Flash Tundo is the 2021 African Rally champion : The standard Sports

Carl Tundo is the 2021 African Rally Championship (ARC) winner.

The series leader sealed his season victory after clocking 1:29:42.8 to win ARC Round 7 in Rwanda dubbed Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally at the weekend.

“It is great winning both the Rwanda event and the African overall title,” said Tundo after the contest.

The Rwanda feat now brings Tundo’s total tally to 120 points with Round 8 in South Africa, slated for next month, to spare.

Tundo has triumphed in all the four legs of the 2021 ARC series back to back.

He won the Equator Rally Kenya in Naivasha, Rally of Tanzania and Zambia International Rally.

He takes over the continental mantle from former champion Manvir Baryan of Kenya who also won the title back to back in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Tundo’s win is also the sixth Kenyan title in a row in the Africa motorsport premier event.

Other Kenyan greats who have sealed the title include the legendary Shekhar Mehta (1981), David Horsey (1984), Jaspreet Singh Chatthe (2015) and Don Smith (2016).

Guy Botteril (South africa) Yassin Nasser (Uganda), Farid Daniel Assaf ( Ivory Coast) and Karan Patel (Kenya) gave Tundo a run for his money this season but the VW Polo speedster proved a hard nut to crack.

Tundo went into the final day of the Rwanda rally with the ARC title well insight after closest rival, Botterill dropped out on day one.

 He only had to finish the contest to be crowned the ultimate African champion.

Tundo asserted his dominance in the event edging compatriot Patel to clinch the victory by 14.4 seconds.

Patel finished second in Rwanda followed by McRae Kimathi in third place; to register an all Kenyan 1-3 podium.

Kenya’s all-female crew of Maxine Wahome and Linet Ayuko ended the day fourth with Uganda’s Nasser and Ali Katumba settling for fifth position after mechanical mishaps.

“I have dreamt of the continental title for along time.I’m glad the bucket list is finally ticked,” said Tundo.

FIA African Rally Championship winners:

1981: Kenya Shekhar Mehta       Nissan

1982: West Germany Walter Röhrl           Opel

1983: Ivory Coast Alain Ambrosino           Peugeot

1984: Kenya David Horsey            Peugeot

1985: Rwanda Luc Requile           Opel/Mitsubishi

1986: Ivory Coast Alain Ambrosino           Nissan

1987: Ivory Coast Alain Ambrosino           Nissan

1988: Zambia Satwant Singh        Toyota

1989: Zambia Satwant Singh        Volkswagen

1990: Burundi Walter Costa         Peugeot

1991: Zambia Satwant Singh        Toyota

1992: Italy Aldo Riva       Audi

1993: Zambia Satwant Singh        Toyota

1994: Zimbabwe Abe Smit            Audi

1995: Namibia Fritz Flachberger Ford

1996: Zambia Satwant Singh        Subaru

1997: Zambia Satwant Singh        Subaru

1998: Zambia Satwant Singh        Subaru

1999: Uganda Charles Muhangi Subaru

2000: Zambia Satwant Singh        Subaru

2001: South Africa Schalk Burger               Subaru

2002: South Africa John Gemmel              Subaru

2003: Spain Fernando Rueda      Mitsubishi

2004: Zambia Muna Singh            Subaru

2005: Zambia Muna Singh            Subaru

2006: Belgium Patrick Emontspool           Subaru

2007: Zimbabwe Conrad Rautenbach      Subaru

2008: Japan Hideaki Miyoshi       Mitsubishi

2009: Zimbabwe James Whyte   Subaru

2010: Zimbabwe James Whyte   Subaru

2011: Zimbabwe Conrad Rautenbach      Subaru

2012: Zambia Mohamed Essa     Subaru

2013: Zambia Jassy Singh              Subaru

2014: Ivory Coast Gary Chaynes Mitsubishi

2015: Kenya Jaspreet Singh Chatthe        Mitsubishi

2016: Kenya Don Smith Subaru

2017: Kenya Manvir Baryan         Škoda

2018: Kenya Manvir Baryan         Škoda

2019: Kenya Manvir Baryan         Škoda

2020: Postponed due to covid-19

2021: Kenya Carl Tundo VW Polo