The introduction of new safety precaution measures and use of rally car timers in the 2012 Eastern Motor rally championship has excited rally car drivers who expressed optimism of producing better results.
Each rally car will have an automated timer and this will avoid recording timer from individuals who are allegedly easily bribed by rally drivers. For safety in the routes, vans with a siren and public address system will drive ahead through the competitive sections of the rally route, warning the people to keep a distance from the roads to avoid accidents.
The 2012 Eastern Motor rally championship scheduled for 18th and 19th – August -2012 was launched on Thursday, July 2 in Jinja by Katende Mukiibi, the Chairman of the competitions committee in Federation of Motor Sport Uganda.
He says, unlike last year’s rally organized by Eastern Motor Club, where there were no rally timers and due to poor road safety measures, two people were knocked dead in Buwenda village by a rally car, this time round the Federation of Motor sport Uganda has made sure the irregularities will be avoided.
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Posiano Rwakataka, who was accused in last year’s Eastern motor rally in Jinja of bribing the audit team at the Jinja show ground super special stage says there will be no excuses for any driver this time, given the presence of a foreign time audit team which will scrutinize and record the time lost by each driver.
Vik Saini, a rally driver from Jinja’s Excel rally driving team says the measures put up will provide for a more professional motor rally competition, where even drivers from Jinja will have a chance to perform better.
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Peter Brown, another rally driver welcomes the independent observers in addition to the timers. He says this being the last scoring event for the Uganda’s motor rally rankings, it is going to be very competitive and no one should be allowed to mess up rally drivers results.
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Moses Kunya, a resident of Buwenda village in Jinja, says people are already being sensitized through radio announcements and the local councils leaders to avoind accidents during the rally.
Jas Mangat, tops the 2012 Federation Motorsport Uganda rankings with 283 points, he is followed Duncan Mubiru and Ronald Sebuguzi. Susan Muwonge, the defending champion has 213 points in fourth position. Rwandan driver Christakis Fitidis, lies in fifth position.
All the top five rally drivers can clinch this year’s rally competition, where more than fourty drivers have confirmed participation.
