Bugerere Stabex EMC Rally
Ponsiano Lwakataka 0:33:49:88
Musa Ssegaabwe 0:34:33:63
Hassan Alwi 0:34:46:47
Ronald Ssebuguzi 0:34:53:75
Oscar Ntambi 0:35:34:75
In a thrilling showcase of speed and resilience, seasoned rally veteran Ponsiano Lwakataka stormed to victory on day one of the Bugerere Stabex Eastern Motor Club (EMC) Rally, igniting hopes of a dramatic comeback in the National Rally Championship.
Behind the wheel of his Subaru Impreza N12B, Lwakataka clocked an impressive time of 33 minutes and 49.88 seconds, outpacing his rivals and sending a clear message to the rest of the grid: he’s back, and he means business.
The rally kicked off with four challenging stages across Jinja and Buikwe districts, attracting 40 determined drivers participating in stages such as Segaamu 14 (18.34km), KCB Bank (25km), Across the Nile Resort (8.72km) and the super special stage at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) (2.46km). Notably, a planned night stage was cancelled due to safety concerns stemming from a large turnout of spectators and fans.
Lwakataka's comeback is particularly noteworthy, given his forced retirement during the prestigious Pearl Of Africa Uganda Rally in May this year. The Subaru Impreza N12B's engine exploded in stage two of day one, in Mbarara and Kiruhura, abruptly ending his campaign. At the time, Lwakataka was leading the National Rally title with 117 points, having won the first two NRC events on the motor sport calendar this year.
Entering the Bugerere Stabex EMC rally, Lwakataka trailed Ronald Ssebuguzi, who led with 142 points, and Musa Ssegaabwe, who was in second position with 132.5 points. Lwakataka sat in third position, but his performance on day one has seen him surge ahead of the competition.
Musa Ssegaabwe secured second place with a time of 0:34:33:63, closely followed by Hassan Alwi (0:34:46:47), Ronald Ssebuguzi (0:34:53:75), and Oscar Ntambi (0:35:34:75). As the rally shifts focus to day two in Kayunga, drivers will tackle two stages: Stabex (15km, repeated thrice) and Lugoloobi (21.6km, repeated twice).
"It's not yet done until it is done," Lwakataka cautioned, highlighting the unpredictability of rally racing. With his impressive performance on day one, Lwakataka has set the bar high, but the competition remains fierce, and day two is expected to be just as thrilling.