere ga nyinamwiru (11.54kms)
Harugongo (27.7kms)
Competitive sections 132 kms
Transport 92.74 kms
Total 214.11kms

NRC Standings

1 Yasin Nasser 285 Pts
2 Ronald Sebuguzi 240
3 Christakis Fitidis 223
4 Arthur Blick Jr 185
5 Hassan Alwi 180