Duncan scents title with win in Kisumu

BY FEVERPITCH REPORTER

Five times former National champion Ian Duncan has made a big stride towards the 2011 Kenya National Rally Championship diadem, with scintillating victory in the KCB Advantage Banking Rally in Chemelil and Awasi.

Outgoing champion Alastair Cavenagh clocked 1h54m58s and settled for second overall place despite trailing Duncan by a massive seven minutes.

Cavenagh was drawn aback with excruciating punctures, but bounced back in awesome fashion when he won CS3 and CS4 with zest and vigour.

In winning the sixth round of the KNRC series, Duncan (who clocked 1h47m42s) now leads the KNRC series with 425 points against Tundo’s 290.

This means the 1994 WRC Safari Rally winner only needs a paltry 25 points or a top-seven finish to recapture the title he last held in the 2000 season.

Duncan’s title aspirations got a major boost when hot contender Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo kissed Kisumu tour goodbye earlier on the third section.

Blasting through one of the most picturesque but challenging routes so far in 2011, Duncan savored his third win of the season after Athi and Eldama Ravine and also drove sensibly even as heavens opened on the last competitive stage between Daraja Mbili and Kibigori Junction.

The Equator Motor Club tour -flagged off by Nyanza PC Francis Mutiah - featured a competitive distance of 157km and a rally total of 348km also traversing the Nandi South region.

The battle for supremacy in the main KNRC Class was awesome. Duncan opened a 6seconds lead from Tundo on the opening 17Km Katito-Awasi section.

But Tundo’s spirited run was, however, stymied with a broken cross member on CS3 Daraja Mbili.

Former Clubman rally champion Hardeep Rehsi-in one of his best runs-also retired on CS6 while chasing a maiden podium that never was.