As the battle for the ARC intensifies, all eyes are on the continental battle between Ugandan drivers Jas Mangat and Yasin Nasser, who, with the roaring support from fans, are determined to raise the Ugandan flag even higher.
Rally driver Jas Mangat remains undeterred in his pursuit of the 2023 Africa Rally Championship (ARC) title and he remains confident in his contention and eyes the ultimate crown.
Mangat and his co-driver, Joseph Kamya, scrapped by in the Burundi International rally over the weekend, clinching a third-place finish in their less reliable Mitsubishi Evo10.
Though they had aimed for a victory, mechanical setbacks, specifically a gearbox problem, hindered their quest.
Regardless, Mangat optimistically expressed, "We came for a win but our car developed a gearbox problem. We take the position and take the fight to Rwanda with the new car.”
Yasin Nasser, another strong performer from Uganda, secured the second position in the Burundi Rally.
Navigated by Ali Katumba in a Ford Fiesta R5, Nasser trailed behind the rally winner, Kenya's Karan Patel.
These recent accomplishments have propelled the Ugandans to the forefront of the ARC leaderboard, with Nasser amassing 78 points, closely followed by Mangat at 63 points.
Kenya's Patel isn't far behind with 60 points, and Uganda's Innocent Bwamiki rounds up the fourth spot with 38 points.
For Mangat to grasp the coveted championship title, he has a challenging road ahead.
The Pili Pili rally team crew has to win all three of the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, Zambian International, and Tanzania International Rally, for them to become champion.
However, he will face the challenge with fresh enthusiasm as he confirmed that he will unwrap his new Hyundai i20 R5 during the Mountain Gorilla Rally in Rwanda next month.
Mangat, a three-time Uganda National Champion, is still in chase of his first continental title after missing out on one in 2013 following a grueling battle with Zambian Jassy Singh.
Rally legend Charles Muhangi (RIP) is the only Ugandan driver to win the African Rally Championship after clinching it in 1999. Can Nasser or Mangat replicate his achievement in 2023?