RALLY BARBADOS - 4-5 Jun 11

Posted: June 8, 2011 6:05 PM

Photos

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:59 PM

JustBajan.com

Rally Barbados Historic Victory For Perez/Spooner

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:49 PM

Kick Energy rally driver Steve Perez finally got his hands on a winner's trophy when he took a well deserved victory in the Historic class on the annual SOL Rally Barbados at the weekend.

Driving the Dansport-prepared Porsche 911 RSR and along with Welsh co driver Paul Spooner, the reigning BTRDA Champions finished nearly two minutes ahead of nearest rivals Andrew Siddall and Carl Williamson in their Ford Escort Mk2 on the annual Caribbean island event with South African Geoff Bell and Kenyan co driver Tim Challen in third.

After getting used to driving a two-wheel drive car on the tricky and slippery lanes as opposed to his normal Ford Focus WRC which he normally contests the rally in, the crew altered settings to improve the car's handling on Saturday and by Sunday, Perez, the former British Historic and National Champion, was soon setting fastest stage times as he marched up the leaderboard.

Perhaps more importantly for Perez than the actual victory, he racked up maximum points in the self-appointed 'G-WRC' which he is contesting this season along with a handful of other drivers. Standing for 'Gentleman's World Rally Class', it's been hatched by Perez along with fellow competitors Andrew Siddall and Geoff Bell whereby they will all contest events such as Rally Barbados, Geko Ypres, the Midnight Sun, East African Safari Classic and culminating in the Roger Albert Clark Rally with the best placed driver winning a case of finest champagne, funded by the two losers!

Whilst Perez was victorious, the battle in the 'G-WRC' between Siddall and Bell went right to the wire with Siddall getting the verdict by less than a second after over one and a quarter hours worth of competitive driving!

Prior to sampling some of the island's finest rum at the prizegiving, Perez commented:
"I've been coming here for many years so it's great to get my hands on a winner's trophy at last! OK, it's not the overall victory that I've challenged for in the past but this is every bit as sweet. The car ran faultlessly and I have to thank the Dansport team as they did a wonderful job with a brand new car, all three of the team's cars reached the finish without any problems."

He continued:
"Also, I'm delighted to take victory in the G-WRC after Andrew Siddall and Geoff Bell both beat me on Rallye Mallorca but it couldn't have been a closer finish between them! I said I was hoping to reverse the result here and we did! What's more, we are getting a lot of interest from both competitors and organisers alike so it's really taking off and you never know where it might end up. The next event we are doing is the Midnight Sun Rally in Sweden so we will all resume battle then."

It's back to domestic action next for Perez and Spooner with the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally this forthcoming Saturday whereby the 2010 Gold Star Champions will be aiming to emulate their victory of last year in the Ford Focus WRC.

Perez's plans are for a selected number of events which will see him competing on a number of foreign events in 2011. Visits to Spa, Mallorca and Barbados already are to be followed by visits to Ypres, Flanders and the Midnight Sun Rally which will be highlighted with another attempt at the East African Safari Classic Rally in November followed by the season-ending Roger Albert Clark Rally in December.

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:48 PM

Barbados Podium For Bird

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:47 PM

Cumbrian rally driver Paul Bird saw his bid to win SOL Rally Barbados thwarted once again when he had to settle for a third place finish after a high speed off towards the end of the event.

After twice finishing runner up on the annual Caribbean festival, the Frank Bird Poultry-sponsored Ford Focus WRC08 driver from Langwathby and Scottish co driver Kirsty Riddick were hoping to be challenging for victory and were soon dicing with local aces Roger Skeete and co driver Louis Venezia in their Subaru WRC as well as fellow Bajans Paul Bourne and Ronald Plant's Ford Focus WRC.

The Dom Buckley Motorsport-prepared car was upping the pace around the narrow and tricky lanes of the island and was in with a shout of victory going into the final loop. However, it nearly all ended in disaster as the 2005 MSA National Gravel Rally Champion pushed hard on the final stage and ended up off the road at over 100mph.

Despite the incident, the Kawasaki World Superbike Team boss recovered to end up just half a minute behind eventual winner Skeete and five seconds off runner up Bourne to claim his third podium in as many years and in doing so, was the first foreign crew home.

Speaking afterwards Bird commented:
"That was the scariest moment I've had in a rally car as the data said we were doing over 110mph when I was heading into a ploughed field. I had to make a split second decision as if I hadn't, we would still be rolling now. In one way I'm pleased to get a podium but I really felt I was capable of winning this year so I'll just have to keep coming back until I do win! Roger and Paul know these roads so well and their cars are so fast, it's easier said than done, though!"

Bird will miss this weekend's round of the BTRDA Rally Championship, the Rainworth Skoda Dukeries Rally, as he travels instead to Misano whereby his Kawasaki WSB team is in action.

SKEETE DOUBLES UP ON SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:40 PM

A second consecutive victory in last weekend’s Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) – his 12th in the event’s 22-year history - further reinforced Roger ‘The Sheriff’ Skeete’s reputation as the island’s top driver; with all 24 planned stages completed without major interruption, the organising Barbados Rally Club is celebrating a successful weekend.

After the results were made final yesterday afternoon, Skeete and co-driver Louis Venezia received their trophies from the Hon Stephen Lashley, Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, at a packed Prize-giving ceremony at The Boatyard on the outskirts of the island’s capital Bridgetown; they had dominated the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, winning by a margin of nearly 24 seconds.

Driving the One World Group/Michelin/Simpson Motors/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Virgin Atlantic Subaru Impreza WRC S12, Skeete was fastest on all seven of Saturday morning’s stages, establishing a cushion of around 11 seconds by lunch; although his arch-rivals, fellow-countryman Paul Bourne and former UK National Rally Champion Paul Bird, each claimed two stage wins in the afternoon, Skeete had increased his advantage to nearly 14secs by nightfall.

Bird and Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick (Frank Bird Poultry Ford Focus WRC08) were second overnight, with Bourne and Ronald Plant (Banks/Chefette/MQI/Castrol Focus WRC07) third; on their first attack on the WRC class, 2010 Group N winners, England’s Rob Swann and Welsh co-driver Darren Garrod (Going Places Travel/Waves Barbados/Revolution Wheels/R A Swann Ltd Impreza WRC S12), were an impressive fourth, half-a-second ahead of former winners, Jamaicans Gary Gregg and Hugh Hutchinson in the BD Gregg & Bros Focus WRC 05. After a spin and stall on the day’s penultimate stage dropped them from fourth, Trinidad’s John Powell and Nicholas Telfer (Shell Helix/Intercontinental Shipping Impreza WRC S12) placed sixth.

On Sunday, Skeete continued to grow his advantage, although he was only fastest on five of the day’s 11 stages; afterwards, he said:
“We had a spectacular weekend. We started with a completely different mindset, which allowed us to finish Saturday with a comfortable margin to build on on day two, which was easier than last year.”

Bourne moved to second just before lunch, after Bird ran off the road on the third Malvern, causing the Focus to overheat on the subsequent LIME Kendal stage. The top four were as last year, Bourne and Bird the other podium finishers, while a determined charge from Powell carried him back to fourth.

Swann was a delighted fifth – his ambition had been a top six finish, and he commented afterwards:
“We had a great rally and will definitely be back with a WRC to get the job done!” Gregg retired mid-way through Sunday with mechanical issues, leaving sixth place to the local crew of Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward in the Lubriguard Oils/Hankook Tyres/Nassco Toyota Starlet.

From stage one, on which he was the faster of the two, Armstrong had been engaged in an enthralling battle for SuperModified 10 and overall two-wheel-drive honours with the Chefette/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift of brothers Ian and Robert Warren. Swapping stage wins back and forth, Warren had the advantage overnight by little more than a second.

