After keeping his fans guessing over what’s up his sleeves, four-time ARC Safari Rally winner Carl Tundo has finally handed in his entry for the 8th edition of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally slated for November 23rd to December 1st.
Tundo and his longstanding partner Tim Jessop join the growing list of star-studded drivers comprising of 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist, WRC 1994 Safari Rally winner Ian Duncan, multiple former Kenyan champion Baldev Singh Chager, South Africa’s Geoff Bell and the highly competitive Group B Mazda RX -7 of French historic veteran, Philippe Gache.
Tundo, son of Kenyan Safari veteran Frank Tundo, returns to the world’s toughest historic rally in the same Triumph TR7 machine he drove on the 2015 edition of Safari Classic.
“Flash” as he is amiably referred to as in Kenyan rally circles is no stranger to the Safari Classic fold. He navigated his best friend and multiple former Kenya Champion Alastair Cavenagh in a Ford Escort on the inaugural Safari Classic in 2003, and yet again, in a Mark2 on the 2011 and 2013 editions.
Carl, who won the ARC Safari Rally for the first time in 2004, made his Safari Classic driving debut in 2015 in a Triumph TR7 when incessant mechanical problems restricted him to 15th overall position. During the 2015 event Carl impressed with some impressive top stage times. He returns to the prestigious marathon competition as one of the favorite drivers a few weeks after completing a fourth career Guru Nanak Rally scalp behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 during the latest event of the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) in Naivasha earlier in the month.
Meanwhile, the EASCR secretariat in Nairobi’s Riverside hinted of more high-profiled entries with Event General Manager Pipi Renu expressing his gratitude and gusto over Carl’s presence on the list.
“With the growing interest of star-studded foreigners and locals, we can now look forward to some scintillating podium rivalry on the forthcoming event. The million dollar question is: Will Tundo be the man to lay his hands on the coveted title; which is one of the few titles missing from his trophy cabinet? Or will he be the man to mitigate Ian Duncan’s unprecedented hat trick! Could he be the man to thin down the much-talked-about Duncan/Blomqvist rivalry? Going by the occasional flashes of brilliance Flash Tundo displayed on the last Classic, we can only hope for some dazzling podium rivalry. We are all very excited about Tundo’s entry and can’t wait to see just how things pan out from now on. Carl is one such driver you will hardly underestimate on a good day, so thrills and spills guarantee here!!”
This year’s Safari Classic Rally is cosponsored by Safaricom, Dodhia Packaging Ltd, Copy Cat Group, Vipingo Ridge, Internet Solutions and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
Courtesy