Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle have taken a stunning second consecutive victory on Sol Rally Barbados, winning by 16.75 seconds over British rally regulars Paul Bird and Ian Windress.
This was the 20th running of the event and competition was as high as ever in the capacity entry with five of the World Rally Car competitors having won the event on a combined 15 occasions.
Meeke now joins Kenny McKinstry as another driver from Northern Ireland who has put his name on the winner’s trophy twice, with McKinstry winning in 1993 and 1996.
As the blue Subaru approached the stages the crowds went wild to get a glimpse of the IRC points leader on their home turf, and the chance to see him compete against their local heroes, Roger Skeete and Paul Bourne.
And it was ten-time Rally Barbados winner Skeete who gave the chase to Meeke on Saturday morning before crashing out of the event. From that point on Meeke extended his lead and kept it until the end of the event.
“Not many people from outside the country win this rally, so it’s fantastic to win it for a second time,” said Meeke at the finish in Busy Park. “Roger Skeete pushed us hard yesterday with him being in an S12 and us being in an S9, so winning is a great reward for the pace we had to drive at to try to keep him at bay. This is a fantastic place to come rallying and the thousands of people who line up on the stages are amazing to see, such a welcoming crowd.
“After our problems on the King of the Hill last weekend, the car was great this weekend. We had an exhaust problem which meant switching the anti lag off in one stage, and another small exhaust problem later but that was pretty much it.”
With the win under their belt, Meeke and Nagle were able to watch their fellow competitors on the super special before they took to the track last to rapturous applause from the thousands of spectators gathered, as they slid around to entertain and perform donuts at various points around the Bushy Park track to ensure every spectator got a chance to see. They also stopped the car at one point to get out to wave at the crowd.
The prize giving event takes place today (Monday), then it’s back home and straight back into preparation for the next IRC event for the boys.
BIRD ON BARBADOS PODIUM AGAIN
Posted: June 3, 2009 2:59 PM
Twelve months after finishing runner-up on his favourite event, Penrith rally driver Paul Bird had to settle for second position behind Ulsterman Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle once again after a brave challenge fell just short on last weekend's SOL Rally Barbados.
Driving the www.supercasino.com, Vent-Axia and Kick Energy-backed Ford Focus WRC07 which was flown in specially for the event, Bird and Northallerton co-driver Ian Windress were hoping to go one better and after a good start, they trailed Meeke in his Subaru WRC S9 by 21 seconds at the overnight halt on Saturday.
With Sunday's super-fast stages to look forward to, Bird tried to respond and set four fastest times to Meeke's three as they battled it out at speeds of around 200kmh for the lead but in the end, Meeke's early advantage proved to be enough and he ended up winning by just 16.75 seconds after the two-day event.
After the finish on Sunday night, Bird remarked: "It just doesn't get much better than this; this really is the best rally in the world. The crowds, the organisers, the enthusiasm and the people are just fantastic. Of course I'm disappointed not to win but we gave it our best shot and to lose to a driver of Kris' quality, who leads the Intercontinental Rally Challenge as Peugeot UK's works driver isn't too bad. But I'm even more thrilled that I beat my old mate Steve Perez once again!"
PEREZ WOWS CROWDS IN BARBADOS
Posted: June 2, 2009 3:27 PM
Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez may not have won this year's SOL Rally Barbados but he came away as a champion nonetheless after a memorable weekend on the Caribbean island.
Following on his fourth place finish on the 'King of the Hill' rallysprint, driving the Ford Focus RS WRC 05, the Chesterfield businessman was hoping for the elusive victory on the main two day rally and was well placed inside the top ten in the opening stages when he suffered a problem on the fourth stage (Canefield South 2) which meant he lost an unretrievable 11 minutes which dropped him to 71st overall.
Having gained an affinity with the Bajans over the years, rather than try to make up the lost time or retire, he decided that he would spend the rest of the rally entertaining the crowds, so at every conceivable opportunity, especially at the packed Bushy Park spectator stage, he did a series of 'donuts' before eventually finishing in 36th place.
"I'm really disappointed to have missed out on fighting for a podium position on such a great event. We had been setting top five times when the fly-by-wire motor that controls the throttle failed in the fourth stage costing us 11 minutes" said Perez afterwards.
"It's been a really fantastic rally from start to finish, in a great part of the world and we've thoroughly enjoyed entertaining the massive crowds who turned out on the event. Judging by the cheers and the fact that everyone was waving, I think they enjoyed us entertaining them in our own spectacular way. I think I enjoyed doing that almost as much as winning the rally!"
MEEKE AND NAGLE REPEAT SOL RALLY BARBADOS WIN
Posted: June 2, 2009 3:25 PM
Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle won the Caribbean's
biggest annual international motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados
2009, for the second time last weekend (May 29-31); driving the
Digicel/Red Bull/ARMAG Subaru Impreza WRC S9 for the first time,
Meeke's winning margin was 16.75s, almost identical to last year.
After receiving their trophies from the Minister of Sport, Dr
Esther Byer-Suckoo, at the Prizegiving at The Boatyard in the
island's capital Bridgetown yesterday (June 1), Meeke compared the
experience with his 'day job' as Peugeot UK's driver in the
Intercontinental Rally Challenge, which he currently leads: "In the
IRC, I get a real sense of satisfaction when I get home for a job
well done, but here I actually enjoy it while I'm doing it."
As last year, the second step of the podium was occupied by
England's Paul Bird and Ian Windress (SuperCasino.com/Vent Axia/VK
Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC07). 'Birdy' remarked: "It just doesn't get
much better than this, this really is the best rally in the world,
the crowds, the enthusiasm, the people."
Third, and highest-placed local crew, were former winner Paul
Bourne and Stuart Maloney (Banks/LIME/Virgin Atlantic Subaru Impreza
WRC S9), who finished a further 56 seconds behind Bird. Highest-
placed regional crew were Jamaica's Jeffrey Panton - another former
winner - and Mike Fennell Jnr (Automotive Art/Bearings and Seals/
Jamaica Freight and Shipping/Seaboard/Castrol/Active Traders/Automoto
Ford Focus WRC), who finished seventh.
Of the 88 starters, 41 were classified as overall finishers, 66 as
class finishers under the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) rules that
competitors who complete two-thirds of the stages run are eligible
for class awards. An estimated 20,000 spectators lined the 24 special
stages, around half that number assembled for the event's climax, the
Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at the Bushy Park racetrack.
As the strongest entry in the 20-year history of the BRC's premier
event left the Friday night Ceremonial Start at Simpson Motors, few
were making firm predictions. A lot of attention was being paid,
however, to 10-time winner Roger 'The Sheriff' Skeete, who started at
number two in his recently-acquired Michelin/Da Costa Mannings Auto
Centre/Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC S12, co-driven by Louis
Venezia.
And it was Skeete who set the early pace, fastest on three of
Saturday morning's six stages. While Meeke, who won the other three,
admitted he had "never had to drive as hard as I did to keep up with
Roger Skeete", the battle was soon to end - with a faulty battery,
Skeete's car refused to start in service and he went over the maximum
allowed lateness, dropping out of overall contention. Worse was to
come, however - after three more stage wins in the afternoon, Skeete
crashed on the second uphill Canefield stage and, while thankfully
there were no injuries, the crew would not been seen again.
This promoted Meeke to a lead he would not lose. Bird was in the
top three fastest stage times throughout Saturday, but always behind
Meeke, trailing him by 21secs overnight. Third, another 38secs down,
was committed Brit Kevin Procter, co-driven by Dave Bellerby in the
Procters Coaches Subaru Impreza WRC S7.
The other notable casualty of the morning's action was England's
Steve Perez, co-driven in the Kick Energy Drink/VK Vodka Kick Ford
Focus WRC05 by Welshman Paul Spooner; eager to improve on his hat-
trick of fourth places since 2006, Perez was pushing from early, only
for a throttle failure to cost him 11 minutes. Undaunted, he spent
the rest of the weekend entertaining the crowds with impromptu 'donuts'.
The performance of Paul 'Surfer' Bourne had caused raised eyebrows
all day - not least for the driver: "I kept telling my engineer Brett
I'm pushing as hard as I can, but its not happening". It took until
the day's final stage for the 2003 and 2007 winner to make the top
three stages times, and then an overnight strip-down to discover a
burst front-left damper, a legacy of his accident on the Automotive
Art Shakedown Stages (May 3).
Trevor Manning, the 1999 winner now co-driven by Derek Edwards in
the All Terrain Plus/Cellate Caribbean/Garbage Master/Bess Block Ford
Escort WRC, placed fifth overnight, despite a brush or two with the
scenery and broken driveshaft just prior to the day's final stage.
Panton was sixth and Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (Esso/Nassco/MotorMac
Toyota Corolla WRC) seventh, disappointed not to be higher, after
losing a fast time when SS10 was cancelled following Skeete's accident.
Eighth was the highest-placed two-wheel-drive car, Ian and Robert
Warren (Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Suzuki Swift)
having impressed throughout the day, with Sol RB09 Chairman Barry
Gale and Cherie Edghill (Autolink/VP Racing/Bella Beauty Supply/Pro
Pac Dog Food Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) ninth, recovering from a
couple of early punctures.
The top 10 was completed by Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward (Simpson
Motors/Hankook Tyres/Shell V-Power/Gunk Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI),
who had hoped for a tougher class battle. Britain's Ryan Champion and
Craig Thorley had already retired the Champions/Pirelli/MSR
Motorsport/Axis Caribbean Subaru Impreza 555 with engine failure,
however, while Graeme Finlayson and Martin Atwell
(www.racedandrallied.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS) had been off.
Bourne's performance in the early part of Sunday was further
evidence of his Saturday problem: third on the opening Malvern, then
second on Kendal - clocked at 196kmh by the GPS vehicle tracking
system - he demoted Procter to fourth, after which the order would
not change. Also on the move was Hill, fourth fastest on the two
downhill Kendals and now fifth, at the expense of Manning, who had a
couple of spins, and Panton, who stalled. Meeke won three Sunday
stages, Bird four - delighted to beat Meeke - with Bourne and Hill
finally reaching the top of the pile at the end of the day.
