Mangat tests Subaru N12 in Madagascar

By Douglas Mazune

NATIONAL champion Jas Mangat vying to become the second Ugandan driver to win the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) is through with testing a hired Subaru N12B in Madagascar.

Mangat will face off with Zambian Jassy Singh for the continental title in the Rally of Madagascar International Rally scheduled for November 8-9.

Constrained by time and other logistical challenges, Pili Pili Rally Team decided to hire a car from Yves ‘Joda’ Ranarivelo, a driver in Madagascar.

Mangat and his service team were in Madagascar last week where he tested the car after it had been adjusted to suit him.

“Mangat was in Madagascar to finalise arrangements for the car. We shall then travel back together on November 1,” Mangat’s co-driver Gihan Da Silva told New Vision yesterday.

Mangat who tops the Africa championship with 83 points, just two more than Singh simply needs to finish ahead of the Zambian to claim the continental title.

The Ugandan nearly clinched Africa title in the Rwandan Rally last month but was sidelined by mechanical failure of his Mitsubishi Evo X.

He seeks to become the second Ugandan after 1999 Africa champion Charles Muhangi to win the title. He could also become the only Ugandan driver to hold both the national and Africa titles. 

A sizeable number of Ugandans mobilised by Rally Fans Club will be in Madagascar to cheer Mangat.