Lwakataka enhances stronghold on NRC title despite Fort Portal DNF

Ponsiano Lwakataka was the first big retiree from last weekend’s UMC Fort Portal Tourism City Rally 2022.

His Subaru N12B couldn’t go on after the first section of the event and the two-time National Rally Championship winner was forced to play a spectator role thereafter.

The log leader went into the rally heads and shoulders above all the drivers on the entry list.

With the chasing Jas Mangat pulling out of the event on the eleventh hour, the pressure on the Mafu Mafu crew was greatly lessened.

All eyes were then on the two Ford Fiesta Protos of Ronald Sebuguzi and Duncan Mubiru.

The small and fast cars were tipped by many to steal headlines in the tourism city event but the headlines were for the wrong reasons.

Sebuguzi didn’t live to compete on day two after his car lost power in the super special stage and like Lwakataka, he couldn’t go on.

The stage was then set for Mubiru to win his first event in the Proto but he will have to wait a little longer. 

His car encountered a drive shaft issue in the second last section of the event and he, too, registered a DNF.

In the end all this worked in favour of the log leader. Still on 262 points, Lwakataka has his third NRC title in sight with three events left on the calendar.
No wonder, even after dropping out, he was still oozing with confidence when talking about his fight for the title.

“I’m still on course despite the challenges,” Lwakataka revealed in Fort Portal.
Umaru Dauda, the unlikely winner in Fort Portal, is now the closest to Lwakataka and he is 84 points off the pace.

“We are still top and we will try to work on the car before the Masaka event,” Lwakataka added.

Early pace

Lwakataka has been the most consistent driver this season and that has seen him collect more points than the rest of the title challengers.

He had, in fact, already posted the best time of 15 minutes 57 seconds from the first stage, Harugongo, four seconds better than the Kikankane crew in Fort Portal before retiring. With no engine failure early in the event, the gap at the top could have been different.

After sweeping the first two events in Mbarara and Kaliro, the pace was set.

The return of Mangat in the Pearl of Africa Rally sort of shook the tables but that wouldn’t last as it remains the only event he has done this year.

The other challengers Sebuguzi, Mubiru, Arthur Blick and Omar Mayanja have also either failed to register points at different events or stayed away to leave Lwakataka as the ever-present figure.

The change of cars by Mubiru and Sebuguzi might be good for the future but not the now.

Mubiru has struggled with his Proto in three events now and points have been hard to come by, he only got 20 from the Kaliro Rally after doing a super rally following a day one roll.

Sebuguzi’s upgrade from the Mitsubishi EvoX to the Proto also started with a DNF and it might take some getting used to for him to get back to challenging those in more familiar machines.

Lwakataka loves it in Masaka and there couldn’t have been a better venue for the next event on the calendar for him.

After a DNF, he will be looking for an immediate response on home soil.

He won event in 2018 and defended it the following year and, with the title in sight, this year’s event could end with the home boy a lot closer to the finish line. 

National rally championships 

Standings after Round 4
1.Ponsiano Lwakataka     262pts
2.Umaru Dauda         178
3.Jonas Kansiime         141.5
4.Jas Mangat             140
5.Byron Rugomoka         134
6.Godfrey Aine         125
7.Mark Lubega        110
8.Oscar Ntambi         100.5
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