A febrile Carl “Flash” Tundo launched his 2010 Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) title defense in awesome fashion around Kerio Valley incidentally defending the KCB Biashara Banking Rally in the championship winning Mitsubishi Evolution 9.

The Lanet-based farmer had his campaign effectively sewn up when speedster Lee Rose was wrong slotted first time round on the 21.6km CS1 Sergoit-Iten stage before retiring in first service in Iten with mechanical gremlins. Rose resorted for Atul Kochhal when his regular navigator Piers Daykin was held up in Timau.

The victory in the Western Kenya Motor Club organised season-opener was a flawless way for Tundo to start his KNRC defense apparently with the 33mm restrictor increase FIA has allowed effective 2010.

 Spectators and rally officials were able to keep abreast with conditions on the ground thanks to internet service provider partner i-Way Africa and Car Track who are tracking the event real time online.

Five time Kenya Champion Ian Duncan romped home second interestingly on his first event after the dropping of the two percent penalty. 

Third was 1999 Kenya Champion Alastair Cavenagh who had to contend with two punctures on the first loop. Baldev Chager came home 4th with Asad Khan taking fifth overall.

This was Tundo’s seventh win in the Mitsubishi Evolution 9 he acquired from the South African Rally Chicks Lola and Meagan Varlaque last season and crowned it with victory in the Eldoret round last season. Tundo was all smiles as cars pulled in to the Iten service park: “It was a hair-raising event through quite a bit of traffic on the way. It was actually difficult to gauge the speed if there is more power (in the increased restrictor size) as it pulls a lot more on the top end,” Tundo commented.