This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On November 24, 2019, Carl 'Flash' Tundo and his partner Tim Jessop clinched the KCB Eldoret Rally, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the 2019 Kenya National Rally Championship title race.
Driving his R4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo10, Tundo overcame a 10:08-minute deficit to Baldev Chager, who suffered gearbox gremlins on the final stage of the Western Kenya Motor Club-organized event.
Chager's misfortune allowed Tundo to leapfrog into second place, with Onkar Rai completing the podium in third.
Issa Amwari achieved a career-best fourth finish in the event, which was marred by several cars getting stuck in the muddy Salabin Stage.
Among those who struggled with the adverse conditions were Eric Bengi, McRae Kimathi, Ammar Haq, Nikhil Sachania, and Minesh Rathod, who all failed to access first service.
Carl Tundo expressed his delight at the victory, saying, 'I am very happy for the good result. I prayed for the heavens to open but not as much rain as we witnessed in Eldoret this year. The stages were fun to drive, all in all a good day at the office. We are still in the hunt for the Championship though with an outside chance.'
Chager's navigator, Ravi Soni, described the conditions as tough, saying, 'We still lead the Championship which is the most important thing for now. We kind of enjoyed the conditions as they were different and very challenging as compared to other rallies.'
With the Guru Nanak Rally set to decide the championship on December 15, Chager holds a 162-point lead over Tundo, who trails by 20 points.