Gale finished eighth, Armstrong ninth, with Group N winners Geoff
Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (Globe Finance/DeWalt Tools/Essco/Sunbeach/
Automotive Art Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) completing the top 10.
Trinidad's John Powell and Jamaican co-driver Michael March
(Intercontinental Shipping Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) had lost the
Group N lead, and more than one minute, to a puncture Saturday
evening, and finished behind Noel and British crew Rob Swann/Darren
Garrod (Revolution Competition Wheels/Escape Hotel Subaru Impreza
N14) after a good three-way fight.
The Warrens dropped out of the top 10 on Sunday's first stage,
after clipping the chicane at Kendal and damaging a drive shaft; this
also cost them the highest-placed two-wheel-drive trophies, which
went to Jonathan Still/Heath Hazell (Hitachi Power Tools/Ocean Spray/
Philips Lighting/Crane & Equipments/Little Switzerland BMW M3).
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) were organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group. Marketing partners were Automotive Art, Banks, Digicel,
McEnearney Quality, Red Bull and Simpson Motors; official partners
were the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism
Authority, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line, Stoute's Car
Rental and Virgin Atlantic; associate sponsors were ARMAG, Caribbean
Airlines, Crane & Equipments, Merville Lynch Productions, Little
Switzerland, Redline Fuels and Shelbury Construction.
Glenn Campbell & Anthony Concannon - Nissan Micra Kit Car
SKEETE IS SHELL V-POWER KING OF THE HILL
Posted: May 26, 2009 10:12 PM
Thousands of fans gathered at Stewarts Hill in St Philip on Sunday
(May 24) to witness the 'Sheriff's promotion to 'King', as Roger
Skeete powered to victory at Shell V-Power King of the Hill, the
Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) final shakedown before the Caribbean's
biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados 2009, next
weekend (May 29-31).
Despite two heavy morning showers, the three-kilometre stage was
lined with spectators from long before the scheduled 10.30am start,
with the largest gathering on the hill overlooking the straight,
alongside which Merville Lynch Productions was broadcasting live
coverage on the Giant Daylight Screen.
Competing for the first time in his recently-acquired Michelin/Da
Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC S12,
Skeete set the pace from the start, clocking a time of 1 minute 54.34
seconds on the practice run; his closest rival was last year's winner
Paul Bourne, on 1:57.38 in the Banks/LIME/Virgin Atlantic Subaru
Impreza WRC S9), while only two other drivers dipped below the two-
minute mark - Roger Hill (Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC)
and England's Kevin Procter (Procters Coaches Subaru Impreza WRC S7).
Sol RB09 winner Kris Meeke (Digicel/Red Bull/ARMAG Subaru Impreza WRC
S9) was having clutch problems and the 2:09.78 he recorded in
practice would be his only time of the day.
In the first official timed run, Skeete went more than three
seconds faster (1:51.24), as did Bourne (1:54.27) and Hill (1:55.78),
with Steve Perez (Kick Energy Drink/VK Vodka Kick Ford Focus WRC05)
now leading Procter as highest-placed visitor. The top 10 - now re-
seeded in reverse order to run at the back of the field - was
completed by Barry Gale (Autolink/VP Racing/Bella Beauty Supply/Pro
Pac Dog Food Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI), an impressive Cliff Roett
(Carters & Co/Nassco/Lucky Horseshoe/Roett's Garage/Castrol Toyota
Starlet) the highest-placed two-wheel-drive runner, ahead of Jonathan
Still (Hitachi Power Tools/Ocean Spray/Philips Lighting/Crane &
Equipments/Little Switzerland BMW M3) and Ian Warren (Shell V-Power/
Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Suzuki Swift), with Neil Armstrong
(Simpson Motors/Hankook/Shell V-Power/Gunk Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
10th.
In the second official run, Skeete found only an additional three-
tenths (1:50.95) and, although Bourne reduced the margin
significantly (1:52.84s), it would be enough for Skeete to win, as
the third official run was cancelled part-way through on safety
grounds, with oil dropped on a fast section of the stage after
another brief shower. Hill also further improved (1:53.97), cutting
the spread across the top three from five seconds after practice to
just over three seconds by close of play.
Perez found another second and finished fourth, highest-placed
international competitor, with Jamaica's Jeff Panton (Automotive Art/
Bearings and Seals/Jamaica Freight and Shipping/Seaboard/Castrol/
Active Traders/Automoto Ford Focus WRC) fifth, despite only doing one
official timed run. Procter and Gale finished sixth and seventh,
ahead of Trevor Manning (All Terrain Plus/Cellate Caribbean/Garbage
Master/Bess Block Ford Escort WRC), who arrived in time for a hero's
reception from the crowds on the second official run.
In that run, the fastest two-wheel-drive men switched order,
Warren finishing ninth overall and claiming SuperModified 10 from
Roett, who failed to finish and slipped to 10th; Still finished 12th,
winning SM11 from Nick Gill (Mazda 3) and Welsh legend Phil Collins,
whose bright red Ford Escort MkII was reaching some alarming angles.
Martin Atwell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS) improved by more than
a second for 11th place, pipping Armstrong to Modified 8-A, while
Ryan Champion (Subaru Impreza 555) finished class third, after
suffering a puncture on the first official run. Production 4 produced
an excellent mixed battle, victory going to Trinidad's John Powell
(Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) from British Rally Championship regular
Rob Swann (Subaru Impreza N14), with local ace Geoff Noel (Evo IX)
third, after setting the practice pace, but then missing the second
timed run.
Eight of the 88 drivers entered ran in an event which had no major
incidents, although the afternoon rain caused some very entertaining
moments for the crowd at the end of the long straight, drivers
sliding off incuding Group N winner Andrew Costin-Hurley (Ford Puma),
St Elmo Cumberbatch (BMW) and Daryl Clarke (Mitsubishi Mirage).
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group. Marketing partners are Automotive Art, Banks, Digicel,
McEnearney Quality, Red Bull and Simpson Motors; official partners
are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism
Authority, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line, Stoute's Car
Rental and Virgin Atlantic; associate sponsors are ARMAG, Caribbean
Airlines, Crane & Equipments, Merville Lynch Productions, Little
Switzerland, Redline Fuels and Shelbury Construction.
FOURTH PLACE FOR PEREZ IN BARBADOS OPENER
Posted: May 26, 2009 8:26 PM
In front of thousands of fans gathered at Stewarts Hill in St Philip,
Barbados on Sunday, Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez powered to a fine
fourth place at the Shell V-Power 'King of the Hill', which was the Barbados
Rally Club's (BRC) final shakedown before the Caribbean's biggest annual
motorsport event, Sol Rally Barbados 2009, next weekend (May 29-31).
Despite two heavy morning showers, the three-kilometre
stage was lined with spectators whereby the Chesterfield driver in the Ford
Focus WRC 05 got his week underway by finishing fourth overall and best foreign
driver behind Roger Skeete (Subaru), Paul Bourne (Subaru) and Roger Hill (Toyota
Corolla) as nearly ninety cars contested the event.
Commenting after the event, Steve said:
"We finished fourth again, I've finished fourth a lot of times on
this rally! But we were the top foreign crew so I'm very pleased with that
as it's very hard to beat the locals around here. Our runs were good and we were
getting faster every time, I'm very pleased with the car. I'm really up for the
rally next week now, and we hope to improve on that fourth
place!"
King of the Hill - 24 May 09 - RESULTS
Posted: May 24, 2009 4:07 PM
Overall Positions
1st Roger Skeete (Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1m
50.95s
2nd Paul Bourne (Subaru Impreza WRC S9), 1m 52.84s
3rd Roger Hill
(Toyota Corolla WRC), 1m 53.97s
4th Steve Perez - ENG (Ford Focus
WRC05), 1m 55.44s
5th Jeffrey Panton - JAM (Ford Focus WRC), 1m
56.75s
6th Kevin Procter - ENG (Subaru Impreza WRC S7), 1m 56.93s
7th
Barry Gale (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI), 1m 58.12s
8th Trevor Manning (Ford
Escort WRC), 1m 58.36s
9th Ian Warren (Suzuki Swift), 1m 58.91s
10th Cliff
Roett (Toyota Starlet), 1m 59.13s
The most recent World Rally Car ever to arrive in the Caribbean
touched down at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados
shortly after 1.00pm today (May 20) in the cargo hold of a Virgin
Atlantic Boeing 747, which was also carrying a large contingent of
competitors and supporters heading for Sol Rally Barbados 2009, the
Caribbean's biggest annual international motor sport event.
The 2007 SuperCasino.com/Kick Energy/Vent-Axia Ford Focus WRC of
former motorcycle racer Paul Bird will be among the star attractions
at pre-event Scrutineering, set to attract thousands of fans to the
Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium on the outskirts of the island's
capital, Bridgetown, between 4.00pm and 8.00pm on Friday (May 22).
Reunited with Ian Windress, co-driver for his UK National Rally
Championship title win in 2005, 'Birdy' finished second to Kris Meeke
in Sol RB08 in a Subaru Impreza WRC S9; he then announced his
decision to retire from competition, apart from running his PBM team,
the official factory-backed Kawasaki outfit in the World Superbike
Championship.
Bird has since re-launched his career, however, aiming for a
second National title; shortly before the Championship's opening
round, Rallye Sunseeker in February, he acquired the Focus from M-
Sport - former drivers include Jari-Matti Latvala - which also meant
his equipment now matched that of friend and arch-rival Steve Perez,
whose own Focus 07 was formerly campaigned by Marcus Gronholm.
Following a bad start - both retired from Sunseeker - a stirring
battle has raged: Bird finished third, second and first respectively
in the next three rounds, with Perez three times in the top three.
Both now trail multiple National Champion Marcus Dodd by just a few
points . . . but miss the next event to compete in Sol RB09.
Bird's victory on the Manx Telecom Rally in early May came after
the Geest Line had shipped the other European cars, hence the Focus
airlift. Many had hoped Perez would do the same but, through his Kick
Energy and Vodka Kick brands, he sponsors the popular annual
Chatsworth Rally Show, now in June, making the timetable too tight.
