Not A Flash in the Pan

Carl Tundo

Friday, May 1st, 2009

Carl 'Flash' Tundo is the 2009 KCB Safari Rally. He staved off a strong challenge from the likes of Alistar Cavenagh and Baldev Chager to reassert Mitsubishi Evolution's dominance of the Safari rally. A few days after his victory, Autozine caught up with him at his farm in Nakuru.

1. Congratulations on winning the 57^th edition of the Safari Rally. How do you feel about your victory?

I'm extremely happy and proud to win as I have worked very hard, and come close many times. To win the Safari is the ultimate for us Kenyan drivers. I've been a runner up for the last 2 years so I really wanted to win. There was huge pressure to make sure the car was in the best shape to succeed and I was mentally prepared to achieve this goal.

2. Tell us a bit about yourself: When and how did you get started? Was it a childhood dream?

Ever since I can remember I wanted to Rally drive.

3. What might have influenced you into becoming a rally driver?

I'm from a farming background, I live in Nakuru. I was born in Nairobi in 1973 to a Kenyan rally veteran, Frank Tundo, a former works Subaru driver with over 10 Safari finishes, with 7^th place on the '86 Safari being his best, more so as he beat a works Peugeot 205 TurboE2 of five times Safari winner Shekhar Mehta by a minute to claim 7^th. Due to my father's involvement, my passion for the sport was immediate and at the first chance I jumped at the opportunity.

4. Your earliest rallying memories.

I remember Easter weekends as a kid rushing around the country with my mother and siblings servicing for my father in the Safari rally. I started rallying myself in 1995 by taking on the challenge of The Safari Rally. I finished 10^th and 3^rd in Group 'N' behind Japan's Hideaki Miyoshi and Kenya's Marco Brighetti, driving a Subaru Impreza with Matthew Luckhurst, having started at 49^th position!

5. Rallying heroes

Marcus Gronholm and Marku Alen

6. The state of the sport in the country at the moment. Quite a huge entry we had this year

Thanks to the support of KCB rallying has really taken off again in Kenya. This was shown by the amount of entrants and huge amount of spectators this year.

7. Rallying highs and lows

Highs - My first ever win in the 2004 Safari rally. My 2nd place in the 2007 IRC/Safari rally to Conrad Rautenbach, beating the Fiat Arabath Works Team and of course this year's Safari win.

Lows - Losing the championship in 2005 by 5 points, crashing in the coast rally last year. Kenya losing WRC status.

8. The machines

I've always been a Subaru fan and have always driven one. This probably stems back to my Dad driving for them. This year I have moved to Mitsubishi as I felt the Evo 9 was more competitive in GpN. So far so good and I'm really enjoying it. I still think the Subaru is stronger but that the Mitsubishi has more power.

9. The future

In the long term, to continue rallying competitively for as long as possible, and to enjoy it. This year to try and regain the championship. I would like to try and compete in the ARC at some stage, but financially at the moment it is not possible. My sponsorship allows me to compete in the KNRC only. I think we have some of the best drivers on the continent.

10. Appreciation

A big thank you to Dalbit Petroleum who have supported me through thick and thin and whom without I could not compete. As a driver we get very little support from the car manufacturers in Kenya. I wish they would acknowledge the amount of free publicity they get through rallying. This year for example, Mitsubishi had a 1-2-3 finish. What an amazing PR tool this could be.

Flash Facts