English 
German MOTORSPORT: Jas Mangat wins his second Pearl of Africa rally championship
MOTORSPORT: Jas Mangat wins his second Pearl of Africa rally championship
Jas Managat, together with navigator Joseph Kamya, cruised to victory in their first race of the year at the 2022 Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Rally on Sunday.
Driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EvoX, Mangat led on day one in the opener with 29 seconds (51:22.96) on a day disrupted by rainy conditions. He later held onto his lead in the muddy stages to win the championship on Sunday.
On day two, Mangat and his navigator kept close pace with the fastest drivers and managed to lead overall in three stages of the rally which saw four different stage winners. The crew finished first on the podium with a cumulative winning time of 1:53.06.
This was the first race for the 2013 Pearl Rally winner. Chipper Adams (Uganda), Charlie Lubega (Uganda), Riyaz Kurji (Uganda and later Kenya), Jamie Whyte (Zimbabwe) and Manvir Singh Baryan (Kenya) are the only other past winners who have won the rally more than once.
Mangat’s last race prior to Sunday’s victory was the UMC Kassanda Sugar Rally which he won.
Uganda’s last win at the Pearl of Africa Rally came in 2016 when Hassan Alwi Kenyan co-driver Enock Olinga cruised to victory in their Subaru Impreza STi N14.
Mangat and Kamya also won themselves two business class air tickets to Dubai courtesy of event partners Uganda Airlines.
Top Five Drivers
- Jas Mangat/Joseph Kamya (Mitsubishi Hi Lancer Evo X) – 1:53:06.12
- Gomes Leroy/Gomes Urshala (Ford Fiesta R5) – 1:58:11.27
- Davite Giancarlo/Vindevogel (Mitsubishi Hi Lancer Evo X) – 1:58:52.76
- Ponsiano Lwakataka/Paul Musaazi (Subaru Impreza) – 2:00:38.62
- Yasin Nasser/Ali Katumba (Subaru Impreza) – 2:09:09.70
This year’s Pear of Africa rally was held in Mukono and Lugazi, central Uganda. Shell V-Power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally will be preceded by the FIA African Rally Championship and the National Rally Championship.
History of the Pearl of Africa Rally
The first edition of the Pearl of Africa Rally was held in 1997 as an African Rally Championship candidate event. This followed the successful organization of Burundi’s Great Lakes Rally in Uganda in 1996. The Great Lakes Rally was moved to Uganda due to political instability in Burundi. Inspired by the success of the Great Lakes Rally, Uganda decided to apply for its own African Rally Championship event in 1997.[1]
When Winston Churchill visited Uganda, he baptized the country as the ‘Pearl of Africa’, that’s where this event receives its name from.
About Author
