The 2023 Shell V-power Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally will set into motion this weekend in Jinja district, Eastern Uganda
The Pearl Rally comes as the second rallying event on the national calendar as well as the third round of the Africa Rally Championship.
Thirty-one crews will take on the challenge but only seven crews will be eligible to score for ARC points.
Unlike last year, which saw many foreign crew entries, this year’s edition will only host two foreign crews; Karan Patel and Rio Smith from Kenya.
Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan in a Ford Fiesta are on their second attempt for the ARC title. The Kenya rally champions are currently leading the African championship following victory in their home event last March.
Patel will go head-to-head with Uganda’s Yasin Nasser and Jas Mangat in the search for maximum ARC points.
For Rio Smith, the 20-year-old will be reviving his chances at the Junior African Championship title after losing out on points in the home event. A top finish will put him back on the chance.
The rally will rev off with a qualifying stage to determine the ARC start order.
Seven stages will be covered on Saturday while five stages including a super special stage will seal a total competitive distance of 205.27 kilometres.
Given the current weather, it is evident that this year’s Pearl edition will yet again require crews to pull off their best in the wet conditions.