On Sunday, Armstrong was on home ground – after losing out to Warren on the opening stage, he nailed four more stage wins to open up a near four-second advantage by lunch; on the afternoon’s first stage, the island’s fickle weather patterns played a role. Rain fell as Warren arrived to brake for a ninety-right, where he slid into the notorious ‘Malvern wall’. He noted:
“The water was mid-way through the braking point. The battle with Neil wasn't finished, that's what I am most upset about.”

Armstrong finished sixth overall and highest-placed two-wheel-drive, but Warren was out of the overall running, having failed to finish that stage, with repairs necessary – the Swift was also struck by Brett Clarke’s Citroen C2 S1600 - but he did finish second in SM10. As Armstrong was also slowed by Warren’s incident, Cliff Roett and James Wilkie (Carters & Co/Lucky Horseshoe/Paulo’s Churasco Do Brasil/Roett’s Garage Toyota Starlet) picked up the first of two SM10 stage wins.

Mere tenths behind Armstrong at the finish was former UK National Champion Roger Duckworth, co-driven in the Intrinsys/Kumho/Autosportif Impreza WRC by Aled Davies; after anti-lag problems on Saturday, he got into his stride on Sunday, ending the day with a stage win at the Sol Aviation SuperSpecial. Having won a fully-paid entry to the event following his victory on Rallye Sunseeker National in February, Duckworth said: “We were probably too cautious on day one, but got faster. I was stunned by the pace of the locals, and the heat was really something.
"I have to see how the wife enjoyed her trip, then we'll see if I'll be back next year.”

The top 10 was completed by Mark Hamilton, Josh Read and Geoff Noel. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX campaigners Hamilton/Clive Howell (First Caribbean International Bank/Consumer Guarantee Insurance/PowerMaster/Simpson Motors/Automotive Art) and Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (Globe Finance/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Mix 96.9/Automotive Art/Cargo Solution International/CIAC Airconditioners) were the leading Group N crews: Hamilton won all but one stage on Saturday and, despite only claiming one more win Sunday, had a sufficient cushion to clinch the class.

Read and co-driver Mark Jordan (Automotive Art/Baram Services/Weetabix Toyota Starlet) had been trailing Roger and Barry Mayers (Chefette/Digicel/Delaware Dispensary/Illusion Graphics/Quality Tyre Starlet) until the brothers crashed out on Saturday’s fifth stage, then were only twice beaten in SM9 by Clarke’s Citroen.

The 87 crews from 14 nations, including the host country, contested 16 classes: more than 40 set class stage-winning times, and no winner of a contested class can claim a perfect set of stage wins . . . and all this was played out in front of upwards of 20,000 spectators, who lined the six stage venues over the weekend, culminating in the floodlit Sol Aviation SuperSpecial at the island’s Bushy Park racetrack.

“Astonishing” was how British production company GreenlightTV’s producer Richard Nichols described his team’s first visit to the island’s premier event. He added:
“I have not seen crowd reaction like that anywhere in the world . . . and I certainly did not expect that level of competition between those guys at the front of the field. They were on it, and I’ve never seen Paul Bird driving that hard – he obviously wants to win!”

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Corporation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute’s Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette, Field Insurance and Sagicor.

Results

Posted: June 8, 2011 5:39 PM

1st Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1h 05m 51.95s
2nd Paul Bourne/Ronald Plant (M8-WRC Ford Focus WRC07), 1h 06m 15.88s
3rd Paul Bird - ENG/Kirsty Riddick – SCO (M8-WRC Frank Bird Poultry Ford Focus WRC08), 1h 06m 21.12s
4th John Powell - TRI/Nicholas Telfer - TRI (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1h 07m 24.44s
5th Rob Swann – ENG/Darren Garrod – WAL (M8-WRC Going Places Travel/Waves Barbados/Revolution Wheels/R A Swann Ltd Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1h 07m 34.06s
6th Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM10 Toyota Starlet), 1h 09m 49.07s
7th Roger Duckworth - ENG/Aled Davies - WAL (M8-WRC Intrinsys/Kumho/Autosportif Subaru Impreza WRC), 1h 09m 49.28s
8th Mark Hamilton/Clive Howell (P4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 1h 11m 36.50s
9th Josh Read/Mark Jordan (SM9 Toyota Starlet), 1h 11m 45.88s
10th Geoffrey Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (P4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 1h 12m 19.59s
11th Andrew Mallalieu/Rhett D’Andrade (P4 Subaru Impreza N10), 1h 13m 22.59s
12th Brett Clarke/Garry Clarke (SM9 Citroen C2 S1600), 1h 13m 47.88s
13th Sammy Cumberbatch/Nicholas Yarde (SM11 BMW M3), 1h 14m 21.90s
14th Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (M6 Peugeot 206), 1h 14m 30.98s
15th Owen Cumberbatch/Kelly-Ann Sandiford (SM11 BMW M3), 1h 14m 49.41s
16th Alex Whitehead/Brian Hurley (SM11 BMW 328i), 1m 15m 01.68s
17th Steve Perez – ENG/Paul Spooner – WAL (H3 Kick Energy Drink Porsche 911 RSR), 1h 15m 05.89s
18th Martin Stockdale - ENG/Gary Miller – ENG (SM11 Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals BMW M3 Compact), 1h 15m 30.64s
19th Eric Allamby/Sean Corbin (SM10 Mitsubishi Lancer), 1h 15m 56.55s
20th Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M6 Mitsubishi Mirage RS), 1h 16m 00.36s
21st Andrew Siddall – ENG/Carl Williamson – WAL (H2 Siddall and Hilton Products/Sidhil Ford Escort RS2000 MkI), 1h 17m 01.45s
22nd Geoff Bell – RSA/Tim Challen – KEN (H3 Kick Energy Drink Ford Escort RS), 1h 17m 02.34s
23rd Graeme Finlayson - SCO/Orville Bruce (M8-A www.racedandrallied.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS), 1h 18m 00.19s
24th Winston Thompson/Fiona McDonald (SM9 Toyota Starlet), 1h 18m 31.58s
25th Craig Salter – ENG/Preston Ayres – ENG (H2 Ford Escort MkI), 1h 19m 02.26s
26th Nigel Worswick – ENG/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (SM10 Worswick Engineering Ford Escort MkII), 1h 19m 04.86s
27th Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (M7 Toyota Corolla RunX), 1h 19m 40.81s
28th Calvin Briggs/Adrian Sobers (SM11 Ford Escort MkII), 1h 21m 12.05s
29th Allan Mackay – SCO/Stewart Davidson – SCO (SM10 Highland Waste Services Ford Anglia WRC), 1h 22m 41.52s
30th Glenn Campbell – NIR/Neill Finlay - NIR (M5 Burn Road Trade Sales/Agnew Recovery/Phillip Holland Car Sales/Motorcare/Moto Glass/Dyno Tune Rolling Road Nissan Micra Kit Car), 1h 23m 13.80s
31st Conor Roach/Damien Moore (P2 Peugeot 106 Rallye), 1h 23m 44.40s
32nd Paul Darrouzet – AUS/Jim Hurman – ENG (SM11 Ford Capri Perana), 1h 24m 21.46s
33rd Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (M7 Ford Fiesta), 1h 26m 18.36s
34th Paul Rees - WAL/Kevin Hutchinson - ENG (M5 Dynamic IS/FromBarbados.com Vauxhall Astra), 1h 27m 06.90s
35th Terry Sealy/Rommel Coppin (P4 Subaru Impreza WRX STi), 1h 27m 51.14s
36th Vishal Dhanraj - TRI/Richard Blenman (SM9 Toyota Starlet), 1h 29m 00.65s
37th Shannon Kirton/Lisa Roett (Datsun 160J), 1h 33m 17.52s

