Page 16 - EASCR22

T h e D r iv ers
The Drivers
Flash Tundo
If you like statistics then how are these:
Most number of modern Safari Rally victories – 6
(beating the late great Shekhar Mehta who had 5 wins
to his name!) Although it must be noted that they
were of very different distances and duration.
The first driver and co-driver to win the African and
Kenyan Championships in the same year in totally
different machinery! (2021 – A Polo R5 for Africa and a
Mitsubishi Evo for Kenya!) With an 80% finish rate
since they started rallying and tasting the winners
champagne on 34% of all of their rallies this
partnership certainly seems to have the Midas touch!
If you blink you'll miss them – its' Flash and Tim!
Muddy waters
Flash spent a few editions of the Classic sharing the
drive with Alistair Cavenagh before bringing out a
Triumph TR7 for the 2015 edition. Overheating issues
plagued the car on its debut but intense development
sorted the beast before the 2017 running. This was the
infamous (and rather controversial) year where
modern rally regulations and the dynamics of rallying
in Africa somewhat muddied the waters.
As a result the history books will show that there were
two winners of the rally. And both will agree that each
other was equally as deserving a victor. Regardless of
the outcome and what your feelings are of the one
16
stage that added the twist to the plot, you cannot
hide from the fact that Flash, Tim and that TR7 were
simply mega throughout the 2017 Classic Safari Rally.
They made the wedge shaped TR7 do things I don't
think its' designers ever imagined!
And they're back in 2022 to do it all again. Flash
doesn't hide from the fact that he disagreed with the
direction that the rally was heading prior to the 2019
edition and chose not to enter. Now, with the event
under new management, and with clearer rules, he
feels it is ready to shake the cobwebs off the roaring
V8 and taken on the top draw field.
Equally matched
Flash maintains that the Triumph still has the equal of a
Porsche but admits that he will need to bring his “A” game
every day! There have been some small developments
such as strengthening the front end but on the whole the
car is unchanged from 2017. When weighing up the pros
and cons against a Porsche, Flash feels that the TR has
better torque which will help in the rough and the mud,
the cars are equally matched on top speed but that
maybe the Porsche has better suspension. But, as he
points out, “we wouldn't bother turning up if we didn't
think we could be in with a chance!”
We then pushed the multiple Kenyan Champion on the
Kenyan rivalary. For the past few years it has been
about Flash vs Ian vs Baldy. But for 2022 Lee Rose
rejoins the battle. These four have enjoyed intense
battles against each other in the past and we asked
Flash who was his biggest threat on the Classic. He
feels that it will be Baldev Chager – the two have done
almost the same number of rallies over the past 12
months and so are the most “match fit” and he thinks
the Porsche is the most well developed car amongst
these three rivals…
When asked if there was any strategy Flash feels that
the first three days will be crucial. Without knowing
the route competitors can only guess at where the
organisers are taking them, based on the overnight
halts but there are murmurs of “Gods Bridge”,
“Fluorspar”, “Loldaigas” - all famous stages and Flash
feels these all offer him a chance to gain an advantage
over the foreigners. “Anyone doing these roads for a
first time is in for a real treat!”