Jas Mangat sends early warning for NRC title with Mbarara City rally triumph

Rally ace Jas Mangat sent an early warning signal to his competitors for the 2024 National Rally Championship (NRC) accolade, after claiming in style, the first event of the 2024 FMU calendar, the Mbarara City rally on Sunday.

The shrewd Mangat came top of the two day competition in flying colours after seeing off close challenge from Ronald Ssebuguzi in a Ford Fiesta Proto, Jonas Kansiime in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, Ponsiano Lwakataka in a Subaru Impreza N12B, coming home with a total time of 1:10:21.84.

It was Jonas Kansiime who closed out on second position, but coming 10 minutes after Mangat with Lwakataka clobbering the 3rd position however the mechanical challenges of his car while Ssebuguzi, who got mechanical problems in the three last sections but managed to finish off, came in a devastating 12th position of the 17 cars that completed the race.

Home boy Didas Matsiko cruising a Subaru Impreza came 5th overall and top of the Division II with a total lost time of 1:31:06.74.

In an event where other top contenders Duncan Mubiru and defending champion and national title holder Yasin Nasser did not turn up, Mangat, who is showing comfort in his new monster Hyundai i20 R5, was left with a simple task of taking care of Ronald Ssebuguzi and Jonas Kansiime which he did.

His fastest time ever in Mbarara rally on day one Saturday, guaranteed him a smart finish after a careful peddling on the challenging day two that had six stages with the longest competition distance (133km) where challenger Ssebuguzi bowed out due to a mechanical problem.

Navigated by Enock Olinga, the crew posted the fastest time on day one, having covered the 25.21km Katebe-Biharwe section in 13:27 minutes before taking 8:36 minutes over the second Biharwe-Kakoba section, beating Ssebuguzi by two minutes in each.

When it came to the super special stage at tarmac Booma grounds, Mangat posted a time of 2:49.40 minutes in the first round before lowering to 2:14:50 minutes in the second with Ssebuguzi making 3:19.80 and 3:07.20 minutes respectively.     

Jas Mangat who boasts of three NRC titles 2012, 2013 and 2016, was returning to Mbarara rally after 2019, the last time he took part and won it, having only been taking part in the African Rally championship.

His past NRC titles have come with only one Mbarara Rally win of 2012, becoming the only driver to have won national titles without having won the FMU calendar opener Mbarara rally as has been, with Yasin Nasser, Ponsiano Lwakata, Susan Muwonge, Duncan Mubiru, Ronald Ssebugizi, to mention.

Mbarara rally first 5 winners
Jas Mangat/Enock Olinga                    1:10:21.84
Jonas Kansiime/Ronald Bukenya        1:20:21.13
Ponsiano Lwakataka/Paul Musaazi     1:20:48.45
Mustapha Mukasa/Laurence Mwambazi  1:30:37.83
Didas Matsiko/Alfred Mutanda              1:31:06.74
Past 5 Mbarara Rally winners
2024-Jas Mangat
2023-Yassin Nasser
2022-Ponsiano Lwakataka
2020-Duncan Mubiru
2019-Jas Mangat