Fierce battles expected in Top Fry Classic rally as big names renew rivalries

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Frank Tundo's Triumph in a past event. [The Standard]

Today the Laikipia plains erupt into a festival of speed, daredevilry, horse power and incredible torque in the first day of the Top Fry Safari Rally.

The event features pre-1984 marques, such as the two 3.5 litre Triumph TR7s behind whose wheels are big-time farmer Carl Tundo and his father Frank Tundo.

Rift Valley Motor & Sports Club, the organisers of the rally, embarked on their first Rift Valley 1000 Classic Rally Sponsored by Top Fry.

The idea behind the event, according to the Top Fry Safari rally website, was to create an affordable, compact Classic Rally which would encourage all owners of Classic Cars in the region to take part.

This event took place in three days of December and was a huge success with the majority of entries coming from Kenya, but also a welcome few from the UK and South Africa.

 Based on Lake Bogoria, the rally was run over three counties through some of the most remote and scenic parts of the Kenyan Rift Valley.

 Sections ranged from 100kms of fast flowing technical gravel to 50kms of tight twisty tarmac which was part of a marathon 180km stage.

Throughout the event, the cars climbed from 3000ft to 9000ft above sea level and back.

Daredevil crowd puller Ian Duncan will certainly give everybody a run for their money.  The two-time East African Classic Rally winner (2009 and 2013) and Kenya National Rally Champion (2017) will be driving a Ford Mustang and not the Capri that couldn't survive the East African classic last year.

It was in the Mustang that Duncan conquered the East African event.

Below, the men and their machines but this is not the starting order.

Entry

Make

Power

 

 Team

 •Nationality•

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinesh Sachania / Feisal Khan

Datsun 180B

1800cc

 

Samani Rally Team

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jasneil Ghataure / Falgun Bhojak

VW Golf Mk2

1800cc

 

Quest Motorsport

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malcolm Destro

Datsun 260z

2800cc

 

Malcolm Destro

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Francis Tuthill

VW Beetle

1600cc

 

Tuthill

UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Lloyd / Andrian Cavenagh

Ford Escort Mk1

2000cc

 

PAC Motorsport

UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mitraj Lochab / Armadip Virdi

VW Beetle

1600cc

 

Lochab Rally Team

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marzio Kravos / Renzo Bernadi

Ferrari 308 GT4

2926cc

 

Kravos Marzio

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Duncan / Amaar Slatch

Ford Capri

3000cc

 

Ian Duncan Rally Team

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joey Ghose / Sinder Sudle

Ford Escort RS

2000cc

 

Freestone R. S

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

David Gough / Nick Starkey

Peugeot 504

 

 

Timoto Sport

UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baldev Chager / Ravi Soni

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

Kabras Sugar Racing

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onkar Rai / Des Page-Morris

Porcshe 911

3000cc

 

Kabras Sugar Racing

Kenya

Tejveer Rai / Zahir Shah

Porcshe 911

3000cc

 

Kabras Sugar Racing

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nish Lakhani / Teeku Patel

Datun SSS

1800cc

 

Safari World Africa

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quentin Savage / Adam Bowen

Datsun 180B

1800cc

 

Savage Rally Team

Kenya/Ireland

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geo  Bell / Tim Challen

Datsun 240Z

2800cc

 

Magnum Cream Liqueur

Kenya

Alastair Cavenagh / Gavin Laurence

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

Vipingo Ridge

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raj Jutley / Etienne Malherbe

Nissan Datsun

1600cc

 

Jutley

Kenya/SA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramesh Vishram / Shameer Yusuf

Ford Escort Mk2

2000cc

 

Cementers

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nick Mason / Crispin Sasson

Datsun 240Z

2800cc

 

Masson Sasson Racing

UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Siddall / Gary Mcelhinney

Datsun 240Z

2785cc

 

Dansport

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frank Tundo / Kavit Dave

Triumph TR7

3500cc

 

Top Fry Racing

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carl Tundo / Tim Jessop

Triumph TR7

3500cc

 

Top Fry Racing

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lola Volaque / Edward Verlaque

VW Golf Mk1

1600cc

 

Lola Volaque

South Africa

Megan Verlaque / Andrew Doig

VW Golf Mk1

1600cc

 

Megan Verlaque

South Africa

Rommy Bamrah / Harvey Jutley

Datsun 240Z

2800cc

 

Gemina Insuarance

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jayant Shah / Ravi Chana

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

Jayant Shah

Tanzania

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Hellier / Douglas Rundgren

Datsun 160J

1600cc

 

Top Fry Racing

Kenya

Rob Linck / Imran Khan

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

ALS Team

Kenya

Akash Dodhia / Altaf Ganatra

Ford Escort Mk1

2000cc

 

Team JCB

Kenya

Raaji Bharij / Rajay Sehmi

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

Raaji Bharij

Kenya

Jonathan Savage / Kieran Day

Datsun 260Z

2800cc

 

Savage Rally Team

Kenya

Kailesh Chauhan / Tariq Malik

Ford Escort RS

1800cc

 

Kailesh Chauhan

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rajesh Maini / Devan Bhundia

Ford Escort Mk1

2000cc

 

Rajesh Maini

Kenya

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aslam Khan / Arshad Khan

Porsche 911

3000cc

 

ALS Team

Kenya