Class action right through the field
While 'Birdy' will be aiming to finish in front of Meeke this year,
there are many down the field, enjoying class battles just as tense.
In SuperModified 9, there have been three different winners in as
many years . . . and all are back, hoping for more success.
In local events, the winns have gone to last year's RB08 class-
winner James Betts, now with co-driver Josh Delmas in the All Terrain
Plus/Makita/Black Bess/Yamaha/Champion Auto/Quik Start Auto/Kendal
Sporting Opel Corsa; in a class with a healthy mix of machinery, the
challenge will come from '06 winners Josh Read/Mark Jordan
(Automotive Art Toyota Starlet) and '07 victors, Jamaicans Tarik
Minott and Peter Clarke, in the Royal Computers/Extreme Sports/
Tropical Battery Suzuki Ignis JWRC.
Trinidad's Vishal Dhanraj and Richard Ramsingh appear in the
Lucozade Energy/Lange Trinidad/The Dispensary/Automan/V3 Rally Team
Toyota Starlet - David Williams finished class second in that car
last year - after stepping down from four-wheel-drive.
Daryl Clarke and Russell Brancker (Area 5 Auto Works/Mom's Pasta
Products Mitsubishi Mirage) could be in with a shout, along with Neil
Corbin/Aaron Kirton (Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions Toyota
Starlet), as would the 3W's/Flyin' Fish/Aqua Pur Toyota Starlets of
Karl Waterman/Matthew Staffner, Stuart White/Jason O'Neil and Ryan
Wood/Raymond Parris, if they didn't spend so much time deciding
whether to go for times, entertain the crowd . . . or try for both!
Mixing it with the SM9 runners will be the fast men from Modified
7, won twice in the last three years (second in '07) by Adrian Linton
(Ravensden/Morris Straker Construction/Garbage Gobbler/Crane &
Equipments Vauxhall Astra GSi); reunited with brother Jonathan after
wife Jackie sat in last year, Linton again starts as favourite,
having been the consistent winner in local events.
There's a good selection of challengers: Jamaica's rapid Bobby
Marshall (Motor Sales & Service/Singer/Tru-Juice/Ocean Spray/TGIF
Mitsubishi Mirage) debuts in Barbados with local co-driver Dario
Hoyte, the returning Norman Catwell has England's Stuart Leach
alongside in the Ellesmere Quarries/Chicken Pen Racing Peugeot 205
GTi, while Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (Gale's Hatcheries/Nassco/VP
Racing/Workz Mechanical Services Toyota Corolla RunX) will want to
improve on their hat-trick of class thirds since '06.
Aside from the brothers Linton, family connections include
Catwell's son Kyle, co-driven in the Ellesmere Quarries/Chicken Pen
Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI by Justin Harrison (son of island motor
sport stalwart 'Tiny' Harrison), and married couples Ron and Giselle
Layne (SDRR/Pavements & Foundations/L & N Workshop/Auto Solutions
Nissan Sunny) and England's Cheryl and Barry Spencer (Eden Vauxhall/
Creative Space Solutions/Old Castle B & B/ABS Embroidery Vauxhall
Astra GSi), Cheryl the event's only female driver.
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group. Marketing partners are Automotive Art, Banks, Digicel,
McEnearney Quality, Red Bull and Simpson Motors; official partners
are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism
Authority, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line, Stoute's Car
Rental and Virgin Atlantic; associate sponsors are ARMAG, Caribbean
Airlines, Crane & Equipments, Merville Lynch Productions, Little
Switzerland, Redline Fuels and Shelbury Construction.
CLASS BATTLES PROMISED IN SOL RALLY BARBADOS
Posted: May 17, 2009 2:34 PM
Since the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) published the
provisional entry list for Sol Rally Barbados 2009 on Monday (May
11), the main focus on the popular internet chat rooms in the island
and around the region has been on who will claim outright victory in
the Caribbean's biggest annual international motor sport event.
There has been vigorous debate, much favouritism of particular
drivers, and not a little nationalistic fervour, as Bajan fans look
to their own to return the trophy to the island, after Kris Meeke
last year became only the fourth overseas driver to win the BRC's
blue riband event in its 19-year history.
But the story of Sol Rally Barbados (May 29-31) will run far
deeper than that. In all, there could be as many as 13 'winners', as
those contesting the various classifications vie not only for points
in the Virgin Atlantic BRC Class Championship, but also - in most
cases - to represent well for the 'home team'.
Those classified in Modified 8-WRC are the potential outright
winners, but there is every reason to expect the front-runners in M8-
A and Production 4 - in essence, European Group A and Group N - to be
well into the top 10 in the final results.
The battle in M8-A will be one to watch: Group N winner (eighth
overall) last year, Ryan Champion has acquired the Subaru Impreza 555
in which Pierro Liatti claimed six top seven World Championship
finishes in 1996, now sponsored by Champions, Pirelli, MSR Motorsport
and Axis Caribbean. The former Puma and Mitsubishi Evo Champion and
co-driver Craig Thorley want another class win . . . but it won't be
easy.
Leading the local defence are Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward
(Simpson Motors/Hankook Tyres/Shell V-Power/Gunk Mitsubishi Lancer
Evo VI) and Kirk Watkins/Ryan Corbin (Abacus Builders Inc/Hankook Evo
V); these crews finished second and third last year, to five-time
class-winner Roger Hill, who has moved up to M8-WRC.
Whether success for local ace Martin Atwell in the
www.racedandrallied.com Evo III he shares with Scottish owner (and
Barbados regular) Graeme Finlayson counts as a home or away result is
unclear; either way, he was fearsomely fast at night in Finlayson's
previous, less-powerful, car last year. Britain's Tom Roberts
(Playboy Entertainment/Autolink/VP Racing Evo VI) returns for a
fourth visit, this time co-driven by Welshman Paul Rees, one of whose
earlier visits to the island resulted in his marriage to local rally
stalwart Biddy Barber's daughter, Aly, while locals Michael Worme/
Brian Gibson move up from Group N in the Cot Media Group/Speedline
Performance Auto/Dingolay/Details Car Valet Impreza Sti.
Production 4 has nine entries, led by 2005 winner Geoff Noel in
the Globe Finance/DeWalt Tools/Essco/Sunbeach/Automotive Art Evo IX;
despite finishing second to Champion last year, he and co-driver
Kreigg Yearwood both look on it as one of their most challenging and
enjoyable events, and will be keen to build on the experience.
The strongest threat will be Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell
(Intercontinental Shipping Evo IX); with fellow-Jamaican Michael
March, he has twice finished second overall in Corolla World Cars
and, although a bit rusty after missing much of the last two years,
his attacking style will serve him well. Dark horse may be British
Rally Championship regular Rob Swann; after an impressive debut with
Darren Garrod in an older N11 last year, he will aiming to at least
keep his Revolution Competition Wheels/Escape Hotel Impreza N14 ahead
of the similar car of Barbados-based Brit Harold Morley and
experienced local co-driver Geoff Goddard.
The older Imprezas of Dean Serrao/Ryan Farmer (Amalgamated
Security/Coconut Car Rentals/Lucky Games Inc N12) and David Williams,
co-driven by Kris Yearwood in the Mix 96.9FM/Consolidated Finance/
Warrens Motors/Dynamic Limo Services/Castrol WRX Sti, should not be
too far behind, while newcomers Mark Antrobus and Rommell Coppin will
be on a steep learning curve in the Speedline Performance Auto/
Caribbean Alliance Insurance/Premier World Cargo/Precision Plumbing
Services Sti.
The entry is completed by Scottish duo George Anderson and John
Millar (George Anderson Building Contractors/Hutton Stone/J I Inglis
Joinery Contractors/MVR/Border Ready Mix Concrete/lilmiss504 Evo
VII), returning to the island for the first time since 2002, and
locals Ryan Hutchinson/Andre Snobell (Toyota Celica GT4).
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group. Marketing partners are Automotive Art, Banks, Digicel,
McEnearney Quality, Red Bull and Simpson Motors; official partners
are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism
Authority, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line, Stoute's Car
Rental and Virgin Atlantic; associate sponsors are ARMAG, Caribbean
Airlines, Crane & Equipments, Merville Lynch Productions, Little
Switzerland and Shelbury Construction.
Programme of key events
Posted: May 15, 2009 10:12 AM
Wednesday, May 20 - 4.30 to 6.30pm - Meet and Greet
+ a chance for fans to mingle with their favourite competitors
+ Shell Warrens Service Station, St Michael
Friday, May 22 - 4.00pm to approx 8.00pm - Scrutineering
+ Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, Wildey, St Michael
Sunday, May 24 - 10.00am to approx 4.00pm - Shell V-Power King of the
Hill
+ round four of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class Championships
+ Stewart's Hill, St Philip, with one practice and three official
timed runs
Friday, May 29 - 6.00pm to approx 9.00pm - The Ceremonial Start
+ Simpson Motors, Warrens, St Michael
Saturday, May 30 - Sol Rally Barbados 2009 - day 1
+ round five of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class Championships
+ start at 9.00am from SS1, Sailor Gully 1
+ Simpson Motors is the service area for the day
Sunday, May 31 - Sol Rally Barbados 2009 - day 2
+ round six of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class Championships
+ restart at 7.30am from Bushy Park, St Philip, which is the service
area for the day
+ Shell V-Power SuperSpecial and Rally Finish at Bushy Park
Monday, June 1 - approx 3.30pm - Sol RB09 Prizegiving
+ The Boatyard, Bay Street, St Michael
MAJOR RETHINK OF SOL RALLY BARBADOS ROUTE
Posted: May 15, 2009 10:11 AM
Following the most comprehensive re-assessment since 2003 of the
route for Sol Rally Barbados, the organising Barbados Rally Club
(BRC) is targetting three key benefits from this year's 20th running
of the Caribbean's biggest annual motor sport event: a refreshing
change in the challenge for competitors, a better spectator
experience and a continued lessening of disruption for residents
along the route.
While running an International tarmac rally on a Caribbean island
measuring just 21 by 15 miles means the Club is very limited in its
options, some creative thinking has resulted in a more compact route,
which should enable the BRC to hit its triple targets.