Highest-placed regional crew: Powell – TRI/Telfer – TRI (4th overall)
Highest-placed international crew: Bird – ENG/Riddick – SCO (3rd overall)
Highest-placed female competitor: Riddick (3rd overall, co-driver for Bird)

Starters: 87 (60 Barbados, 21 International, 6 Regional)
Overall finishers: 37 (21 Barbados, 14 International, 2 Regional)

Overall Two-wheel-drive: 1st Armstrong/Ward; 2nd Read/Jordan; 3rd B Clarke/G Clarke; 4th S Cumberbatch/Yarde; 5th D Skeete/Mayhew; 6th O Cumberbatch/Sandiford; 7th Whitehead/Hurley; 8th Perez/Spooner; 9th Stockdale/Miller; 10th Allamby/S Corbin

Class results
Modified 8-WRC: 1st Skeete/Venezia; 2nd Bourne/Plant; 3rd Bird – ENG/Riddick – SCO; etc
M8-A: 1st Finlayson – SCO/Bruce
Production 4 (Group N): 1st Hamilton/Howell; 2nd Noel/Yearwood; 3rd Mallalieu/D’Andrade; etc
Group B: 1st James Betts/Geoffrey Goddard (Renault Clio), 1h 13m 13.58s; 2nd Stuart McChlery/Julian Goddard (Ford Escort MkI), 1h 16m 57.11s; 3rd Harold Morley - ENG/Aled Edwards – WAL (NET2VU Porsche RSR GT3 Rally), 1h 17m 59.88s; etc
SuperModified 11: 1st S Cumberbatch/Yarde; 2nd O Cumberbatch/Sandiford; 3rd Whitehead/Hurley; etc
SM10: 1st Armstrong/Ward; 2nd Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Suzuki Swift), 1h 12m 18.98s; 3rd Allamby/S Corbin; etc
SM9: 1st Read/Jordan; 2nd B Clarke/G Clarke; 3rd Thompson/MacDonald; etc
M7: 1st Gale/K Proverbs; 2nd John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (Toyota Corolla), 1h 22m 42.34s; 3rd Sisnett/Sisnett; etc
M6: 1st D Skeete/Mayhew; 2nd Brathwaite/Hoyte; 3rd Neil Corbin/Zach Heaselgrave (Toyota Starlet), 1h 17m 17.14s; etc
M5: 1st Sean Cox/Adam Cox (Suzuki Swift Gti), 1h 23m 04.57s; 2nd Campbell – NIR/Finlay – NIR; 3rd Rees – WAL/Hutchinson - ENG
P3: no finishers
P2: 1st Roach/Moore; 2nd Paul Inniss/Kerry Downes (Honda Civic), 1h 33m 30.48s; 3rd Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (Suzuki Ignis Sport), 1h 34m 40.71s
Historic 3: 1st Perez – ENG/Spooner – WAL; 2nd Bell – RSA/Challen – KEN
H2: 1st Siddall –ENG/Williamson – WAL; 2nd Salter – ENG/Ayres – ENG
H1: no finishers
Clubman: 1st Kirton/Roett

RALLY BARBADOS - 4-5 Jun 11 - FULL RESULTS

Results by: RallyScoring.com

Results / News: Rally Barbados
Podcasts: rallyfm.net

Running Order:

