In the world of rallying, where bravery meets instincts and discipline, the spotlight often shines brightest on the driver. But in 2025, the motorsport fraternity witnessed the rise of a man whose voice, judgment, and spirit became the backbone of a championship team Duncan Katumba, the uprising co-driver who powered Walts Rally Team to victory in the 2025 Clubman Rally Championship (CRC).
Duncan’s story didn’t start inside a cockpit. Before he ever fastened a racing harness or flipped through pace notes, he had already spent years in the motorsport environment observing, learning, understanding the culture, and mastering the rules that make rallying the demanding sport it is. So when he finally stepped into the right seat as a co-driver, he carried with him a wealth of knowledge and passion that would soon prove invaluable.
One of the greatest chapters of his story begins with Walter Kibande, a talented street racer with speed in his veins but no rally stripes yet. Duncan saw potential in Walter long before Walter saw it in himself. With his trademark humor and honest conviction, Duncan pushed, encouraged, and eventually convinced Walter to join the world of competitive rallying.
And that influence paid off.
In their very first year racing together, Duncan and Walter formed a bond that turned into one of the strongest partnerships in the 2025 CRC season. The 2025 Clubman Rally Championship wasn’t a smooth ride. The category was packed with young, aggressive, and hungry drivers. The pressure was constant; the stakes got higher with every round but Walts Rally Team showed up with performance, consistency, and heart. While Walter focused on controlling the Subaru—his “thing,” as Duncan became the spine of the team, ensuring nothing was left to chance.
He mastered timekeeping.
He handled logistics.
He communicated with mechanics.
He interpreted regulations.
He coordinated the crew.
And inside the car, he took full command.
To Walter, Duncan wasn’t just a co-driver, he was the voice of caution, the strategist, the brain behind the car. Their friendship and brotherhood made communication effortless. They didn’t just race together; they understood each other on and off the stage.
No rally season is complete without its heartbreaks, and for Duncan, the EMC Stabex Rally Jinja remains unforgettable. A short note called as a long note sent the car into the bush a DNF that came with damage, cost, and frustration.
But Duncan, with a laugh that only someone with true resilience can manage, looked back at that moment knowing it didn’t break them. Despite the crash and the repair bills that followed, the team had built a strong lead from the beginning of the championship.
He accepted the DNF, regrouped, rebuilt, and refocused.
That calm confidence helped keep the entire team grounded.
The battle for the 2025 title lasted all season long nothing was guaranteed until the final event. The team carried pressure from every direction: financial strain, fierce competition, and the physical and mental demands of each rally route and when the dust settled, Walts Rally Team were the 2025 CRC Champions. Their first championship and one they deeply, truly deserved.
He proudly dedicates this victory not just to himself and Walter, but to the entire team and all the fans who stood behind them through every crest, corner, and service break. Duncan openly acknowledges what many still overlook in motorsport:
“Co-drivers are the brain behind the car until the last Flying Finish.”
They manage the car before the race, during scrutineering, through every stage, and all the way back to the finish. They protect time, those precious milliseconds that make or break a championship. They ensure rules are followed. They prevent penalties. They guide the driver. They make split-second decisions that can save a race.
And Duncan does it all with heart, discipline, and passion.
For Duncan Katumba, this is more than a title.
It is more than a trophy.
It is the fulfillment of a dream—one he shared with Walter from day one.
This 2025 CRC Championship is proof that belief, teamwork, and determination can turn first-year rookies into champions. And today, Duncan finally gets his flowers.
He earned them.
He deserves them.
And the motorsport world will remember his name.
Congratulations to 2025 CRC Champions, Walter Kibande and Duncan Katumba
This is only the beginning.
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