As last year, there are 24 stages, but there will now be 14 on
Saturday (12 in 2008) and just 10 on Sunday, plus the Shell V-Power
Super Special at Bushy Park; this shifts the balance of competitive
stage distance back to Saturday, compared with Sunday last year. The
longest of the event's four routes is now Saturday afternoon, running
into the evening . . . four runs each through Redline Fuels Dark Hole
and Automotive Art Canefield total 41.2 kilometres, which represents
almost exactly one-third of the event distance, which will make those
stages more significant than before.
Questioned during last week's (May 6) Media Conference at the Divi
Southwinds Beach Resort, which will be Rally HQ for the forthcoming
event, Sol RB09 Chairman Barry Gale said: "You will notice a number
of changes to the route. We have modified it, to deal with some bits
and pieces which caused problems, particularly with traffic.
"We have also shuffled the order in which the stages are run, to
improve the spectator experience; there will be a shorter gap between
the last car coming through each stage to the first car coming
through next time round. This has a number of advantages - there is
less time for spectators to be hanging around and losing
interest . . . and, from the competitor point of view, it results in
a significantly more compact route.
"Each day starts in a different way to last year - on Saturday,
the first stage is Sailor Gully, on Sunday it is Malvern; in the past
few years, we have suffered with delays on the traditional opening
stages, Canefield and Kendal. One of the very few criticisms we have
heard from our overseas competitors revolves around those early
delays; while everyone in rallying accepts that, once you get under
way, an incident, particularly a major one, can cause delays, there
really is no excuse for not starting on time . . . so we have worked
hard to address that criticism."
Provisional List of Entries.....and Meeke is on the list!
EUROPEANS SET SAIL FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS Old and new, big and small . . . Geest Line freighter ships them all
Posted: April 28, 2009 4:27 PM
Motor sport fans who work for the Geest Line in Portsmouth, on the
south coast of England, have been enjoying themselves over the past
couple of days, as more than 20 rally cars have assembled on the
docks ready for shipping next week to the Caribbean's biggest annual
motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados (May 29-31).
While they would have expected to find models from those car-
makers recognised in the rally world, such as Ford, Mitsubishi,
Nissan, Opel and Subaru - with at least three ex-works World Rally
Cars among them - there were two distinguished names from the British
motor industry that would have raised more than the occasional
eyebrow . . . Aston Martin and Riley! And two more diverse cars you
could hardly expect to find, separated by more than 40 years in age,
more than 300 horsepower in the engine department, and the best part
of two feet in length.
For the Oxford Universities Motorsport Foundation's 1965 Riley
1.5, this is the second trip across the Atlantic; in the hands of
Ding Boston, one of the OUMF's founders, and ace student co-driver
Jon Puliston, it finished second in the Historic class of Sol Rally
Barbados 2008, despite a slight brush with the scenery on the Sunday
morning.
Bought for just £300 on eBay, the car was transported from a
Scottish field to a cowshed near Oxford, where it was restored and
prepared for competition at their own expense by student members of
the OUMF. This is an independent, student-run initiative providing
the encouragement and facility for 'hands-on' engineering experience
that is now almost completely lacking at either university.
Of their trip last year, Boston noted: "We learned more in that
two weeks than we've learned together in the past three years: it was
a real pressure-cooker environment, and the only way for them to get
that experience is by going out and doing it."
The OUMF crew is still busy fund-raising for this year, now that
car preparation and delivery to Portsmouth is complete. Boston added:
"As well as some very welcome backing from local firm Phillips Tyres,
also MASS Race Engines, Powervamp Racing, Recaro and Toyo Tyres, we
have the promise of some good media coverage from Practical Classics
Magazine, so we can certainly provide a return for potential sponsors."
The Aston Martin Rally GT is an entirely different animal, touted
by its creators as "the world's most exclusive rally car". Developed
in 2006 by Aston Martin Racing, a partnership between Prodrive and
Aston Martin, the Rally GT is based on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
It was extensively re-engineered by Prodrive, which combined its
experience of running the Aston Martin DBR9s in international sports
car racing with more than 20 years of rallying experience, to create
this unusual car.
In common with the DBR9, the Rally GT uses a standard road car
chassis fitted with a Prodrive-designed roll cage. The 430-horsepower
engine is closely-based on the all-alloy road car 4.3-litre V8 unit,
but has been tuned to make it more flexible and responsive for the
demands of rallying.
The car about to set sail for Barbados was built for English
businessman and avid rally fan Chris Moss in 2007, and is the only
right-hand-drive Rally GT; although he worked full-time in motor
sport some years ago, Creative Chairman Moss only started to compete
in 2005, at the wheel of a Mk II Escort, and does so "purely for
fun". His co-driver in the FAMOSS Ltd-backed car will be Stuart Ullyatt.
The Rally GT is run by David Appleby Engineering, which invited
triple British Rally Champion Mark Higgins to drive one of the sister
cars on the Live Rally Stage at Race Retro, an international historic
motor sport show in the UK in March. Although he had not previously
driven the competition version, Higgins had experienced his fair
share of Astons as one of the stunt-driving team on the most recent
James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. Afterwards, he wrote on his web
site blog: "I always think rear-wheel drive and a great noise makes
for a good car . . . . and the Aston certainly has both of those
qualities. It's a real boy's toy!"
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class
Championships. Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel &
Tourism Association.
BIRD TARGETS SOL RALLY BARBADOS WIN Finlayson to miss Shakedown Stages
Posted: April 20, 2009 7:09 PM
Confirmation from the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) that English
businessman Paul Bird's entry is the latest to be received on-line
for its blue riband event, Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31),
brings to seven the number of World Rally Cars entered, equalling
last year's record . . . and there are more still on the horizon.
Winner of the UK's ANCRO National Rally Championship in 2005,
'Birdy' finished second to Kris Meeke in the Caribbean's biggest
annual motor sport event on his first visit last year, and is
targetting victory this time round. He will again be partnered in the
SuperCasino.com/Kick Energy/Vent-Axia Subaru Impreza WRC S9 by Ian
Windress, co-driver in his title-winning year, and also in Britain
this year, where he is chasing a second ANCRO crown.
Both he and arch-rival, Rally Barbados regular Steve Perez (ANCRO
Champion in 2004), are this year campaigning Ford Focus WRC 07s, but
Bajan fans will have to wait a little longer before they get to see
one in action on island stages. The timing of Sol RB09 does not work
well for either driver - through his company VK, Perez is the title
sponsor of the increasingly-popular Chatsworth Rally Show, which
falls this year on the first weekend on June, and it is important for
him to have his ex-Marcus Gronholm Focus on hand for his local
audience . . . he will be in Barbados with his Focus WRC 05.
From Bird's standpoint, success in the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally
Championship (the title under which the ANCRO series now runs) is the
priority, so the Impreza, which he described earlier in the year as
his "Barbados car", will make the trip across the Atlantic.
Yesterday (April 19), in the notorious forests of Kielder in the
far north of England, Bird looked set to celebrate his 42nd birthday
with his first win of the year, leading comfortably after setting
fastest time on the first three stages of the Pirelli Tour of
Cumbria; a massive "schoolboy error" overshoot at a chicane on the
fourth stage, however, cost him around 50 seconds. Despite setting
the fastest time on the remaining three stages - the fourth stage in
the second loop was cancelled following a major fire which destroyed
the S2000 MEM Proton driven by reigning British Rally Champion Guy
Wilks - Bird finished second, only 4.6secs behind Marcus Dodd
(Hyundai Accent WRC) despite the lost time, and 5.7secs ahead of Perez.
Afterwards, Bird said: "I'm disappointed to miss out on the win; I
just keep messing it up . . . but I have to say that's the best I've
ever driven. Now I feel at home in the car and I'm delighted to have
set fastest time on all of the stages bar one. Roll on the Manx and
we'll see what we can do on tarmac!"
The Manx falls on the first weekend of May, a few days after the
European entries for Sol Rally Barbados sail from Portsmouth. Bird
and Perez are tied on 43 points in the ANCRO standings, eight behind
multiple Champion Dodd; all three failed to finish the opening round,
Rallye Sunseeker in February, while Perez and Bird finished second
and third to Dodd on the Border Counties Rally in March. As both Bird
and Perez will miss the Severn Valley Stages, which clashes directly
with Sol RB09, 'Birdy' will be pulling out all the stops . . . and
that means the Focus needs to stay in the UK.
Finlayson disappointed to miss Automotive Art Shakedown Stages
Rally Barbados regular Graeme Finlayson will be a disappointed non-
starter for the Automotive Art Shakedown Stages (May 3); after making
early preparations to ship his latest acquisition, an ex-Quick
Motorsport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS, to the island for a
shaekdown, last-minute dramas intervened.
A downhearted Finlayson said: "We had the car mapped and the valve
springs done before shipping, and all was looking great. Then the cam
belt went on the way to the port; we bought a second engine, had that
dropped in, then the turbo seized, we sorted that, and then the
clutch seized!"
Despite the dramas, Finlayson is set on expanding his Caribbean
competition programme: "Assuming I can get everything in order, I
plan to leave car in Barbados for three or four months and do the
rest of the tarmac season out there, before shipping it back to
prepare for what I hope might be a full season in the region in 2010."
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class
Championships. Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel &
Tourism Association.
THE FEMALE TOUCH AT SOL RALLY BARBADOS
Posted: April 14, 2009 8:13 PM
Twelve months after they 'tied the knot' on a Caribbean beach, rally-
mad English couple Cheryl and Barry Spencer will return to celebrate
their first wedding anniversary in May, just days before they compete
in the region's biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados,
for the second time.
Cheryl - Bell, as she was then - and Barry, from Portchester in
Hampshire on England's south coast, got married at The Boatyard, a
beach bar in the island's capital Bridgetown; as her parents were
unable to make the trip, the future Mrs Spencer was given away by
runner-up in the 2006 British Rally Championship, Ryan Champion, who
went on to win Group N in last year's event.
