This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Tundo, Jessop off the ramp first as Bengi gets new navigator ¶
Kenya Champion Carl 'Flash' Tundo and his partner Tim Jessop will be the first ones off the ramp in Saturday's KCB Meru Rally.
They currently rank second on the Kenya National Rally Championship and will be fighting to dislodge high-flying Baldev Chager from the summit of the log.
Behind Tundo will be ARC Safari winners Chager and his partner Ravi Soni, who will be hoping to give their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10 its third win of the season.
But the real battle will be between the R4 EVOs and the R5 Skodas and VW Polos of Manvir Baryan and Onkar Rai, who are seeded third and fourth respectively on the provisional start list.
Onkar reunites with Gavin Laurence in his VW Polo, which is yet to finish a rally on Kenyan soil since its debut on the Mombasa Rally.
Eric Bengi, who is returning home this weekend, is seeded fifth ahead of Jasmeet Chana and Division 1 leader Karan Patel.
Bengi, who joined the KNRC Premier Class this season, is currently the fastest black indigenous driver. He will be without his regular lady navigator Tuta Mionki, who has been unwell, and will be replaced by Peter Mutuma.
Tuta said: 'It's sad that I will not be racing on my home rally after all. I have been there once when Meru was part of the 2015 Safari Rally. We did quite well and I am hoping for a great performance. The fans are amazing and I remember them getting excited to see one of their daughters in a rally car.'
The KCB Meru Rally is the seventh round of the Kenya National Rally Championship, which has already visited Nakuru, Naivasha, Kajiado, Mombasa, Nanyuki, and now Meru.