Posted: June 2, 2011 4:26 PM

1 Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (M8-WRC One World Group/Michelin/Simpson Motors/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Virgin Atlantic Subaru Impreza WRC S12)
2 Paul Bird - ENG/Kirsty Riddick – SCO (M8-WRC Frank Bird Poultry Ford Focus WRC08)
3 Paul Bourne/Ronald Plant (M8-WRC Banks/Chefette/MQI/Castrol Ford Focus WRC07)
4 Rob Swann – ENG/Darren Garrod – WAL (M8-WRC Going Places Travel/Waves Barbados/Revolution Wheels/R A Swann Ltd Subaru Impreza WRC S12)
5 Gary Gregg – JAM/Hugh Hutchinson – JAM (M8-WRC BD Gregg & Bros Ford Focus WRC05)
6 Sean Gill/Michael Cummins (M8-WRC Simpson Motors/Shell V-Power/Automotive Art/Chefette Suzuki SX4 WRC)
7 Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (M8-WRC Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC)
8 John Powell - TRI/Michael March - JAM (M8-WRC Intercontinental Shipping Ltd Subaru Impreza WRC S12)
9 Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM10 Lubriguard Oils/Hankook Tyres/Nassco Toyota Starlet)
10 Roger Mayers/Barry Mayers (SM9 Chefette/Digicel/Delaware Dispensary/Illusion Graphics/Quality Tyre Toyota Starlet)
11 Ian Warren/Robert Warren (SM10 Chefette/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift)
12 Roger Duckworth - ENG/Aled Davies - WAL (M8-WRC Intrinsys/Kumho/Autosportif Subaru Impreza WRC)
14 Brian Gill/Erica Foster (SM11 Kerns Juices/Maxi Malta BMW M3)
15 Geoffrey Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (P4 Globe Finance/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Mix 96.9/Automotive Art/Cargo Solution International/CIAC Airconditioners Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
16 Josh Read/Mark Jordan (SM9 Automotive Art/Baram Services/Weetabix Toyota Starlet)
17 Owen Cumberbatch/Kelly-Ann Sandiford (SM11 BMW M3)
18 Brett Clarke/Garry Clarke (SM9 Citroen C2 S1600)
19 Dean Serrao/Sean Abed (M8-WRC REDjet/BarbadosPropertyList.com/Sign Station/Bartex Subaru Impreza WRC S9)
20 Sammy Cumberbatch/Nicholas Yarde (SM11 LIME/F Taylor Associates/Castrol/Auto-Link BMW M3)
21 Andrew Mallalieu/Rhett D’Andrade (P4 Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10)
22 Mark Hamilton/Clive Howell (P4 First Caribbean International Bank/Consumer Guarantee Insurance/PowerMaster/Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
23 Avinash Chatrani/Martin Goddard (M8-A Electric Avenue/EA Mobile/Hankook/Solder Seal Gunk/Niagra Water/Lubrigold Synthetic Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
24 Graeme Finlayson - SCO/Orville Bruce (M8-A www.racedandrallied.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS)
25 Michael Worme/Andrew Croney (M8-A Cot Media Group/Dingolay & Co/MQI Collision Repair Centre/Speedline Performance Auto/Powdercoating Inc/Details Car Valet Subaru Impreza Sti)
26 Alex Whitehead/Brian Hurley (SM11 Sign Station BMW 328i)
27 Logan Watson/Rhett Watson (SM11 The Unknown Entity BMW M3)
28 James Betts/Geoffrey Goddard (GpB Quikstart Auto/Makita/Quik Liner spray-on bed liners/Dial-a-hand/All-Terrain Plus Renault Clio)
29 Andrew Jones/Kurt Ward (GpB A P Jones Pharmacy/Rally & Competition Equipment/Precision Automotive/Southern Surf Beach Apartments Ford Escort MkII)
30 Adrian Linton/Dominic Linton (M7 Ravensden/Garbage Gobbler/JAD Performance Vauxhall Astra GSi)
31 Eric Allamby/Sean Corbin (SM10 Shelbury Construction Mitsubishi Lancer)
32 Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (M6 One World Group/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre Peugeot 206)
33 Neil Corbin/Zach Heaselgrave (M6 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions Toyota Starlet)
34 Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (M7 Ellco Rentals/Roberts Manufacturing/Mom's Pasta Products Honda Civic)
35 Andrew Skeete/Bradley Weekes (H1 Hitachi Power Tools/Hankook Tyres/Sonic/Mothers Mitsubishi Lancer GSR)
36 Berndt Knuepfer – GER/Jonathan Linton (P4 Auto Dienst/Barth Bau/Stahl Seltmann/Ravensden/Sachs Opel Astra OPC Turbo)
37 Stuart Johnson - TRI/Chris Hoad (P4 Subaru Impreza N12)
38 Steve Perez – ENG/Paul Spooner – WAL (H3 Kick Energy Drink Porsche 911 RSR)
39 Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M6 FG Wilson Generators/AM Electrical Solutions/Carib Beer/Meridian Windows and Doors/Chicken Pen Racing/AutoPlus Motors Inc/D2 Suspension/Valvoline Lubricants/Ellesmere Quarries Mitsubishi Mirage RS)
40 Jeremy Gonsalves/Natasha Farnum (SM9 All Terrain Plus/Star Products/Yamaha/Makita/Quik Start Auto/Champion Auto Wrecker Suzuki Swift GTi)
41 David Coelho – TRI/James Harris - TRI (P4 Subway/Total Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
42 Martin Stockdale - ENG/Gary Miller – ENG (SM11 Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals BMW M3 Compact)
43 Nigel Reece/David Reece (SM10 Subzero Services Ltd/TGM Air Conditioners/Trident International Corporation/Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Structural Systems Ford Escort MkI)
44 Cliff Roett/James Wilkie (SM10 Carters & Co/Lucky Horseshoe/Paulo’s Churasco Do Brasil/Roett’s Garage Toyota Starlet)
45 Ralph White/Joe Troulan (SM10 Barbados Villa Services/Island Safari Toyota Starlet)
46 Nigel Worswick – ENG/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (SM10 Worswick Engineering Ford Escort MkII)
47 Wayne King/Rashid Philips (SM10 New Tech Peugeot 306)
48 Paul Horton - TCI/Kristian Yearwood (M6 Sky Rally Sport/H Racing/Java Island Honda Civic)
49 Andrew Siddall – ENG/Carl Williamson – WAL (H2 Siddall and Hilton Products/Sidhil Ford Escort RS2000 MkI)
50 Geoff Bell – RSA/Tim Challen – KEN (H3 Kick Energy Drink Ford Escort RS)
51 Stuart McChlery/Julian Goddard (GpB TeleBarbados/Lubriguard Ford Escort MkI)
52 Frans Verbaas – NED/Kees Hagman – NED (GpB Verbaas Preparations/Koni Austin Mini Cooper)
53 Harold Morley - ENG/Aled Edwards – WAL (GpB NET2VU Porsche RSR GT3 Rally)
54 Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Rob Brook - ENG (GpB Earl’s Performance Hoses Ford Puma)
55 St Elmo Cumberbatch/Kevin Cumberbatch (GpB Carib Supply/F Taylor Associates BMW E36)
56 Craig Salter – ENG/Preston Ayres – ENG (H2 Ford Escort MkI)
57 Greg Cozier/Jamie Marsh (H1 Hyundai Lubricants/Huzier Trucks & Equipment Ford Escort MkII)
58 Ron Greaves/Jan-Yves Hinds (M7 Chicken Pen Racing/Kick Energy Drink/Ellesmere Quarries/McCarthys Garage/Valvoline/Kumho/Soldier Man Trucking Honda Civic Type-R)
59 Kenny Hall - SCO/Marieanne Gray – SCO (M6 Halltune Ford Puma)
60 Kyle Catwell/Norman Catwell (M7 Chicken Pen Racing/Carib Beer/Freekz Customz/Ellesmere Quarries/Cutters Of Barbados Volkswagen Golf GTI)
61 Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (M7 Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco/VP Fuels Toyota Corolla RunX)
62 Alex Hall - SCO/Dave Armstrong - SCO (M5 Halltune Opel Corsa)
63 Sean Field/Darnley Rayside (P3 Field Insurance Brokers/Castrol Oil/Ackee Tree/AM Realty Services/Landscapes in Harmony Peugeot 306)
64 Allan Maynard/Marcus Beck (SM9 Marshal Trading/Roberts Manufacturing/Pine Hill Dairy/Lubriguard/El Tigre Catamaran Cruises/Williams Equipment Toyota Starlet)
65 Calvin Briggs/Adrian Sobers (SM11 Rocklyn Hardware Supplies/Sign Guyz Graphics/Sammy Lee Towing and Recovery/Freekz Customz Ford Escort MkII)
66 Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (M7 Ford Fiesta)
67 Allan Mackay – SCO/Stewart Davidson – SCO (SM10 Highland Waste Services Ford Anglia WRC)
68 Wayne Archer/Lucas Nicolao - ARG (H1 Daihatsu Charmant)
69 Sean Cox/Adam Cox (M5 Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift Gti)
70 John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (M7 Toyota Corolla)
71 Chris Ullyett/Derek Ince (M7 Ullyett's Machine Shop/MG America/Proj-Rx/Food and Pharma Equipment Ford Escort RS2000)
72 Winston Thompson/Fiona McDonald (SM9 Chicken Pen Racing/Ellesmere Quarries/SDRR Industrial & Hydraulic Spares Toyota Starlet)
73 Glenn Campbell – NIR/Neill Finlay - NIR (M5 Burn Road Trade Sales/Agnew Recovery/Phillip Holland Car Sales/Motorcare/Moto Glass/Dyno Tune Rolling Road Nissan Micra Kit Car)
74 Conor Roach/Damien Moore (P2 Peugeot 106 Rallye)
75 Danny Williams/Reuben Nelson (M6 Lucky Horse Shoe/Sunbury Plantation House/Lexy’s Piano Bar/Cutters/Sitar Ford Fiesta)
76 Paul Rees - WAL/Kevin Hutchinson- ENG (M5 Dynamic IS/FromBarbados.com Vauxhall Astra)
77 Brendon Mckenzie/Tony Pile (M6 Budex Couriers Toyota Corolla)
78 Vishal Dhanraj - TRI/Richard Blenman (M6 Gulf/The Dispensary/V3 Rally Team Toyota Starlet)
79 Duane Johnson/Dwayne Forde (GpB Johnson’s Autos/Cyrus Chickens/AA Auto Body Repairs/G & G Sales & Services/Phoenix Protection Services Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo)
80 Jeremy Croney/Mario Clermont (Club Quality Tyre/Lubriguard Peugeot 206)
81 Paul Darrouzet – AUS/Jim Hurman – ENG (SM11 Ford Capri Perana)
82 Robert Cholmondeley – ENG/Dave Evans – ENG (SM10 Ford Escort MkII)
83 Terry Sealy/Rommel Coppin (P4 Speedline Performance Auto/Premier World Cargo/Jackson Motorsports Subaru Impreza WRX STi)
84 Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (P2 Barbados Business Listings/Crimson Jade Consulting/RCR Tours/Bovell Auto Repair/Simple Trucking Suzuki Ignis Sport)
85 David Brewster/Umar Dyer (M7 SRG Engineering/Castrol/Innovative Security Solutions/Home Improvement & Hardware Supplies Peugeot 205GTi)
86 Clifford Cox/Scott Bentham (SM9 Toyota Starlet)
87 Math Whitney/Christopher Wadman (SM9 Wadman Bros Toyota Corolla)
88 Paul Inniss/Kerry Downes (P2 Bartex Concrete Works/Palmart/Newton’s Building Services Honda Civic)
89 Shannon Kirton/Lisa Roett (Club Diamonds International/Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Fingerprint Designs Datsun 160J)
90 Gary Mendes/Neil Pickering (M7 G&G Sales & Service Inc/Barbados Muffler Centre/LG Trading Toyota Corolla)

Key to nationalities (competitor from Barbados unless shown):
ARG – Argentina; AUS – Australia; ENG – England; GER – Germany; JAM – Jamaica; KEN – Kenya; NED – The Netherlands; NIR – Northern Ireland; RSA – South Africa; SCO – Scotland; TCI – Turks & Caicos; TRI – Trinidad & Tobago; WAL – Wales

Rally Barbados

FIVE FORMER WINNERS FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: June 2, 2011 10:44 AM

Five former winners of the island’s premier event are among crews from 14 nations listed on the final running order for Sol Rally Barbados 2011, the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international. The final seeding, based on the results of last Sunday’s Shell V-Power King of the Hill, was published by the Barbados Rally Club today (June 1), in advance of this evening’s Briefing Meeting and Welcome Party.