The Spencers had chanced on Rally Barbados 2007 while on holiday
and, despite having no previous competition experience, they bought a
Vauxhall Astra GSi rally car and set about learning the ropes at the
Bill Gwynne Rally School . . . with Cheryl in the driving seat; after
entering a couple of events in Britain to gain experience, they
arrived in Barbados in 2008 and, while fortune did not shine on them
- the wiring loom burned out on the second day - they were determined
to return.
As Cheryl says: "We had such a great time, not only with the fact
we got married, but with all the fantastic help and support everybody
gave us - Simon Gillmore for the servicing, Dave Crawford for all his
advice on the stages, Sean Gill at The Boatyard and Richard Daniel
for organising the wedding . . . and the unusual present of two
bottles of Octane Booster from Barry Gale!"
The couple had hoped to expand their rallying programme this year
to take in one or two more events, but finding sponsorship has been
difficult in the current climate, as Cheryl says: "Sponsorship hasn't
been easy this year, but that's not stopped our determination; we're
continuing with the Eden Vauxhall Rally Team name, and have some
great support from A & J Lawrence Accident & Mechanical Repairs, who
are preparing the car, Creative Space Solutions, Old Castle B & B and
ABS Embroidery."
And those sponsors are reaping the benefits of their support
early, as is Sol Rally Barbados. Cheryl and Barry have already been
the focus of a 750-word feature in Portsmouth Today, which covers a
large area of the south coast, including Portsmouth, from where the
European entries will be shipped by the Geest Line at the end of April.
And, while Cheryl is currently the only woman driver entered for
the event, she will not be alone in bringing the female touch to Sol
Rally Barbados 2009. No fewer than 11 female co-drivers are entered
so far, including two in the Modified 7 class in which the Spencers
will run . . . as last year, they will again face local couple Ron
and Giselle Layne (Nissan Sunny), while Jennifer Hole will co-drive
for Gary Mendes (Toyota Starlet).
One of the local girls does have experience behind the wheel, but
in circuit racing, rather than rallying. Co-driver for Jeremy
Gonsalves (Suzuki Swift), Natasha Farnum became the first - and, so
far, only - Bajan woman to win a race at the Bushy Park racetrack,
back in 2002, when she was still at school.
Of her love for the sport, she says: "There is nothing more
beautiful than the sound of a rally car purring up a straight, then
watching as it slides through a corner. From a driver's point of
view, winning gives you bragging rights until the next event . . . in
racing, its all about the thrill. Nothing can come close to the sound
of that engine revving on the start line and you pushing yourself to
the limit."
In addition to Spencer, the European contingent includes Holland's
Fenny Wesselink, class-winning co-driver in the past with Scotland's
Kenny Hall (Opel Corsa), and fellow countrywoman Hester van Ovost,
who visits for the first time, co-driving for Holland's Frans
Verbaas, in his newly-created Mini.
Phil Collins / Derek Brannigan
Posted: April 7, 2009 11:21 AM
Welsh rally legend Phil Collins, once described by triple Formula 1
World Champion Ayrton Senna as "a nut-case", will treat Caribbean
motor sport fans to a demonstration of why the late Brazilian
superstar might have thought that when he contests the region's
biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados, in May.
Collins is the first new high-profile entry to be confirmed by the
Barbados Rally Club (BRC) in advance of the 20th running of its blue
riband event; he and regular co-driver, Ireland's Derek Brannigan,
will contest the SuperModified 11 class in a Ford Escort Mk II, which
Collins describes as "a fairly specialised rally car" and Britain's
Motorsport News called "wild" in a report last year.
Built in 2006 by Quick Motorsport and backed by Silverstone Tyres,
Millington Engines, Great Stuff Caterers, Orchard Motorsport, Collins
Engineering and Pontilas Developments, its 2.5-litre engine produces
a little over 300bhp; the bright red Escort is a popular sight in the
UK and Ireland, as Collins snaps at the heels of World Rally Cars on iconic
tarmac events like the Manx National in the Isle of Man and the Rally
of the Lakes and the West Cork Rally in Ireland.
The encounter between Collins and Senna came courtesy of the now-
defunct magazine Cars & Car Conversions, missed by enthusiasts the
world over, including in Barbados, thanks to its supportive coverage
of island motor sport for more than 20 years. In 1986, CCC arranged
for the JPS Grand Prix driver to test some rally cars in Wales.
Having only seen rally cars on television, his first experience
came in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth driven by 1985 Securicor Sierra
Challenge winner Collins, recruited to provide some basic
instruction. After the first run, Senna said: "Too quick for me. He's
a nut-case!" In response, Collins said: "It's a pity it's so rough
out there or I could really scare him - of course, the problem is
he's about to get his revenge."
Once he'd taken Collins for a couple of runs, Senna drove four
other cars, including Harry Hockly's CCC-backed Vauxhall Nova Sport
and a Clubman-spec MG Metro 6R4, after which he said: "It has been
much more exciting than I expected. I didn't feel the time going by
because I was finding out, learning more and going harder and harder."
That was during the first of two distinct periods in the rallying
career of Collins. Having started in 1978 in an Escort RS2000, he
switched to Opel, first an Ascona then a Manta, before the Sierra
Cosworth in 1985; he was a front-running works driver in the UK,
second in the National Championship twice, the BTRDA Forest
Championship three times, and fourth in the Open Championship twice.
Co-driven by Roger Freeman, his Manta was also 14th of the 62
survivors in the 1985 Lombard RAC Rally (his only finish in six
attempts) - 155 crews started what is remembered as one of the WRC's
toughest-ever events, with 63 stages, nearly 550 miles on snow and
ice, and two 36-hour loops.
His UK results earned Collins an FIA 'B' seed, but his approach to
rallying was about to change: "In 1989, our preparation company
accepted the Toyota contract to prepare the Celica GT4 for David
Llewellin; as a result, I lost the Sierra drive and the car was given
to Gwyndaf Evans. I went for a ride in my brother's Mk II Escort, and
thought 'why not?' So I bought one and started all over again, this
time not chasing works drives or championships . . . just having fun
trying to embarrass as many people as possible who drive ex-works
World Rally Cars!"
Collins enjoys a big following, both in the Escort and his
recently-built Ascona 400, which he debuted on last year's Roger
Albert Clark Rally with co-driver Nicky Grist, only to roll while
lying 10th; a similar fate befell the Escort on its debut on the 2006
West Cork, again with Grist, lying sixth and just one second behind a
Focus WRC. A popular speaker at club events and forums, he has also
raised money for many good causes, one method being to auction off
rides in the Escort at events such as the annual Castle Combe
RallyDay. Of his trip next month, Collins says: "I'm really looking
forward to the craic in Barbados. I'm told it's pretty good!"
Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale remarked: "We are really
excited to have a legend like Phil at our event. Rear-wheel-drive
cars and on-it drivers are a popular combination here, while his
reputation as a personality means we can't help but enjoy his
company. I'm just a little worried that our local Escort stars like
Mark Hamilton, Andrew Jones and the Watson brothers might get a
little overshadowed . . . but I'm know they'll do their best to find
an answer!"
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class
Championships. Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel &
Tourism Association.
SWANN AIMS TO FLY IN BARBADOS
Posted: April 1, 2009 12:22 PM
Following confirmation from last year's Sol Rally Barbados Group N
winner, Ryan Champion, that he is stepping up to Group A this year
with his iconic ex-Piero Liatti Subaru Impreza 555, the production
category is certain to have a different winner in 2009 . . . and
another British pairing hope to add their names to that roll of honour.
England's Rob Swann and Welsh co-driver Darren Garrod will be
making their second attempt on the Caribbean's biggest annual motor
sport event; they finished 15th overall and fourth in Group N last
year in a Subaru Impreza N12, but are aiming higher in 2009.
This year, Swann will bring his current Impreza N14 in which he
contested the second half of the British Rally Championship last year
and finished second in Group N and highest-placed overseas competitor
in the popular Tour of Flanders in mainland Europe in September.
Supported by Revolution Competition Wheels, his principal sponsor in
Britain, and Escape Hotels in Barbados, Swann is confident of a
better result this year.
In 2008, he missed Shell V-Power King of the Hill as he was still
in the UK, giving his N14 its debut on the Jim Clark Rally; his stage
times there were good, but he had a monumental accident towards the
end of the event, although he still made it to the finish in a very
crumpled Impreza. He was soon on a flight to Barbados where, within a
week, he was in the Group N running on the Saturday of Sol RB08,
splitting the battling Champion and local Group N Champion Geoff Noel
(Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) more than once, despite not having seen
the stages before and still feeling sore from the previous weekend's
accident. A brush with a wall after sliding off on some oil on
Sunday's opening stage, however, cost him both time and confidence
and he slipped out of a top three class result.
Despite all that, he is fired up for a return in 2009: "I was back
in Barbados in February for a couple of weeks' holiday and met up
with a few rally folk, which refuelled my love of the rally. As well
as competing for the Revolution team in the BRC again this year,
we're also attending a few tarmac events in Europe if all goes to
plan - I know a return to Flanders is confirmed after our great
result last year."
And Swann has no intention of missing Shell V-Power King of the
Hill this year, either: "I will be dropping the Jim Clark Rally for
the BRC, as I want to be in Barbados for King of the Hill, so Geoff
Jones will step in to the Revolution team for the Jim Clark."
Swann's opposition in what is known locally as Production 4 will
again include Noel, but the visitor is looking for a top result: "We
have made good progress with developing the N14 from its early stages
of last season, when things were still a bit new. We loved the rally
so much last year and have some unfinished business - we want to win
Group N this year, now we have sampled the stages!"
Entry deadline draws near
Using the Group N field as an example, Sol Rally Barbados Chairman
Barry Gale has urged competitors to enter soon to avoid
disappointment. The Group N entry list currently stands at six, not
including three drivers who contested last year's event, all of whom
are expected to enter again this year.
Gale remarked: "Looking through the entry for each class, we can
see names missing - some are drivers who competed last year, and we
have every reason to expect them to be there again, while there are
others who have already seen action in the first two rounds of our
own championship or other events in the region, who have also
expessed their interest in Sol Rally Barbados 2009.
