KISUMU, Kenya, September 1- Carl “Flash” Tundo navigated by Tim Jessop in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 fought gallantry to win the KCB Mobi Bank Kisumu Rally in Chemase region on Saturday.
The Equator Motor Club tour was rendered a two-horse race pitting defending champion Tundo and Ian Duncan after series leader Baldev Chager suffered a puncture 5km into the opening CS1 Chepsweta stage.
But Duncan had contend with fourth following an excruciating flat that saw him lose grip on the lakeside showdown which he won last year.
Homeboy Jaspreet Singh Chatthe stunned all when he secured a maiden podium finish; incidentally on his first outing in the Mitsubishi EVOX car after re-uniting with Gugu Panesar.
A top-three finish for the duo was indeed a welcome relief for home fans given that the pair rolled their EVO9 machine during last month’s Safari Rally.
“Im now coming to grips with the new car though I didn’t start well in the initial sections but as the rally wore on, I got better and better,” Chatthe.
Omar Mayanja from Uganda won the 2WD Class in 13th overall but Toyota Vitz driver Sammy Nyorri in 20th scored a maximum 80 Formula Two championship points with his new lady navigator Qui Mungai.
There were only two 2WD finishers in Kisumu. Khan brothers Aslam and Arshad won the Classic Car Cup in 12th overall place after their category adversary Hardev Singh Sira of Great Britain retired in CS1 with clutch problems.
KNRC Debutant Ronak Shah and his Nairobi partner Riyaz Ismail won the S Class in 14th overall place. Jassi Chatthe emerged the KNRC Division Two winner while Division 3 honors went to Jasmeet Chana in 7th place.
Aslam Khan who is the reigning Classic Car Cup Champion said he is planning to rest his Porsche 911 and strip it well in time for the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic.
Aslam said he is planning to use a different car during the penultimate Guru Nanak Rally which will take place on the first week of October.
FINAL RESULTS –KCB KISUMU RALLY
1.Carl Tundo/Tim Jessop (Mitsubishi EVO 9) 1:40.01
2. Jaspreet Chatthe/Gurdeep Panesar (Mitsubishi EVO X) 1:42.35
3. Baldev Chager/Ravi Soni (Mitsubishi EVOX) 1:44.06
4. Ian Duncan/Amaar Slatch (Mitsubishi EVO9) 1:45.55
5. Azar Anwar/Julius Ngigi (Mitsubishi EVO 8) 1:46.40
6. Izhar Mirza/Kavir Dave (Mitsubishi EVO 9) 1:47.30
7. Jasmeet Chana/Rohit Budhia (Mitsubishi EVO9) 1:49.08
8. Hardeep Rehsi/Jaspal Matharu (Mitsubishi EVO 9) 1:49.12
9. Farhaaz Khan/Taussef Khan (Subaru Impreza) 1:53.32
10. Raaji Bharij/Geoff Mayes (Mitsubishi EVO 9) 1:53.38
11. Rajbir Rai/Supee Soin (EVOX) 1:59.39
12. Aslam Khan/ Shakeel Khan (Porsche 911) 2:05.46
13. Omar Mayanja/James Mwangi -UG (Toyota Allex) 2:06.01
14. Ronak Shah/Riyaz Ismail (Toyota Celica) 2:06.20
15. Jaswinder Chana/Ravi Chana (Toyota Celica GT4) 2:10.14
16. Mahesh Halai/Ketan Halai (Subaru Impreza16) 2:10.25
17. Davinder Saimbi/Gurdeep Mehangra (Subaru Impreza N16) 2:23.20
18. Stephen Mwangi/Steven Nyorri (Subaru Impreza N10) 2:25.29
19.Phillis Wambui/Linet Ayuko 2:27.53
20. Sammy Nyorri/Kui Mungai (Toyota Vitz) 2:29.39