From day one’s opening stage – a new four-kilometre test in the north of the island – to the climax of day two, the Sol Aviation SuperSpecial at Bushy Park being run for the first time under floodlights, competitors will face 24 special stages and a total stage distance of a little under 120 kilometres.

At 9.30am on Saturday, Roger Skeete will start at number one, co-driven in the One World Group/Michelin/Simpson Motors/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Virgin Atlantic Subaru Impreza WRC S12 by Louis Venezia, with whom he claimed his 11th victory in the event’s 21-year history in 2010.

Starting at two is the leading overseas challenger, former UK National Rally Champion, England’s Paul Bird (Frank Bird Poultry Ford Focus WRC08), with Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick; in his three previous visits, Bird has twice finished second – to Kris Meeke in 2008 & ’09 – then third last year; there is only one step on the podium he has failed to visit, and that is his target this year.

Winner in 2003 & ’07, Paul Bourne, co-driven by Ronald Plant in the Banks/Chefette/MQI/Castrol Focus WRC07, starts third, ahead of two more strong overseas challenges, England’s Rob Swann and the Jamaican pairing of Gary Gregg and Hugh Hutchinson (BD Gregg & Bros Ford Focus WRC05), who won in 2006.

With his Welsh co-driver Darren Garrod, Swann won Group N in Sol Rally Barbados 2010, then repeated the result in Rally Jamaica last December, becoming the first driver to claim the double; for 2011, they have stepped up to the World Rally Car class in the Going Places Travel/Waves Barbados/Revolution Wheels/R A Swann Ltd Impreza WRC S12.

Sean Gill and Michael Cummins (Simpson Motors/Shell V-Power/Automotive Art/Chefette Suzuki SX4 WRC) start at six, Gill also a former winner; he was the co-driver for 1993 winner Kenny McKinstry, when he returned to claim his second victory in 1996. At seven are Roger Hill and Graham Gittens (Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC), ahead of Trinidad’s John Powell and Michael March of Jamaica (Intercontinental Shipping Ltd Impreza WRC S12).

The top 10 is completed by the leading two-wheel-drive crews: Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward (Lubriguard Oils/Hankook Tyres/Nassco Toyota Starlet) and brothers Roger and Barry Mayers (Chefette/Digicel/Delaware Dispensary/Illusion Graphics/Quality Tyre Starlet) will start at nine and 10 respectively, but will have last year’s highest-placed two-wheel-drive trophy winners, Ian and Robert Warren (Chefette/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift) breathing down their necks at 11. Co-driven by Max Ferri, Roger Mayers won Rally Barbados in 2005 in a Ford Focus WRC.

In addition to the battle for overall supremacy, there are no fewer than 16 separate class battles to be fought out, most of which will involve island competitors pitting their skills against either regional or international entries, sometimes both. There will be excitement and intrigue right through the field. The entry will be reseeded for the 9.30am start on Sunday, based on the results after the opening day’s 13 stages.

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 – final running order statistics

+ 89 crews on the final start list
+ competitors from 14 nations (including Barbados), with Australia and Germany represented for the first time
+ 19 four-wheel-drive cars, including 10 World Rally Cars
+ 41 International drivers or co-drivers – 22 new to the event
+ 9 drivers or co-drivers from the wider Caribbean – 3 new to the event
+ 10 female competitors (including the first all-female crew to contest the event)
+ cars from 16 manufacturers: Ford – 20; Toyota – 16; Mitsubishi & Subaru – 9; BMW – 7; Peugeot – 6; Suzuki – 5; Honda & Opel/Vauxhall - 4; Datsun/Nissan & Porsche - 2; Austin, Citroen, Daihatsu, Renault & Volkswagen – 1

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Corporation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute’s Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette, Field Insurance and Sagicor.

SHELL V-POWER KING OF THE HILL 2011 - Results

Posted: May 30, 2011 1:48 PM

"King of the Hill" takes place the weekend before the Barbados Rally

Overall
1st Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1m 56.44s
2nd Paul Bird - ENG/Kirsty Riddick – SCO (M8-WRC Ford Focus WRC08), 1m 57.37s
3rd Paul Bourne/Ronald Plant (M8-WRC Ford Focus WRC07), 1m 57.69s
4th Rob Swann – ENG/Darren Garrod – WAL (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 1m 58.94s
5th Gary Gregg – JAM/Hugh Hutchinson – JAM (M8-WRC Ford Focus WRC05), 1m 59.33s
6th Sean Gill/Michael Cummins (M8-WRC Suzuki SX4 WRC), 2m 00.85s
7th Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (M8-WRC Toyota Corolla WRC), 2m 01.29s
8th John Powell - TRI/Michael March - JAM (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 2m 01.76s
9th Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM10 Toyota Starlet), 2m 03.82s
10th Roger Mayers/Barry Mayers (SM9 Toyota Starlet), 2m 04.65s

Full Results:

Rally Barbados

LAST CAR TOUCHES DOWN FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS / Major shake-up in store for island’s modified classes

Posted: May 26, 2011 11:10 AM

As former UK National Rally Champion Paul Bird’s Ford Focus WRC08 landed at Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday (Tuesday), the final countdown for Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) started. Overseas competitors, family and friends are arriving in the island daily, to prepare for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international.

The first official function is Scrutineering at Simpsons Motors in Warrens on Saturday (May 28); competition cars will arrive from before 1.00pm, so the scrutineers can carry out their work in a secure area, and all are mandated to remain on site between 3.00pm and 6.00pm, during which time driver interviews and related programming will be broadcast on the popular Giant Daylight Screen.
The island’s knowledgeable fans will find much new to interest them, although ‘Birdy’s Focus is familiar; now re-liveried to reflect backing from Frank Bird Poultry, it is the same car in which he finished third last year, his worst result in three visits, having finished second to Kris Meeke in the previous two years. After all three had led Sol RB10, he was beaten by local aces Roger Skeete and Paul Bourne, having enjoyed what he described as “the best rally battle I’ve ever been involved in.”

Of the 19 cars that have journeyed across the Atlantic this year, 10 are new to local enthusiasts, whose appetite for enthusiastically-driven rear-wheel-drive cars will be satisfied in full measure; from the Ford Anglia WRC, via a host of Escorts and the 5-litre Capri Perana, to the Porsche 911 RSR of Steve Perez, there is something for everyone.

Major shake-up in store for island’s modified classes

With newcomers, competitors returning to the sport and interesting overseas entries, the Barbados Rally Club’s modified classes are set for a shake-up. In Modified 7, there is a terrific mix, headed by former class-winners Adrian Linton (Ravensden/Garbage Gobbler/JAD Performance Vauxhall Astra GSi), co-driven for the first time in the island’s premier event by son Dominic, and Freddie Gale (Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco/VP Fuels Toyota Corolla RunX) both fielding either updgraded (Linton) or new (Gale) machinery.

And they may need it, to fight off the challenges of Chicken Pen Racing’s Kyle Catwell (Carib Beer/Freekz Customz/Ellesmere Quarries/Cutters Of Barbados Volkswagen Golf GTI) and Ron Greaves (Kick Energy Drink/Ellesmere Quarries/McCarthys Garage/Valvoline/Kumho/Soldier Man Trucking Honda Civic Type-R). Daryl Clarke comes down from SuperModified 9 in his Ellco Rentals/Roberts Manufacturing/Mom's Pasta Products Honda Civic, while the returning Jeremy Sisnett brings further variety with his Ford Fiesta.