"Our maximum start list is 90, and we will not raise that number,
in case it compromises our ability to run the event safely and
professionally; entries close on Friday, May 1, so we have a little
under five weeks to go. I urge every one who is intending taking part
to go to our official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb and fill in the
form."
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class
Championships. Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel &
Tourism Association.
FINLAYSON SHIPPING EARLY FOR BARBADOS New date for Shell V-Power King of the Hill
Posted: March 26, 2009 8:33 PM
Local fans will not have to wait until scrutineering for Sol Rally
Barbados 2009 to see the first of this year's international visitors,
as event regular Graeme Finlayson this week confirmed he is shipping
his car early from the UK. His recently-acquired Mitsubishi Lancer
Evo III will be in the island in time to contest the Automotive Art
Shakedown Stages on Sunday, May 3.
As entries continue to flow in, an updated version of the Overseas
Competitor Information document has been posted on the official web
site, www.rallybarbados.bb; this includes notification of a change of
date for Shell V-Power King of the Hill to Sunday, May 24, plus
confirmation that the event ASRs are now available as a pdf download.
Scottish by birth, Finlayson has a great affection for the
Caribbean, having grown up in Belize when his father was stationed
there; he first appeared in Barbados in 2002, when his self-built
motorcycle-engined Fluke WR1C was the Zero Car (although it failed to
finish), and has not missed Rally Barbados since.
After four years in the Fluke, an unsuccessful outing in a rear-
wheel-drive Peugeot 205 decided him to re-think the project, and he
returned in 2007 with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS - a "proper
rally car", as he called it - in which he and local co-driver Martin
Atwell finished second in Group N. With the car upgraded to Group A
last year, they shared driving duties to finish third in class, the
highlight of the weekend being Atwell's impressive top six overall on
Saturday's two night stages, ahead of the Ford Focus WRC of former UK
National Champion Steve Perez . . . and this year's car is even better.
Finlayson says: "Sounds silly this early, but everything is in a
mad rush now, as I'm shipping the car out early. As ever we're out on
a giant-killing mission - being Scottish, we're probably on one of
the tightest budgets in the rally and looking forward to seeing who
we can annoy with our meagre finances!
"The new car has plenty power, double the torque of last year's
car, a proper gearbox and actually has brakes; its very light . . .
old school raw mechanical rallying. Can we put a £12,000 car into the
top 10? I don't know, but we'll give it a good go!"
Originally built by respected British preparation company Quick
Motorsport, the Evo III has recently made a habit of annoying World
Rally Cars in the capable hands of 'Mad' Mick Jones; as Finlayson
says: "with a full Phil Marks Group A engine running a Ralliart turbo
and nice old-school fire-breathing anti-lag, it should be a big grin."
Neither Finlayson nor Atwell has competed since Sol Rally Barbados
2008. Finlayson says: "The Shakedown Stages will literally be that,
then followed by intense further testing, as this car is plenty quick
and given the competition, we need to be".
Already confirmed in Group A are Sol RB08 Group N winners,
Britain's Ryan Champion and Craig Thorley, in an ex-works Subaru
Impreza 555, while the overseas crews can expect a tough defence of
local honour from Neil Armstrong; recently returned from promoting
Sol RB09 with a successful outing on Rallye Sunseeker in the UK, he
has been snapping at the heels of locally-owned World Cars in island
events in his Evo VI.
Version two of the Sol Rally Barbados Overseas Competitor Information
document has been posted on the official web site,
www.rallybarbados.bb. Important updates for competitors to note include:
+ a change in date for Shell V-Power King of the Hill, which will now
run on Sunday, May 24, with a scheduled start time of 10.00am
+ confirmation of shipping dates from Geest Line - the outbound
voyage from Portsmouth is listed as Tuesday, April 28, and the return
from the Bridgetown Port in Barbados scheduled for Tuesday, June 16
+ notification of the posting of the event's Additional Supplementary
Regulations, which all competitors, local and overseas, are urged to
download as a pdf document and read!
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 24) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's and Class
Championships. Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel &
Tourism Association.
ICONIC SUBARU IMPREZA 555 HEADS TO BARBADOS Sol RB08 Group N winner Champion steps up
Posted: March 18, 2009 9:29 AM
Winner of Group N in Sol Rally Barbados 2008, Britain's Ryan
Champion, will this year step up to Group A when he ships a recently-
restored example of the iconic Subaru Impreza 555 to the island for
the Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) 20th running of its blue riband event
over the last weekend of May.
The 2005 British Mitsubishi Ralliart Evolution Champion will
contest the Caribbean's biggest annual international motor sport
event for the third time, with last year's Group N-winning co-driver
Craig Thorley again on the notes. Dating from 1996, N555 BAT - the
registration number reflects British American Tobacco's ownership of
the-then Subaru team sponsor 555 - was driven by Italian tarmac
expert Piero Liatti, who made a major contribution to Subaru's second
consecutive World Rally Championship title that year and was
described in British magazine Autosport as "Subaru's hero".
In his seven events for the 555 Subaru World Rally Team, Liatti
retired only once (in San Remo), and claimed six top-seven finishes,
narrowly losing out on victory in his last rally of the year; having
led for most of Rallye Catalunya, he eventually finished second to
team-mate Colin McRae, helping secure Subaru's title. The car had
been used only once before Liatti drove it, when guest driver Didier
Auriol (without a drive after Toyota Team Europe's exclusion)
finished 10th in the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally.
Champion, whose career highlights also include winning the 1994
Peugeot Junior Rally Challenge, the 2001 Group N National RallySprint
title and the 2002 Ford Puma Rally Championship, has fond memories of
the Impreza 555: "I first drove one belonging to a sponsor, finishing
second on a British Rally Championship round, and loved the car."
That was in 2003: having only driven the car for the first time
that day, he impressed many observers with a solid drive on the
season-ending Tempest Rally and a hard charge over the last two
stages, to finish second behind an 18-year-old Finn driving a works
Ford Focus, one Jari-Matti Latvala, now a WRC regular with BP Abu
Dhabi Ford.
At the finish, Champion was quoted in Autosport saying: "I don't
know how we've done and I don't care. We've had a ball." Looking back
this weekend, Champion added: "I always said that if I wasn't
rallying full-time and wanted a car for fun, I'd like a Group A
Subaru . . . but it had to be a Prodrive car, preferably with some
history, and my father kindly helped with the acquisition of N555 BAT
late last year."
When new WRC regulations were introduced at the start of 1997,
N555 BAT was sold to a competitor in the Italian Rally Championship,
then it travelled around Europe before arriving back in the UK in
2004. Since acquiring the car, Champion has had little chance to
compete in it, but finished sixth in the Specsavers Christmas Stages
tarmac event at the Croft motor racing circuit in North Yorkshire in
December, where Barbados regulars Kevin Procter and Paul Bird
finished first and second.
Before the car, currently white, arrives in Barbados, a lot of
work will have been done, according to Champion: "We are currently
giving the car a full rebuild and putting it back into its iconic
blue and yellow colour scheme before it comes across the Atlantic for
it's holidays."
While Champion has contested only a couple of rallies since Sol
RB08 - apart from his Specsavers outing, he finished 22nd overall on
Britain's December round of the WRC, Wales Rally GB - co-driver
Thorley has been a very busy man: in the last three weekends alone,
he has done three events as co-driver in Charlie Payne's Mitsubishi
Lancer WRC Step II.
At Rallye Sunseeker two weeks ago, where Payne's regular
preparation company MSR Motorsport was also running Bajan crew Neil
Armstrong and Max Ferri, Payne and Thorley were ninth, robbed of a
potential podium finish by an electrical problem late morning. But
worse awaited them in Cumbria last Sunday (March 8), when they rolled
out of the Malcolm Wilson Rally, the Lancer suffering major
structural damage.
All that was forgotten by today, however, after Mark Robson and
the MSR Motorsport crew had dedicated around 400 man-hours to the
reconstruction of the car over just four days; Payne and Thorley
repaid the team's efforts with victory on another popular North
Yorkshire event, the Riponian Stages, after a crowd-pleasing day-long
battle with 2008 winner Tim Pearcey (Evo IX) and Procter, who won in
2006. (The event was cancelled in 2007 because of weather.)
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's Championship.
Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association.
ENTRIES FLOW IN FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS
Posted: March 10, 2009 4:06 PM
With nearly eight weeks to go until entries close for the Caribbean's
biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados 2009, the
organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is already more than half-way to
its maximum starting list of 90 crews. Entries close on May 1, four
weeks in advance of the 20th running of the BRC's blue riband event.
Entries made on-line through the event's official web site,
www.rallybarbados.bb, since the January 1 opening date now total 49,
with the balance of local, regional and international interest
closely reflecting the final list for last year's event.
Sol Rally Barbados chairman Barry Gale admits to being a little
surprised: "I still cannot believe the response we are getting,
especially from our European competitors, bearing in mind the doom
and gloom associated with the never-ending talk about a recession.
The weakness of Sterling against the Dollar means that coming here
will cost our regulars from the UK around 30 per cent more than it
did last year, but that does not seem to be stopping them.
"Better than that, we already have five UK crews entered who have
not been here before, and we're talking to even more newcomers at the
moment, including one or two well-known names who contacted us . . .
rather than the other way around; between exciting first-time drivers
and one or two very special cars we already have confirmed, it seems
we may have all the right ingredients to make Sol Rally Barbados 2009
a 'must-see' event, not just for the many thousands of motor sport
fans in the island, but also from around the region as well."
A 'half-term' statistics report on the 49 entries so far presents
this interesting countdown:
+ 15 international crews entered
+ 14 entries in Modified 7, M6 and M5
+ 13 manufacturers represented
+ 12 events in its 19-year history won by drivers already entered for
2009
+ 11 entries in Modified 8-WRC and M8-A
+ 10 female competitors
+ nine of whom are co-drivers
+ eight countries outside Barbados represented
+ seven local co-drivers who did not compete in Sol Rally Barbados 2008
+ six overseas drivers competing in the island for the first time
+ five Ford Escorts entered
+ four local drivers who did not compete in Sol Rally Barbados 2008
+ three entries from the wider Caribbean
+ two cars currently being built in Europe to debut in Barbados
+ one entry at least in each of the BRC's Groups, except Production 2
and P3
+ zero interest so far in the traditional Historic class
BARBADOS JOINS MINI'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Posted: February 24, 2009 4:45 PM
The 50th Anniversary of one of the motor industry's most iconic
products, the Mini, will be celebrated throughout 2009 at events
across the world . . . and Barbados will not be left out, thanks to a
very special competition car currently being built in Europe and
among the latest batch of entries received for Sol Rally Barbados
2009 (May 29-31).
