‘Super lady’ Susan Muwonge has admitted she cannot afford many more bad results if she is to retain any hopes of winning this year's National Rally Championship.
As rally drivers gear up for the Eastern Motor rally championship in Jinja, Muwonge, the Subaru N10 driver is 70 points off the lead, held by Jas Mangat, with two races remaining.
‘Super lady’ Susan Muwonge, the current National Rally Champion says she will defend her title despite the championship being open to any one of the top five rally drivers.
She says all the top five drivers have amassed more than 200 points yet none of them has 300 points. This puts all the five in contention for the 2012 National Rally Championship.
Muwonge who has 213 points in this year’s competition, adds that if drivers can avoid dropping out of the race like in the just concluded pearl of Africa rally, the rally will be more competitive.
Jas Mangat, the leader of the 2012 National Rally Championship standings with 283 points says he cannot afford any more bad results to give away what he has earned through thick and thin. He says he should give it his best to finish top with a comfortable margin.
Rwandan Christakis Fitidis, stands in fifth position with 207 points. As the top foreign entrant for the Eastern motor competition, he says if he finishes in the top two positions then he stands to win the rally and finish among the top three drivers in Uganda this year.
Frank Kayemba, President Eastern Motor club says the rally has attracted big rally names both from in and outside Uganda. Kayemba says that this year’s edition will attract more than 40 drivers who have already confirmed their participation for the championship. Some of the rally drivers include 2011 defending rally champion ‘super lady’ Susan Muwonge in 4th position with 213 points, Jas Mangat, who currently leads the 2012 national rally standings with 283 points, Ronald Sebuguzi, who stands in third with 237 points and Duncan Mubiru, stands in third position with 235 points.
In 2011, the Eastern Motor Club rally was marred by issues of poor timing where Ponsiano Rwakataka, was accused of registering a wrong time to win the circuit at Jinja show ground.
Hamid Gombe, says a team from the Uganda Association of time marshals, volunteers and independent observers have been invited to time the cars.
He says among these are retired veteran rally drivers, well wishers of motor sport who cannot be disclosed but have a lot of knowledge on timing of rally cars.
He says the event will begin with a rally circuit on 18th –August -2012 and then engines will roar through a route of more than 307 kilometres in Jinja, Kamuli and Luuka districts.
He calls on the people to take serious protect measures by not keeping the rally route busy with cattle, lorries carrying heavy language and the people keeping a distance from where the rally cars will be passing.
