Blick wants to win Pearl Rally for son Alestair
Mission Possible. Blick Jr (R) and his son Alestair (L) have one thing on their minds - to power their machine. PHOTO | JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
- Allure Of The Pearl. In the last event held in 2019, Blick Jr, driving a Mitsubishi Evo X, finished third overall behind Yasin Nasser’s Subaru GVB and winner Manvir Bryan’s Skoda Fabia. This time he wants the champion’s title.
When the Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally Championship revs off this weekend, Arthur Blick Jr will be in the driver’s seat and his son Arthur Alisteir Blick in the co-driver’s.
The father-son combination will be out in search of the title and Blick would do anything to win. He wants to win the event for his son and navigator.
It will be father and son partnership when the third round of the Africa Rally Championship returns to Uganda after two years. In an interview with the Daily Monitor, the Shell-sponsored Blick revealed that nothing would excite him like winning the event alongside son and navigator Alestair.
Alestair will be calling notes for the the third event in his life and they don’t come bigger than the Pearl Rally.
History maker
At 18 years, the teenager will be the youngest navigator in the event. “I go into this event with only one thing on my mind and that is winning,” said Blick .
“Most especially, I want to win it for my son. I want him to make history.”
In the last event held in 2019, Blick Jr, driving a Mitsubishi Evo X, finished third overall behind Yasin Nasser’s Subaru GVB and winner Manvir Bryan’s Skoda Fabia. The 12-time National Motocross champion and 2017 National Rally Champion will have to be on top of his game to get the desired results.
Continental glory
Foreign drivers lead by ARC contenders Karan Patel (Kenya) and Leroy Gomes (Zambia) both in Ford Fiesta R5 will lead the charge for Africa Rally Championship (ARC) points.
Gomes tops the leaderboard with 54 points while second-placed Patel has 30 points. Since joining his father in the cockpit, Alestair and his father have done three events.
It all started with the Kabalega Rally in 2021 and this year’s Mbarara Rally.
The crew retired in both events before managing third place behind National Rally Championship (NRC) leader Ponsiano Lwakataka and Hassan Alwi in the Kaliro Rally.
Specifications
This year’s Pearl Rally will stretch through the district of Mukono and Lugazi Town Council. Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally will see drivers score points for FIA African Rally Championship and also the NRC.
The rally will cover a total distance of 513kms of which 212 kms is competitive with nine Competitive Sections (CS) over two days while 197 kilometres as the liaison distance.
