Lwakataka secures dominant win at Bistro Bwera SMC Rally to strengthen NRC lead

BY FRANK KAHEESI AND HENRY MBAZIIRA

Two-time National Rally Champion Ponsiano Lwakataka has cemented his position at the top of the 2025 National Rally Championship (NRC) standings with a commanding victory at the Bistro Bwera SMC Rally.

The two-day event, which featured challenging wet and slippery road surfaces, demanded exceptional driving skills from competitors.

Navigated by Paul Musaazi in a Subaru Impreza N12B, Lwakataka dominated the rally from start to finish, posting an impressive time of 1 hour 29 minutes 28.29 seconds.

He outpaced Shell-sponsored crew Ronald Ssebuguzi and Anthony Mugambwa in their Ford Fiesta Proto by a significant margin of 5 minutes 25.27 seconds, securing a second-place finish overall.

Segamu14 Racing crew Musa Ssegaabwe and Mathias Kiyanga, who recently rose to top-tier contention after winning their Clubman Rally Championship title, trailed the leaders with consistent time postings in all stages.

With back-to-back wins, having triumphed in the first round in Mbarara earlier this year, Lwakataka appears to have made a strong start to the 2025 season, bolstering his hopes for a third National Rally Championship title.

Lwakataka maintains his lead on the scoreboard with 117.0 points, 13 points ahead of Ssebuguzi, while Mike Mukula junior, who secured a sixth-place finish overall in Sembabule, lies third with 83 points.

“Mathematically, I only need to finish on the podium in the five remaining rallies, with Ssebuguzi not beating me in any of them, to secure my third title,” Lwakataka stated.

He added that even if Jas Mangat wins the remaining events, he will only need to finish second behind him to be declared the 2025 champion.

Duncan Mubiru ‘Kikankane’, who returned to the cockpit after a year-long sabbatical, struggled with issues in his newly rebuilt Ford Fiesta Proto, managing only a fourth-place finish.

Mubiru expressed concerns about time inaccuracies at controls, suggesting that they favored the day’s victor.

John Consta, who has also been on and off racing, expressed satisfaction with his return, stating that he is looking forward to the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally next.

The Pearl Rally, the second round of the 2025 African Rally Championship, will also serve as the third NRC round for local competitors.

Scheduled to take place from May 9-11, 2025, the prestigious continental event will be held in the Ankole region, Western Uganda, for the first time, attracting foreign drivers from around the continent, particularly from Kenya.

The program for the Pearl of Africa rally will be available starting April 10, 2025, with rally details accessible through the Sportity app ARCPOAUR25.