The car is the creation of Dutch entrepreneur and motor sport
preparation expert Frans Verbaas, who has competed in Rally Barbados
twice before: in 2003, he drove the Opel Astra GSi Kit Car in which
he had won the Dutch Rally Championship in four consecutive seasons
from 1998 to 2001, retiring on Sunday morning with overheating; four
years later, he finished 27th overall and fifth in Modified 7 in a
newly-built Opel Astra Sport.
The bright orange Austin Mini Cooper, which is entered in
SuperModified 10, is certain to attract a lot of attention - from his
home in Oud Beijerland, The Netherlands, Verbaas said: "We wanted
something special, so we are building a Mini. The bodyshell only came
from the paint shop on Friday, so we have a lot of work to do."
And interesting work it will be, too! Verbaas has remained close
to his rallying roots in the spec drawn up for his new 'pocket
rocket': it will remain front-wheel-drive, but is to be powered by a
2-litre Opel Kit Car engine, with Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox,
Opel Astra Group A suspension and will run on Kumho Tyres.
Since his last visit to Barbados, Verbaas has enjoyed a number of
class wins in the Opel, including two in Scotland, where his co-
driver was Fenny Wesselink, who will be back in the island again in
2009, as co-driver for Kenny Hall. Verbaas will be returning with his
third different co-driver - for 2009, his companion in the Verbaas
Preparations, Koni and Team Dynamics Wheels-supported Mini will be
Hester van Ovost.
First commissioned in 1957, the Mini was launched in August 1959
and, within a few months, competitors across a number of motor sport
disciplines had identified its potential. The collaboration between
Mini designer Alec Issigonis and race car manufacturer John Cooper
resulted in the first Mini Coopers, which went on to win the world-
famous Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, '65 and '67.
The 50th Anniversary of the car's launch will be celebrated
worldwide, with the largest event planned being the weekend before
Sol Rally Barbados - Mini United 2009 (May 22-24) will be staged at
the Home of the British Grand Prix, Silverstone.
Sol Rally Barbados drives Club's expansion
The importance of Sol Rally Barbados to the future success of its
organiser, the Barbados Rally Club (BRC), came under the spotlight
during the Club's recent Annual General Meeting (February 20). The
BRC started the 2009 season on a high note, with a healthy turn-out
of members hearing a number of positive messages.
Reading retiring Treasurer Garry Clarke's last Financial Report,
Chairman Mark Hamilton said: "The significance for the club of 2008
as a major development and investment in the future should not be
under-estimated. The accounts clearly indicate a major expansion of
the Club's operations, specifically those associated with Sol Rally
Barbados."
And, despite the current worldwide financial problems, Chairman
Hamilton had further good news for members in his own Annual Report:
"All of the Club's major sponsors have reconfirmed their commitment
which, under the present economic climate, is testimony to this Club,
its members and the way we run our sport."
Hamilton also highlighted a number of on-going developments, which
will further sustain the Club's future: "The planning for Sol Rally
Barbados 2009 has been under way for some time and we are confident
of having an even more successful year, with European interest high.
The Club has also made significant strides with the event's web site,
which now accommodates on-line entry and payment, download of
documentation and also acts as a significant marketing tool with our
promotional DVD.
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's Championship.
Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association
CEREMONIAL START FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS
Posted: February 24, 2009 4:42 PM
The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is once again raising the bar of its
blue riband event, Sol Rally Barbados, with the introduction for 2009
of the Ceremonial Start at Simpson Motors on the evening of Friday,
May 29. This addition to the schedule reflects the structure of
events in the World Rally Championship and will be welcomed by the
island's thousands of motor sport fans.
Final details of the evening's programme are yet to be confirmed,
but the outline plan provides the best chance yet for fans to mingle
with competitors in the Caribbean's biggest annual international
motor sport event, and hear their thoughts in the final hours before
competition begins.
A purpose-built start ramp will be sited in the grounds of Simpson
Motors at Warrens, St Michael; crews will pass over the ramp in start
number order and stop briefly for interviews. The evening will also
offer a better environment in which the media can meet and interview
crews than the bustle of the last-minute preparations on Saturday
morning.
Sol Rally Barbados chairman Barry Gale says: "The Ceremonial Start
is a concept we have been considering for some time, based on my own
experiences in Corona Rally Mexico back in 2002 - the atmosphere
generated by spectators and drivers before they set off into the
thick of competition is electric, and makes for a great start to the
rally.
"Simpson Motors has been fantastic as usual - one of our long-
standing sponsors, the company never fails to support the event
significantly. In addition, Crane & Equipment, another long-time
friend of the club, has come up with a great design for a ramp for us
to show off the cars as they 'start' Sol Rally Barbados 2009.
"We hope, as with some of our other planned changes for 2009, that
spectators will appreciate the new ideas, while continuing to enjoy
all that has made our premier event popular over its lifetime. It is
this mix of the familiar and the new that has drawn 20,000 locals and
hundreds of overseas guests to the rally every year."
Sol RB09 entry at world-class level!
Posted: February 12, 2009 10:30 AM
As the one-month mark since entries for Sol RB09 opened was passed
earlier this week, the total had reached 36, the same number that
started Rally Ireland, first round of the World Rally Championship,
last weekend. Rally Chairman Barry Gale noted: "We are making good
progress, we're now up to 14 four-wheel-drives including five World
Cars, most of them from overseas, and there's still a long, long way
to go before entries close on May 1!"
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 29-31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC Driver's Championship.
Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association.
On-line entry system streamlined
Posted: February 4, 2009 11:21 AM
The on-line entry system for Sol Rally Barbados has been refined
since last year; each competitor now receives an automatic
confirmation of receipt of the entry, while an alert is also sent
automatically to members of the Sol RB09 Executive Committee, who can
then follow up on any issues arising.
Chairman Barry Gale notes: "The system this year is much more
streamlined, and the automatic alerts mean we can easily keep track
of progress. We're only one away from 30 entries already, with a good
mix of local, regional and Europeans; 10 of those already in are from
the four-wheel-drive classes, so I remain optimistic about both the
quality and quantity of entry that we'll have come May."
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 30/31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC RallySport Championship.
Associate sponsors include the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association.
With more than three months to go before the official closing date of
Friday, May 1, the organizer of Sol Rally Barbados 2009, the Barbados
Rally Club (BRC), is receiving a steady flow of entries through its
web site (www.rallybarbados.bb); the current count is just short of
30, with no fewer than 10 of those entered in the four-wheel-drive
classes.
Interest from European competitors remains high, despite the
challenging economic climate, with two former Group winners joining
Steve Perez and Martin Stockdale on the list of returnees who have
already entered on-line.
Kenny Hall, who only recently flew home to Scotland after a short
New Year holiday in Barbados, is back for his seventh attack on the
event, hoping to add a third win in Modified 5 to those he achieved
in 2004 and 2007; on the second occasion, he and Dutch co-driver
Fenny Wesselink finished 22nd overall, also claiming the award as
highest-placed crew including a female.
The four-times Scottish Class Champion will return with his
familiar Suzuki-powered Halltune Garage Opel Corsa, in which he and
Wesselink retired last year, after rear axle failure; no longer a
regular competitor in his National Championship, Hall only uses the
car for occasional outings. Once such was last year’s Lion Stages, a
36-mile event in the Kielder Forest in the north of England, which is
an event limited to 1400cc cars.
Hall says: "We had been intending to enter the Colin McRae Stages
so, since I hadn't been rallying in the forests since 1999, Fenny and
I did the Lion Stages. All the best in the class from the UK were
entered, so it was going to be tough, and the conditions were really
slippery, too."
Hall was fastest on three of the four stages and, although he lost
out on the final stage, he was still three seconds ahead at the
finish. He notes: "Well, we gave them a bit of a cuffing, but there
was a scrutineering issue to do with exhaust noise and a delay which
resulted in a 30-second penalty, so we ended up second. Still, I'd
proved to Fenny that I could still keep it generally between the
trees and we put an entry in for the McRae . . . but unfortunately
didn't get one, as it was so heavily oversubscribed."
Also confirmed is Andrew Costin-Hurley, winner of Group B for the
past two years in his self-built two-wheel-drive Ford Puma, which
will be sponsored this year by True Colour Rallying, Aztec Composites
and Earl's Performance. Costin-Hurley and wife Melissa - they became
engaged on a catamaran trip in Barbados - are looking forward to the
trip: "Attending Rally Barbados this year is an absolute essential
for us, it's the motivation to get through the English winter, the
challenge of grey skies compounded by an even greyer economy. We
definitely need some Bajan optimism and blue sky!"
For his sixth Rally Barbados outing, he will be accompanied by his
sixth different co-driver, although Shaun Mellett is not unfamiliar
to Costin-Hurley, as they rallied together with some success in the
early 1990s in the UK's Southern Tarmac Championship in a Ford Sierra
Cosworth. Costin-Hurley remembers: "Unfortunately his time with me
was plagued by a phase of unreliability, but we had some great
moments, including lying in second and third overall places before
mechanical failure intervened.
"Shaun and his wife have subsequently acted as my service crew and
were in Barbados in 2003 and 2005. He's looking forward to making his
navigational comeback this year, and he and Sonia are also using the
Barbados trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary."
STOCKDALE RETURNS FOR RECORD NINTH VISIT
Posted: February 4, 2009 11:19 AM
Today's announcement from the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) that Martin
Stockdale is among the early overseas entries confirmed for Sol Rally
Barbados 2009 will bring cheer to thousands of the island's motor
sport enthusiasts; his record ninth consecutive appearance is also
further evidence of continued confidence in the country's premier
motor sport event, despite the challenging economic times.
