National Rally Championship Season Opens with Yasin Nasser’s R5 Winning Day One

The National Rally Championship (NRC) season kicks off with the scrutineering on Friday 10 February 20223 in Mbarara city. The season opener is switching it up with Mbarara City Rally Club (MCRC) as the club hosting as the drivers get ready to battle it out and defend their championships.

Fans in the super special stage at Boma grounds in Mbarara.

The entry list had an impressive thirty-seven drivers on the list but after scrutineering twenty-eight drivers had made it through.

As day one of competition kicked off on 11 February, Duncan Mubiru and co-driver Joseph Bongole in their Ford Fiesta proto led the first section with 0:14:07:52 as the team that won day one followed seconds behind with 0:14:34:34 of Yasin Nasser and co-driver Ali Katumba, they came in second in their fan-loved Ford Fiesta R5 dubbed “NEMO”. Day one run and closed as three drivers battled each other; Yasin Nasser, Duncan Mubiru, and Ronald Ssebuguzi, all in Ford Fiestas.

Team MOIL’s Yasin Nasser and Ali Katumba in action.

Team MOIL had fans on their edges and celebrating through the super special stage in Boma grounds that closed competition for day one. Everyone is always looking forward to the R5 and team Moil does not disappoint. They closed out day one with a time of 0:29:54:82 in first place. They were ahead of Duncan “Kikankane” Mubiru by 0:01:06:10.

Duncan Mubiru and Joseph Bongole in the super special stage.

In second place was Duncan Mubiru and navigator Joseph Bongole with a time of 0:31:00:92 and in third place was Shell’s Ronald Ssebuguzi and co-driver Anthony Mugambwa came in third to close the podium with a time of 0:31:23:91. The team was behind Mubiru by 22seconds 99micro seconds. Ssebuguzi also drives a Ford Fiesta proto.

Shell’s Ronald Ssebuguzi and co-driver Anthony Mugambwa in their Ford Fiesta proto.

Returning with all his competitive nature, was International University’s Hassan Alwi Jr. navigated by Musa Nsubuga; the team finished in fourth place in their Subaru Impreza N14 as their fans cheered them on through sections. Alwi was pulling no punches as there was only 01second 32micro seconds from Ssebuguzi. Fred Busulwa Kitaka and co-driver Mildred Kibuuka closed out the top five. Returning to the motorsport scene this season were drivers like the fan loved Nasser Mutebi and Innocent Bwamiki. Mansoor Lubega and co-driver Arthur Lugolobi run a good race but unfortunately rolled their Toyota Levin in their last run of the super special stage. Godfrey Kiyimba and co-driver Urban Mulindwa won the CRC category and Ibrahim Lubega and co-driver Mustapha Kanakulya won the 2WD category. Missing-In-Action were drives like Mike Mukula Jr., Mark Lubega, and 2022 2WD champion, Oscar Ntambi.