Hassan Alwi will be flagged off as ‘car number one’ in the 2019 Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa rally due this Friday and Saturday in Busiika (Luwero) and Kayunga district respectively.
The two-day epic rally that has attracted 52 crews with two are foreigners will start with a 4.36kms super special stage in Busiika before traversing a 210km total distance in Kayunga four repeated sections on Saturday in day two.
This year’s edition attracted Shs110m sponsorship from Shell V-Power. It is the fifth round of the African rally championship (ARC) and the fourth round of the National rally championship (NRC).
International University of East Africa (IUEA) sponsored Alwi is the latest driver to win the Pearl of Africa rally in 2016 but dropped out in 2017 due to engine failure before finishing fourth last year.
He wants to make the ‘car number one’ advantage this year to beat fierce defending champion Manvir Baryani’s Skoda Fabia R5 that will be flagged off second and Kefa Walubi in Mitsubishi Evo X coming third.
“We won it in 2016 and dropped out in 2017. We want to better last year’s 4th finish this time around. We are not going to excite but we shall push the car where it matters with an aim of completing the rally,” noted Alwi, who is navigated by Siraje Kyambadde in Subaru N15.
Baryani from Kenya and Dharam Pandya from Tanzania are the only foreign crews in this year’s edition to face off with the local crews led by Suzan Muwonge, Alwi, Walubi, Ronald Ssebuguzi, Jas Mangat, Ponsiano Lwakataka, Ambrose ‘Omunyeto’ Byona, John Barrows, Duncan Mubiru, Christakis Fitidis, Yassin Nasser, Dr. Asharaf Ahmed, Kefa Walubi among others.
