• Navigated by Tim Jessop in a Skoda Fabia Rally 2, the five-timeA RC Safari Rally winner led the Kenyan charge in 13th position which placed him third in WRC2 behind overnight leader Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Martin Prokop.
•Tundo is seeking his second career WRC top 10 after finishing 9th in 2021 and third in WRC3, the same year the iconic Safari returned to the global circuit.
Image: JACK OWUOR
Local hero Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo is on the brink of a top-three WRC2 result on home soil after returning third in class on the penultimate day of WRC Safari Rally Kenya.
Navigated by Tim Jessop in a Skoda Fabia Rally 2, the five-time ARC Safari Rally winner led the Kenyan charge in 13th position going into Sunday’s finale in Malewa, Oserian and Hells Gate. The grueling Saturday run saw him return third in WRC2 behind overnight leader Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Martin Prokop.
Tundo, who is also the event’s Organizing Committee chairman, is seeking a second career WRC top ten after finishing ninth in 2021 and third in WRC3 class, the same year the iconic Safari returned to the global circuit. Grégoire Munster’s retirement handed the WRC2 lead to Kajetanowicz, who currently sits eighth after 13 stages.
Asked about his chances on the last day of the iconic African fixture, Kajetanowicz told www.wrc.com: “There is still a long way to go. I need to say one more time that I am sorry for Grégoire. He was very quick. It was a good day for us but it’s not the end, a lot of things can still happen.”
Thierry Neuville climbed to ninth by the end of the day while Oliver Solberg, who is not registered to score WRC2 points this week, sealed the top 10. Kenya’s Ford Fiesta Rally2 driver Karan Patel is the second-placed Kenyan driver in 18th place.
Meanwhile, Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä will go head-to-head for Safari supremacy after Saturday’s final stage at Sleeping Warrior blew the victory fight wide open.
On a day when Toyota GR Yaris cars topped the timesheets in every single stage, Ogier looked set to end this penultimate leg comfortably in front of his championship-leading colleague, the Frenchman happy to measure his pace and keep a watchful eye on those behind after overcoming tire damage in SS8.
But a sudden downpour in the closing 31.04km Sleeping Warrior caused chaos. The dry and dusty roads quickly turned to mud and offered minimal grip in conditions akin to ice.
Ogier, the last of the Rally1 cars into the stage, was perhaps hit harder by the conditions than any of his rivals, limping to the finish line with two slow punctures. It meant the Frenchman's advantage was sliced in half after conceding more than 15 secs and he will start Sunday’s six-stage finale just 16.7sec clear at the top.
Sunday’s finale will feature three stages —each run twice — covering both sides of Lake Naivasha.
Last run in 2021, Malewa (9.0km) is back on the itinerary and opens proceedings on the fourth and final day.
Up next are Oserian (18.33km) and Hell’s Gate (10.53km), both of which are run in a similar format to 2022.
The second pass through Hell’s Gate, which finishes amid stunning scenery at Fischer’s Tower, forms the Wolf Power Stage with bonus points on offer for drivers and manufacturers. The survivors will then return to Naivasha for the afternoon finish ceremony.
DAY 3 LEADERBOARD
1. (#17) S. OGIER/ V. LANDAIS- FRA/ FRA (GR Yaris Rally1) 2:43:49.2
2. (#69) K. ROVANPERÄ /J. HALTTUNEN- FIN/ FIN (GR Yaris Rally1) +16.7
3 . (#33) E. EVANS/ S. MARTIN - GBR/GBR (GR Yaris Rally1) +2:23.3
4 . (#18) T. KATSUTA / A. JOHNSTON -JPN- IRL (GR Yaris Rally1) +2:40.0
5. (#6) D. SORDO/ C. CARRERA- ESP/ ESP (I20 N Rally1) +3:52.3
6. (#8) O. TÄNAK/ M. JÄRVEOJA – EST/ EST (Puma Rally1) +8:38.9
7. (#7) P. LOUBET/N. GILSOUL FRA /BEL (Puma Rally1) +13:56.6
8. (#21) K. KAJETANOWICZ /M. SZCZEPANIAK - POL /POL (Fabia Evo-WRC2) +19:53.1
9. (#11) T. NEUVILLE/M. WYDAEGHE -BEL /BEL (I20 N Rally1 )+24:06.2
10. (#20) O. SOLBERG/ E. EDMONDSON- SWE- GBR (Fabia Evo) +24:06.6
11. (#23) M. PROKOP/ Z. JURKA- CZE- CZE (Fiesta Mk II WRC2) +29:54.4
12. (#4) E. LAPPI/ J. FERM- FIN /FIN (I20 N Rally) +31:00.8
13. (#26) C. TUNDO/T. JESSOP (Fabia WRC2) +32:14.7
14. (#24) A. KREMER/T. GOTTSCHALK-DEU/DEU (Fabia Evo WRC2 +34:48.1
15 (#22) G. MUNSTER/ L. LOUKA- LUX/BEL (Fiesta Mk II WRC2) +36:58.9
16 .(#9) J. SERDERIDIS/A. MALFOY - GRC/FRA (Puma Rally1 HYBRID) +40:14.3
17. (#34) D. DOMINGUEZ/R. PEÑATE- PRY/ESP (Fiesta Rally3 WRC3) +49:45.5
18. (#25) K. PATEL/ T. KHAN- KEN/ KEN (Fiesta WRC2) +58:55.2
19. (#44) N. SACHANIA/D. PATEL - GBR/KEN (Lancer Evo X) +1:07:44.5
20. (#30) A. VIRANI/A. BHATTI -KEN/ KEN (Fabia WRC2) +1:09:21.4
21. (#27) D. CHWIST/K. HELLER - POL/POL (Fabia RS WRC2) +1:14:59.0
22. (#28) ESP M. DÍAZ ABOITIZ ESP R. SANJUAN (Fabia Evowrc2) +1:18:07.8
23. (#29) G. VASILAKIS/T. KRAWSZIK - GRC/GRC (Fiesta Mk II WRC2) +1:21:32.1
24. (#32) S. SINGH VOHRA/A. KHAN- KEN/ KEN (Fabia Evowrc2) +1:35:39.2
25. (#36) J. WAHOME/ V. OKUNDI- KEN/KEN (Fiesta WRC3) +1:42:06.7
26. (#38) J. BAILEY/ J. WILLETTS -CAN/CAN (Fiesta WRC3) +1:44:00.2
27. (#37) M. KIMATHI/M. KIONI- KEN/KEN (Fiesta WRC3) +1:50:34.7
28(#41) E. NZIOKA/ A. ASWANI KEN/KEN (Lancer Evo X NAT) +2:12:45.0