Safari Rally: Ugandan drivers get crowd boost

Mar 14, 2017

Ugandan rally fans this time have followed their drivers to give them support.

PIC: During the Kabale Rally recently, these Ambrose Byona fans excited  the rally fraternity. Ugandan rally drivers taking part in the Safari Rally will be boosted by suppport. (Credit: Johnson Were)

SAFARI RALLY KENYA


Date: March 18-19

Unlike in the past when Ugandan rally drivers have battled their Kenyan counterparts without much crowd backing, it is going to be a different story this weekend in Nairobi.

Ugandan rally fans this time have followed their drivers to give them support.

The Ugandan drivers are battling for the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) and others will take part in the Safari Rally for experience and pride.

Despite missing the Ivory Coast leg, Uganda rally drivers Yassin Nasser and Jas Mangat have joined the race for the ARC title this year starting with the Safari Rally.

Mangat, who narrowly lost the 2013 ARC title to Jassy Singh of Zambia when he dropped out of the Madagascar event on the second day of the three-day rally, is giving it another shot.

He is joined by the crew of Yassin Nasser and Ali Katumba in Subaru N10 who are also targeting the title this year.

"We are joining the ARC battle starting with the Kenya Rally this week targeting a top 10 finish so that we score points on the ARC chart," said Katumba.

World motorsport governing body FIA set new rules for this year's event that requires a crew to finish in the top position of the homologated cars in each and every event competed in.

The crew must also participate in at least two events in the southern region in South Africa, Tanzania or Zambia and two in the north which include Uganda, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Rwanda.

Mangat and Nasser will be joined by Christakis Fitidis and Duncan Mubiru aka Kikankane in the Safari Rally, but the two are not competing for the ARC crown.

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