Carl Tundo seals KNRC crown

Carl Tundo and Tim Jessop’s Mitsubishi Evo 10 goes over a bump around the Chemwano area during the Eldoret Rally on October 13, 2018. PHOTO | ANWAR SIDI |

What you need to know:

  • Chager lets lead slip in last stage to finish second some three seconds behind.
  • Carl Tundo-Tim Jessop crew now has unassailable 169 points atop the championship standings after winning five rallies this season.

Carl Tundo and Tim Jessop sealed the 2018 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) after winning the Kabras Eldoret Rally driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 on Saturday.

Tundo snatched the victory by a mere three seconds from under the nose of Baldev Chager in the last of the competitive stage after playing second-fiddle for most of the rally.

Tundo and Jessop have now a total of 168 points followed by Chager with 135. With only 25 points to score from the final round, Tundo is confident of the third KNRC title event if he decides to miss the Guru Nanak Rally.

''I am surprised we beat Chager in the final section of the rally. He had beaten us badly in the previous stages. We thought of just trying harder in the final section to try and beat him but we were shocked it was finally done by a mere three seconds,'' said Jessop when talking to the Nation Sport.

Jessop went on to say: ''We are still in a shock. I have now won five KNRC and five Safari Rally Titles. Carl has won four KNRC and five Safari Rally Titles. I am one ahead of Flash. I was lucky one season to win the navigators title when Azar Anwar won Drivers' Crown. It was when Azar won the drivers title but changed navigators in the same year.''

The crew has also so far won the Safari, Kenya Motor Sports Club (KMSC) and Rallye Sport Club (RSC) and the Nanyuki rallies respectively to extend its overall lead of the 2018 Kenya National Rally Championship to 169 points.

Chager, who had set four quickest stage times out of the six stages, lost the overall lead by a mere three seconds at the end of the 250 kilometre event. Chager and Ravi Soni have so far won the Mombasa Rally.

Uganda's Alwi Hassan was the best placed foreign driver after guiding his Subaru Impreza into fifth place overall in the penultimate round of the current series.

Tejveer Rai was the best placed from the Rai family after the retirement of his brother Onkar Rai. His Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 was placed third overall while the Ford Fiesta of Amaanraj Rai placed fourth. Tanvir and Amaanraj are first cousins.

Eric Bengi, who made history by starting off first in the rally, finished in fifth position driving a Subaru Impreza navigated by Tuta Mionki.

One of the major casualties of the event, was the retirement of Onkar after his Skoda stopped in SS3 with a broken differential after setting fastest stage time in the opening section of the rally. Rai was lying third in the championship with one outright victory in the Nakuru Rally.

Third-placed Division One driver, Aakhif Virani was also forced to abandon the rally after his Subaru Impreza hit a tree.

''Both of us are fine. The oil cooler was damaged after the impact. In a rally like this it had to happen where speeds are very high on fast and smooth stages.

But we are both fine and OK. Thanks,'' said Virani while talking to Nation Sport from the scene of the accident.

The final round of the 2018 KNRC series will be staged by the Simba Union Club in Nairobi on November 18.

PROVISIONAL RESULTS

1. Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Mitsubishi Evolution10) 86.46mins

2. Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Mitsubishi Evolution) 86.49

3. Tejveer Rai/Zahir Shah (Mitsubishi Evolution10) 89.51

4. Amaanraj Rai/Tauseef Khan (Ford Fiesta) 92.37

5. Eric Bengi/Tuta Mionki (Subaru Impreza) 92.45

6. Jasmeet Chana/Ravi Chana (Mitsubishi Evolution10) 94.30

7. Hassan Alwi/Leroy Olinga (Subaru Impreza) 97.25

8. Ammar Haq/Victor Okundi (Mitsubishi Evolution10) 100.35

9. John Ng’ang’a/George Njoroge (Subaru Impreza) 103.16

10. Sohanjeet Puee/Adnan Din (Subaru Impreza) 103.34

11. Ian Duncan/Anthony Nielsen (Nissan Pickup) 104.10

12. Rajay Sehmi/Tej Sehmi (Porsche 911) 105.18

13. Edward Maina/John Ngugi (Subaru Impreza) 110.54

14. Adin Haq/Raju Chaggar (Range Rover) 115.38

15. Sarit Shah/Kigondu Kareithi (Toyota Corolla) 124.07

16. Khalid Umar/Kimeli Korir (Subaru Impreza) 191.09