Twenty years ago, Michael and Mark Lubega sat on old tyres as they watched their father get his rally car fixed at their garage.
Occasionally, a few trips to rally events were an exciting part of being around their father.
Then, a couple of names stood out in local rally but the name Charlie Lubega was more commonly said.
Lubega is Uganda’s four-time National Rally Champion. He won the titles between 2000 and 2004.
And like any time machine, Michael (29) and Mark (28) have travelled well into the future and are now attempting to carry on their father’s legacy.
“We have always watched rallies since we were young.
“Growing up around rally scenes at home, seeing the car, playing video games all facilitated our dream,” said Michael.
Sunday’s FMU Sprint in Buloba was the siblings’ second race in a local event.
And they were impressive on the go with Mark posting the third-fastest time overall while Michael came in fourth.
The competitive nature of the boys like their father; was indeed evident.
“We have always been competitive with my brother when it came to games to see who is quicker,” said Micheal.
The siblings each took turns driving and co-driving around the 3.47-kilometre track.
Mark came through quicker than Michael by just 50 microseconds over the two runs.
It has been about going at each other since childhood.
“Obviously, watching dad drive started it all. We knew we could not drive then but we started with video games and we were always competitive.
“From the video games, we took our competition to go-carts and bikes.
“I remember Moses Lumala bought us bikes and we would compete regularly at home. And that strengthened our urge for competition from a young age,” added Mark.
During the race in Buloba, the siblings had all eyes on them. One particular pair was more keen on what and how his sons would drive.
Charlie Lubega’s presence; much like a stamp of approval.
“In the beginning, dad was a bit reluctant because he knows well what rallying means and its demands.
“But after realizing the strong passion we had and the fact that we were sharing the same car. His advice was to keep the harmonious relationship and the brother bond. We had to have separate cars.
“He advises us during preparations which he believes is the key to any race,” says Mark.
Mark and Michael know too well the kind of shoes they have stepped into.
The weight of expectation is indeed high. But the lads are in no rush.
“At the moment we cannot tell how far we need to go with rally. For now, it is between us, competing against each other to see who is better than the other.
“We shall take our time to get enough experience at the same time competing amongst ourselves,” explains Micheal.