Scotland’s Allan Mackay is sure to provide some entertainment in his unique Ford Anglia WRC, while the dark horse here may be Chris Ullyett in the Ullyett's Machine Shop/MG America/Proj-Rx/Food and Pharma Equipment Ford Escort RS2000.

In M6, last year’s winner Jamal Brathwaite may be up against it, too, in the FG Wilson Generators/AM Electrical Solutions/Carib Beer/Meridian Windows and Doors/Chicken Pen Racing/AutoPlus Motors Inc/D2 Suspension/Valvoline Lubricants/Ellesmere Quarries Mitsubishi Mirage RS. Although multiple champion Edward Corbin has withdrawn, the local challenge still includes Neil Corbin, down from SM9 in the Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions Toyota Starlet, Dane Skeete (One World Group/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre Peugeot 206) and the returning Jason Cozier (Peugeot 205 GTi).

From overseas come Scotland’s Kenny Hall (Super 1600 Halltune Ford Puma), Trinidad’s Vishal Dhanraj (Gulf/The Dispensary/V3 Rally Team Toyota Starlet) and Paul Horton, representing the Turks & Caicos Islands in the Sky Rally Sport/H Racing/Java Island Honda Civic.

In M5, Sean Cox (Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift Gti) defends home honour against a Celtic invasion - Ireland’s Glenn Campbell (Burn Road Trade Sales/Agnew Recovery/Phillip Holland Car Sales/Motorcare/Moto Glass/Dyno Tune Rolling Road Nissan Micra Kit Car), Scotland’s Alex Hall (Halltune Opel Corsa) and Welshman Paul Rees (Dynamic IS/FromBarbados.com Vauxhall Astra).

In the Production classes, while Sean Field (Field Insurance Brokers/Castrol Oil/Ackee Tree/AM Realty Services/Landscapes in Harmony Peugeot 306) is on his own in P3, it should be all action in P2, where last year’s winner Fabien Clarke (Barbados Business Listings/Crimson Jade Consulting/RCR Tours/Bovell Auto Repair/Simple Trucking Suzuki Ignis Sport), faces Paul Inniss (Bartex Concrete Works/Palmart/Newton’s Building Services Honda Civic) and Conor Roach (Peugeot 106 Rallye).

Finally, the new Clubman class pits the first all-female crew to contest the BRC’s premier event, Shannon Kirton and Lisa Roett in the Diamonds International/Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Fingerprint Designs Datsun 160J against Jeremy Croney and Mario Clermont (Quality Tyre/Lubriguard Peugeot 206).

Rally Barbados

GIANT-KILLERS READY FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS / Quality two-wheel-drive entry promises epic battle

Posted: May 24, 2011 11:03 AM

Despite the organisers of Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (Jun 4/5) assembling the best World Rally Car entry in the history of Caribbean rallying, the subject of the most heated discussions in the internet chat rooms and rum shops of the 166 square-mile island is what promises to be an epic battle for bragging rights in two-wheel-drive.

When Barbados Rally Club (BRC) officials set out to attract more 2wd cars from overseas – the incentives include full entry refunds for the highest-placed front- and rear-wheel-drive crews - little did they know that the ‘home team’ would be seeking reinforcements; it seems likely that the new trophies for the top 10 highest-placed 2wd cars will be shared between home and overseas crews.

Four-wheel-drive cars have only once (2009) locked out the overall top 10, as giant-killing acts have become almost commonplace – fans still talk about Barry Mayers (Toyota Starlet) finishing fourth overall in 2005, while Sean Gill and Ian Warren have each driven the Chefette/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift well inside the top 10 in three of the past four years.

The Swift has been the class of the local 2wd field of late, but things may be about to change. As a dropped valve prevented Warren starting the BRC Shakedown Stages in early May, no direct comparison was possible with new or improved challengers, so Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 28) will be watched with particular interest.

Under the ‘improved’ heading come Neil Armstrong (now with 1.8-litre Formula Atlantic power in the Lubriguard Oils/Hankook Tyres/Nassco Starlet, which should carry him closer to the Swift than before) and Josh Read, who looks ever more at one with the Automotive Art/Baram Services Starlet as each season passes.

The ‘new’ heading includes the return to rallying (as a driver) of former Caribbean circuit racing champion Stuart Maloney, winner of Rally Barbados in 2007 as co-driver to Paul Bourne; his Automotive Art/Marshall Trading/Sea Freight Agencies Peugeot 306 Maxi had shown prodigious speed in the Shakedown Stages before the engine blew.

Mayers and his elder brother Roger (the 2005 winner in a Ford Focus WRC) have a new Chefette/Digicel/Delaware Dispensary/Illusion Graphics/Quality Tyre Starlet, Brett Clarke has an ex-works Citroen C2 S1600, while the BMWs must not be forgotten, particularly those of Brian Gill, who claimed two-wheel-drive honours in May in the Kerns Juices/Maxi Malta M3, Logan and Rhett Watson in The Unknown Entity M3, and the similar cars of brothers Owen and Sammy Cumberbatch.

The overseas challenge is a varied one, including the Kick Energy Porsche 911 RSR of Steve Perez, who has three times missed out on a podium finish by just one place in a Ford Focus WRC, and the Historic class Escorts of South Africa’s Geoff Bell, and the UK’s Craig Salter and Andrew Siddall. Also at the wheel of rapid Escorts from the UK are Robert Chomondeley and Nigel Worswick, while Australian Paul Darrouzet’s 5-litre V8 Ford Capri Perana brings further variety to the line-up.

In addition to aiming for a top 10 2wd finish, most of these drivers will also be fighting for SuperModified class honours. Maloney and the BMWs are in SM11, along with first-time visitor Darrouzet and England’s Martin Stockdale (Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals BMW M3 Compact); he’s on his 11th visit to the island and rarely goes home without a pot. The dark horse here might be James Betts in the Quikstart Auto/Makita/Quik Liner spray-on bed liners/Dial-a-hand Renault Clio.

SM10 is the home of the Swift and Armstrong’s Starlet, where Cliff Roett (Carters & Co/Lucky Horseshoe/Paulo’s Churasco Do Brasil/Roett’s Garage Starlet) is capable of presenting a stiff challenge, given reliability, as could Ralph White, whose Barbados Villa Services/Island Safari Starlet has something new under the bonnet; this class is also where Cholmondeley and Worswick fit in. In SM9, the Mayers brothers are pitted against Clarke’s Citroen and the class act of the recent seasons Read, in his Starlet; all are past BRC class champions, so a great battle is in prospect there . . . but, while close-fought battles for class honours are the stuff of rallying, island fans like nothing better than entertainment, and that means ‘sideways’.

The SuperModified groups have rear-wheel-drive cars aplenty to provide that, among them Andrew Jones (A P Jones Pharmacy/Rally & Competition Equipment/Precision Automotive/Southern Surf Beach Apartments Escort MkII), Calvin Briggs (www.my11plus.com Escort MkII), Alex Whitehead (Sign Station BMW 328i), Eric Allamby (Shelbury Construction Mitsubishi Lancer) and Nigel Reece (Subzero Services Ltd/TGM Air Conditioners/Trident International Corporation/Ullyett’s Machine Shop Service/Structural Systems Escort MkI).

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Corporation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute’s Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette, Field Insurance and Sagicor.

Rally Barbados

FRESH NEW LOOK FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: May 20, 2011 12:37 PM

From day one’s opening stage – a new four-kilometre test in the north of the island – to the climax of day two, the Sol Aviation SuperSpecial being run for the first time under floodlights, major changes to the format of Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) promise competitors and spectators alike a fresh new look for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international.