On his first visit in 2001, the popular Englishman finished 20th
overall and second in Modified Open in a BMW M3, his flamboyant
driving style earning him the nickname 'Mad-dale' among local fans;
since then, in a series of increasingly more powerful cars - last
year's M3 GTR boasted 400 horsepower from its 4.9-litre engine - he
has won an impressive array of trophies, including three for Group
wins, once as the highest-placed overseas crew.
His run of success came to an end last year, however, with
retirement on Saturday morning following a serious hand injury
suffered when the car dropped off its jacks during service; prompt
action by the organisers resulted in urgent medical attention,
however, and everyone was delighted to see him at the Monday evening
Prizegiving at The Boatyard, supported by wife Glenis and his team.
In an emotional moment, SuperModified 11 winners Jonathan Still
and Heath Hazell, who have become close friends with the British
crew, dedicated their Group win to the injured ace, and presented
Stockdale and co-driver Mark Swallow with their trophies.
The experience has not deterred him, however. Over the weekend,
Stockdale said: "It would take more than a little accident to stop me
coming back! Everything has healed well, although the index finger is
not responding in the manner intended, as I can't curl it to make a
fist. I've been out driving on a track day in the old car, though,
and twiddling the tiller wasn't a problem.
"There are some positives to come out of this. The new car will be
fitted with proper sill mounted stands, and everyone is more aware of
how easily these things can happen, despite having done it thousands
of times before. More haste, less speed, as they say."
Of the "new car" mentioned, Stockdale was tight-lipped: "Suffice
to say I will be returning with a new car; it is currently a bare
bodyshell and the final spec is not fully decided." A remark like
that, coming from someone whose rally cars in the last 30 years have
also included a Group B Opel Ascona i200 and a four-door Vauxhall
Carlton with a 3-litre Opel Monza engine, will certainly arouse the
interest of local fans.
Following last week's confirmation of an entry for Steve Perez,
adding Stockdale to the list further boosts confidence in the event.
Sol Rally Barbados Executive Committee Chairman Barry Gale notes: "We
had been uncertain of what support we could expect from our overseas
competitors in these difficult times, so hearing so early from some
of our regular visitors is very encouraging, both for the Club and
for those local sponsors whose support is so important to us.
"Initially, we anticipated a lower entry level, but I am pleased
to report that our fears appear so far to have been exaggerated; in
particular, from a European perspective, it seems that many of those
cutting back on their motor sport are choosing to compete on a few
'must-do' events . . . and Sol Rally Barbados is apparently one of
the chosen few."
JAMAICANS CONFIRMED FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2009
Posted: February 4, 2009 11:17 AM
Jamaican drivers Jeffrey Panton - a former winner in Barbados - and
Bobby Marshall have each won free shipping and free entry to Sol
Rally Barbados 2009 after finishing the recently-contested Rally
Jamaica (December 5-7) as the highest-placed local crews in the four-
wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive categories.
The awards were presented at the Rally Jamaica Prizegiving at the
Hilton Hotel in Kingston by Jeanne Crawford, on behalf of the
Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) Sol RB09 executive committee chairman
Barry Gale. On her return to Barbados, Crawford noted: "The
recipients were very pleased, as were the Jamaica Millennium Motoring
Club (JMMC) committee; offering these prizes helps to further
strengthen the already close links between our two events."
Gale added: "Using Rally Jamaica to kick-start the regional
promotion for next year's 20th running of our premier event was a
great success. I have spoken by e-mail to Jeff Panton, who is already
talking about his plans for Sol RB09, and I also know that Bobby
Marshall intends to take advantage of his prize.
"With the other interest that was shown by a broad range of
competitors while we were in Kingston, all in all, I expect 2009 to
be a very good year for Jamaican representation in Sol Rally Barbados."
Victory in Rally Jamaica 2008 was Panton's sixth in the event's 18-
year history, and the first in his recently-acquired Automotive Art/
Bearings & Seals/Automoto/Jamaica Freight & Shipping Co/Seaboard/
Castrol/Barcode/Active Traders/Maxxis Tires ex-works Ford Focus WRC,
in which Colin McRae won the Cyprus Rally in 2001 and the Acropolis
in 2002; it was also the second for co-driver Mike Fennell Jnr, who
won the inaugural event in 1991 with Clinton McGann in a Mazda 323.
Panton was the first Jamaican driver to finish on the podium in
Barbados, claiming second place in his first Toyota Celica GT4 in
1994 (co-driven by Rene McDaniel) and again in 1996 (Rudi Meikle);
his victory in 1998, by then with John de Mercado as co-driver, was
the first for a regional driver. Jamaica had to wait until 2006
before winning again, thanks this time to Gary Gregg and Hugh
Hutchinson in their ex-Carlos Sainz Focus, a sister car to Panton's.
Marshall finished 11th overall in Rally Jamaica 2008, winner of
the JA3 category and highest-placed Jamaican two-wheel-drive
finisher, co-driven by Carlington Brissett in the Motor Sales &
Service Ltd/Ocean Spray/TGI Fridays/Singer/Auto Source/PPG/Budget Car
Rentals/Deryck A Gibson Ltd/Tru-Juice Mitsubishi Mirage.
This was a repeat of their result in 2007, when Marshall was also
the JMMC 2wd Driver's Champion and JA3 Driver's Champion; in Rally
Jamaica the previous two years, with his former co-driver Thomas
Hall, Marshall had finished 18th overall and second in JA3 (2006),
then 13th overall, third in JA3 (2005).
Although 2009 will be Marshall's debut as a competitor in
Barbados, it will not be his first experience outside Jamaica, as he
has rallied in Trinidad; he finished 11th overall and second in Class
2-3 in Rally Trinidad in March this year, then third overall and
Class 2-3 winner in Rally Trinidad Preysal in April.
PEREZ CONFIRMED FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2009
Posted: February 4, 2009 11:16 AM
Steve Perez is the first confirmed European entry for Sol Rally
Barbados 2009 . . . and the 2004 UK National Rally Champion is a man
on a mission. After missing a top-three slot for the third year in a
row in 2008, he said: "We'll just have to come back and by-pass the
podium - I'm going all out to win!"
Although his first visit ended in disaster when his ex-Hannu
Mikkola Audi Quattro Sport suffered accident damage in Rally Barbados
2004, Perez soon developed a fondness for Barbados and its people.
Like many introduced to the island through rallying, he is now a
regular visitor and returned home on Saturday after his annual New
Year holiday, enjoyed with a large family group in an exclusive West
Coast location.
Before he left, he confirmed that he will be back with his Kick
Energy Ford Focus WRC, co-driven for the first time in Barbados by
Welshman Paul Spooner, with whom he finished 19th in the final round
of the 2008 World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB, in December. Of
that result, he noted: "To just get to the finish was a major
achievement, given it was one of the toughest rallies I have ever
done. The ice, snow and fog made the going treacherous, so I was
doubly delighted to achieve a top 20 finish on a World Championship
event with very few top-name retirements."
Since 2006, a hat-trick of fourth places in Rally Barbados -
highest-placed European finisher twice - means he has unfinished
business: "I'm certainly not coming to defend fourth place, but I
think the job's going to be even harder this year. There's the two
Focus WRCs from Jamaica with Gary Gregg and Jeff Panton, and the
Imprezas of Paul Bourne and Roger Skeete - they've all won the rally
before, so I've got my work cut out.
"And then my old mate Paul Bird - he said he was retiring after
Barbados last year . . . no such luck; the last time I spoke to him,
he said he's coming back. Even if I don't win, I've still got to make
sure I finish in front of 'Birdy' this time . . . and I won't be
lending him any of my scrubbed-in tyres this year, either, he can
bring his own!"
And the information on Bird's return from retirement is right on
the money; he drove his Vent-Axia/Kick Energy Subaru Impreza WRC S9
for the first time since May two weeks ago in the Specsavers
Christmas Stages Rally, a British single-venue tarmac event at the
Croft motor racing circuit in North Yorkshire; after a few early
dramas - he said "I'd forgotten what half the switches did" - he set
some good times in the afternoon, finishing second to another crew
popular with Bajan fans, Kevin Procter and Dave Bellerby in the
Procters Coaches Impreza S7.
BHTA confirmed as Sol RB09 Associate Sponsor
The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association has been confirmed as an
Associate Sponsor of Sol Rally Barbados 2009, its increased
commitment a further recognition of the event's value as an integral
part of the island's sports-tourism product.
Having assisted in recent years through the provision of
accommodation, particularly for overseas media, the BHTA has stepped
up its involvement with a significant cash injection. BHTA Executive
Vice-President Sue Springer said: "Why would the BHTA not support
such an awesome event? It is a win-win situation and we look forward
to 2009 with bated breath to see who will take the crown.
"Over the past eight years, 200 overseas competitors have competed
in the Barbados Rally Club's event, many of whom have become repeat
visitors at other times of the year. In 2008, the 30 overseas crews
clocked up around 4000 bed nights during May, which is known to be
one of our slower months in the industry. This event also gives us
some amazing international media coverage, the like of which we could
never begin to pay for - with reports broadcast to 16 million homes
in 40 countries across Europe in 2008, what can match that in
exposure for Barbados?
"The financial benefits are also significant: the spend from
overseas visitors last year was around Bds $1.5m just from hotels,
flights and restaurants, without particular requirements like their
specialised fuel, while thousands of local fans bring revenue to
vendors, mini-marts and rum shops, all of whom benefit from this
National Event."
BRC Chairman Mark Hamilton added: "The BHTA's additional
commitment to Sol Rally Barbados this year signals once again an
acknowledgement of the contribution that the event is making to our
sports-tourism product and the local economy as a whole at a time
when the world economic situation will place additional pressure on
small island states. The Barbados Rally Club is very conscious of the
need to make our event more attractive than ever to international
participants under these circumstances and this additional support
will be used exclusively for that purpose."
Sol Rally Barbados 2009 (May 30/31) and Shell V-Power King of the
Hill (May 23) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which
celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol
Group, the Caribbean's largest independent oil company, and both
events are rounds of the Virgin Atlantic BRC RallySport Championship.
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