The Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally flags off Thursday, May 5 with the scrutineering exercise at Shell Namanve where 49 crews are due to have their machines go through a standards-test ahead of the event proper this weekend.
According to the entry list, some of Africa’s top rally drivers will face off with the best local competitors in the two-day rally. The first action of the rally will be the super special sprint stage at the Mzuri Africa park in Namataba on Friday, May 6.
Then the surviving cars will head to the competitive route sections in parts of Lugazi sugar plantations on Saturday, May 7. The drivers are expected to cover a total distance of 468 kilometres during the two-day event.
The rally, which doubles as the third round of the national championship (NRC) and second for the continental (ARC) race, will see local drivers vying for bonus points in the title race. The best performing local driver gets a maximum of 120 points.
Current NRC leader Ponsiano Lwakataka, who won the Mbarara Challenge Rally and Kaliro Sugar Rally, is one of the favourites. Lwakataka last won the Pearl Rally in 2011.
He, however, faces stiff challenge from a highly-experienced legion of eleven foreign drivers, who also boast of better machines.
Zambia ace Leroy Gomes and Kenya’s Karan Patel, both in Ford Fiesta, are some of the leading ARC title contenders in the rally that Lwakataka must beat to the podium.