PRO of the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC), Neil Barnard said: “Like almost all the competitors, and many spectators, too, we felt the rally needed refreshing. Given the size of our island, making wholesale changes is not easy, but we have worked hard over the last 12 months to reach this point.”

The major shake-up comes on Saturday: the route will revert to using three venues, starting with Field Insurance Pickerings (3.9kms), which will run three times before lunch. Although local competitors will be familiar with some of this test, as it uses parts of the former Lamberts and Pickerings stages, it has never been used in its entirety.

The least-changed venue of the day is Automotive Art – Sol Orange Hill (3.8kms), which will run north twice in the morning, then south three times after lunch; while the stage is largely the same at it was when last used in Sol Rally Barbados in 2009, its character will be somewhat different, as the VIP Hospitality Area will overlook some of its most challenging corners.

Saturday’s third venue is Karcher Canefield, which will run north twice in the morning, then south three times after lunch; it will no longer include Hangman’s Hill and Vaucluse corner, but will start (then finish in the evening) at Content, pass through Fortress Hill, and will once again include the Canefield Esses at the north of the stage.

Barnard notes:
“When setting the rally, we had real problems using just two venues in the north, then trying to get back to the usual start of Hangman’s Hill - the transit from stage to stage was very, very long and added an hour onto the route. So, instead of persisting with that for the sake of the 'same 'ol same 'ol' Canefield stage, we’ve changed it up to create a more compact, efficient route, hence the start from Content.

“Necessity forced the change, but I believe we now have the best of everything - we will see, we know its a bit of a risk, but we are always happy to try something different. But we haven’t lost what the fans tend to think of as Canefield – we’re using Hangman’s Hill, then Vaucluse corner and all the way up to Lion Castle for Shell V-Power King of the Hill the weekend before.

“And there is another benefit of our new layout – the new Pickerings, plus the changes to Canefield, will create a more level playing field for our international visitors, as none of the locals have ever competed on that particular stage design . . . although that could of course have mixed results! Obviously, we’d like the trophy to stay at home.”

On Sunday, Red Bull Malvern (6.2km) and LIME Kendal (6.0km) will each run three times before lunch and twice after, with a switch of direction at the break; a significantly later start will allow competitors a little more rest and officials more breathing space for the stage set-up after the later finish on Saturday, at least the last two stages of which will run into darkness.

The event will climax with the Sol Aviation SuperSpecial at Bushy Park, slated to start at 6.20pm, and run for the first time under floodlights. Competitors will be seeded in reverse order – the time taken to facilitate that will allow competitors a chance to see the last run through LIME Kendal, and still make it back to Bushy Park in time.

There will be one run on a new one-kilometre figure-of-eight course, on which crews will compete two at a time; as last year, the SuperSpecial will be included in the overall results of Sol RB11, so hard-fought action is anticipated.

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Corporation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute’s Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette, Field Insurance and Sagicor.

RECORD ENTRY FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2011

Posted: May 16, 2011 9:26 PM

A record 100 crews, representing 14 countries, will assemble shortly to contest the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5). The provisional entry list was published by the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) during a media conference today (Monday) at the Hilton Hotel in the island’s capital Bridgetown.

After entries for the 20th Anniversary running of the BRC’s premier event were 20 per cent oversubscribed last year – this, despite the prevailing economic climate – Club officials opted to increase the maximum entry cap from 90 to 100 to accommodate the growing interest, a decision that has been vindicated. Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale told the assembled media:
“I thought that last year’s response from competitors was amazing; well, that word apparently has a long shelf life as it relates to Sol Rally Barbados, because 2011 has been even better! We had made a particular effort from early to target interesting two-wheel-drive cars from Europe, an initiative that has certainly paid off.
“We have a new bunch of trophies for the top 10 two-wheel-drive cars, and the highest-placed front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive overseas crews will have their entry fees reimbursed . . . and I’m glad to say that, of the 16 cars that qualify, eight are newcomers to the event, and they’re bringing some really different and exciting cars.”

Among those newcomers are Australia’s Paul Darrouzet and Germany’s Berndt Kneupfer; not only are they the first competitors from their respective countries to tackle the BRC’s premier event, but each arrives with an unusual car, Darrouzet’s a rare 5-litre V8 Ford Capri Perana, while Kneupfer’s turbocharged Opel Astra OPC is one of only two two-wheel-drive cars homologated to run in the FIA’s N4 category.

Sol RB2011 starts a second three-year title sponsorship deal with the Sol Group, the region’s largest independent oil company, operating in 17 countries across the Caribbean Basin. Representing the Group, Andrew Niles, General Manager of Sol (Barbados) Ltd, said:
“Over the past three years, we have worked with the Club and continue to see amazing results from this partnership. Sol Rally Barbados attracts thousands of fans, scores of local and overseas journalists and plenty of tourists to our shores. Sol is happy to be able to contribute to the overall development of Barbados in this way.”

Once again, the battle for overall supremacy is wide open, although the locals have strength in numbers: 11-time winner of the island’s premier event – including in 2010 – Roger Skeete (Subaru Impreza WRC S12) surely starts as favourite, but the opposition is strong, led by another former winner (2003 and ‘07) Paul Bourne, recently reunited with his Ford Focus WRC07 for the first time since Sol RB2010. Jamaica’s Gary Gregg is another previous winner on the list; he won in 2006 and finished third in ‘05 and ‘08 in his previous Ford Focus WRC02, but did not enjoy the same fortune last year, when he finished outside the top 10 in his newer WRC05.

Locals Sean Gill (Suzuki SX4 WRC) – winner in 1996, as co-driver to Ireland’s Kenny McKinstry - and Roger Hill (Toyota Corolla WRC) are certain to remain near the front, even once the overseas crews arrive, while Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell’s record – second in ’05 and ’07 in Toyota Corolla WRCs, fourth last year in his current Impreza S12 – puts him right in the mix.

A third S12 will be campaigned by England’s Rob Swann, the only driver to have won Group N in Barbados and Jamaica in the same year (2010), while former UK National Champions Paul Bird (Ford Focus WRC08), a top three finisher each time he’s competed here, and Roger Duckworth (Impreza WRC), who makes his first trip courtesy of the BRC and the Barbados Tourism Authority, as his prize for winning Rallye Sunseeker National back in February, are unlikely to be too far off the pace.

As before, the overseas entries spread right through the field – only three of the 15 classes will be without a battle between local and overseas drivers – while the entry is also notable for the presence of the first local all-female crew to tackle the island’s premier event; Shannon Kirton and co-driver Lisa Roett contest the new Clubman class.

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 provisional entry headline statistics:
+ 100 crews on the provisional entry list, a record for the event
+ drivers or co-drivers from 14 nations (including Barbados), with Australia and Germany represented for the first time
+ 40 International drivers or co-drivers, 20 new to the event
+ 13 drivers or co-drivers from the wider Caribbean, three new to the event
+ 10 female competitors, one driver, nine co-drivers
+ cars from 16 manufacturers, Ford the best-represented with 21, followed by Toyota (19), Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Subaru (9 each) and BMW (8)

Provisional List of Entries available on:

Rally Barbados

WORSWICK STRUGGLES TO MAKE SOL RALLY BARBADOS \ John Mann’s BajanNav supports competitors and spectators

Posted: May 13, 2011 8:49 AM

His friends had told him about it. He’d seen the Europe-wide television coverage. He’d promised himself that, one day, he would compete in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international . . . but England’s Nigel Worswick will only have made it to this year’s Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) by the skin of his teeth. The popular northerner, whose extensive competition career has encompassed both stage rallying and circuit racing – often alongside brother Tony - is entered with co-driver Lindsey Pilkington in the Worswick Engineering Ltd Ford Escort Mark II . . . but it all looked set to go wrong when the engine blew on an rally just nine days before the Geest Line freighter Klipper Stream was due to sail from Portsmouth.
Worswick takes up the story:
“It took until the Thursday before Easter to source the engine parts, but many bits didn’t fit, like front pulleys, flywheel and so on. Then, when we got it together with a borrowed WRC flywheel, and a lot of re-engineering – and I mean a lot, the Sunday night before the boat was due to sail – the car wouldn’t start!
“On the Monday, after having the camshafts out, crank sensors tested and so on, we found that it was only faulty spark plugs! So, we put it on the rolling road and it promptly blew the clutch seal! We had to wait for a replacement until Tuesday, the day before the ship sailed, and the ship was a long, long way away.
“Tuesday morning, the seal arrived, we got the gearbox back in, put the car back on the rolling road, loaded it up, and set off for Birmingham, where some tyres awaited . . . and made the dock one hour before the deadline!”
Worswick’s UK rallying achievements date back many years. In the 1990s, he was a regular competitor on Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship (the Network Q RAC Rally), missing out on a top 10 finish by just one second in 1996 in a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4 x 4, having finished in the top seven on the last five of 26 special stages.

John Mann’s BajanNav supports competitors and spectators

AccuNav Ltd will be providing gps support – using John Mann’s BajanNav, the gps map of Barbados - for competitors and spectators at the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and throughout its two-week programme of associated events. The company has developed two tailor-made POI files – these are ‘overlays’, which identify Points of Interest – to be used in conjunction with BajanNav; one will enable spectators to find the major rally locations easily, while the other will provide additional competitor-specific information, particularly useful for the more than 20 overseas competitors who are new to the event this year. BajanNav and the Sol Rally Barbados spectator POIs are free to download, while AccuNav agents, Mark Gill and Paul Farmer of UTurn Sales, will be on hand to provide BajanNav on SD cards if users do not want to install it themselves. As BajanNav is compatible with Garmin GPS devices, overseas visitors can bring their own units, or rent one along with a hire car. More details can be found by clicking the BajanNav link on the home page of the official Sol Rally Barbados web site www.rallybarbados.bb.
BajanNav was launched in March 2010, with the latest version (V01.07) published this week. AccuNav is a UK-based family business, headed by the map’s author, John Mann MBE; a former RAF Vulcan bomber pilot, he was briefly involved in rallying in the late 1970s, with a 1600cc Ford Escort-engined Dutton Phaeton kit car, which he admits scared him stiff!
Mann says: “We are proud and pleased to be able to assist competitors and spectators at Sol Rally Barbados. We produced BajanNav to be a freely-available asset to everyone in the island, and we are delighted that the organisers of Sol Rally Barbados are making such good use of it. I hope everyone finds BajanNav useful, and I wish you every success.”

Rally Barbados

LOCAL CREWS SHAKE DOWN FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: May 8, 2011 12:34 PM

More than 50 cars are listed on the running order for Sunday’s (May 8) Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Shakedown Stages, as local crews use the island’s first tarmac rally of the year as a crucial part of their preparations for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5).

Rally fans eager to catch up with the latest news first-hand are encouraged to attend Scrutineering tomorrow (Saturday) between 1.00pm and 5.00pm at Simpson Motors, Warrens, St Michael; competitors are required to arrive there no later than 3.00pm, so there will be ample time for fans to inspect new or revised machinery.

Sunday’s event is the third round of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Virgin Atlantic Driver’s and Class Championships, and the start of a busy time for competitors: each day of Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) counts separately towards the championship, so there are four points-scoring opportunities over the next five weekends, with Shell V-Power King of the Hill falling on May 29.

Sunday’s event will start at 9.00am from the service area at Colleton Plantation Yard, St John, which will also be the venue for the start, lunchtime break, finish and post-event Prize-giving and lime. There are 12 stages, giving a total distance of around 55 kilometres: in the morning, there will be three runs each from Colleton to Cliff (3.6kms) and from Padmore Village to Three Houses (5.6kms); after lunch, the stages will be reversed and run Cliff to Colleton followed by Three Houses to Padmore.

A decisive winner last year, Roger Skeete (Subaru Impreza WRC S12) is seeded at number one, ahead of Paul Bourne, who returns to island action in his Ford Focus WRC07 for the first time in nearly a year. Roger Hill (Toyota Corolla WRC) and Sean Gill (Suzuki SX4 WRC) are third and fourth, while Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell (Impreza WRC S12) – he’s hoping his car will clear the Bridgetown Port in time – and Dean Serrao (Impreza WRC S9) round out the Modified 8-WRC entry.

Completing a total of 10 four-wheel-drive cars, Avinash Chatrani (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) is alone in M8-A, while Geoff Noel and Mark Hamilton (both Evo IXs) and Andrew Mallalieu (Impreza N10) will fight for Group N honours.

Behind them are some action-packed classes: in SuperModified 11, despite the absence of both Cumberbatch brothers, there are still four BMWs, Logan Watson and Brian Gill joined by newcomers Kyle Lashley and Alex Whitehead. Meanwhile, the attention of diehard fans will be split between the return of 2008 Caribbean Motor Racing Champion Stuart Maloney (Peugeot 306 Maxi) and the sideways antics of the Ford Escorts of Calvin Briggs, Andrew Jones and Stuart McChlery.

In SM10, Ian Warren (Suzuki Swift) faces Cliff Roett (Toyota Starlet), who will be hoping to repeat his Bushy Park race-winning form, while SM9 promises a tight battle between reigning Champion Josh Read, Neil Armstrong and the returning Mayers brothers (all Starlets) with the S1600 Citroen C2 of Brett Clarke sure to be in the mix.

The modified classes will also provide interest: in M7, Daryl Clarke debuts his Honda Civic, Freddie Gale his new Toyota and returnee Jeremy Sisnett his Ford Fiesta while, in M6, the Mitsubishi Mirage RS of reigning Champion Jamal Brathwaite will face some unfamiliar opposition in the form of Neil Corbin (moved from SM9 in his Starlet) and Jean-Marc Cozier (Peugeot 205).

The BRC Shakedown Stages (May 8), Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

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Rally Barbados

SOL RALLY BARBADOS TRIP FOR UK PRIZE-WINNERS

Posted: May 8, 2011 12:32 PM

Four lucky UK motor sport fans will shortly cross the Atlantic for the holiday of a lifetime as VIP guests of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC). Tom Hall from East Sussex in England and Mark Hughes from Armagh in Northern Ireland each won a trip for two to Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5), the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international.

The prize for each winner comprises return flights on Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick, 12 days accommodation and rental car; the ‘Rally to Barbados’ competition was an integral part of a major promotion in Europe, supported by the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), which brought Sol RB2011 - and the island - to the attention of nearly 1.5 million readers, a large percentage in affluent market sectors.

The London-based Runwild Media Group ran the competition and a rally feature in its free circulation luxury lifestyle publications, Canary Wharf, City Magazine and Vantage, which enjoy a combined readership approaching 700,000; the prize-winner is acknowledged in the May issue, with a rally report to follow in August. Based in Ireland, PaceNotes Rally Magazine is sold on subscription and in High Street newsagents; in addition to the competition, it has carried two pages on Sol RB2011 in its last three issues, with a page announcing the winner in May and a rally report to follow.

Journalists from both publishing houses are also making the trip, courtesy of the BRC and the TDC, augmenting the already extensive international coverage of the event.

Hall will be travelling with his good friend Alex Wilmott . . . and the trip is timely, as Hall’s 26th birthday is on May 30, the Monday after they land in Barbados! A team supervisor working for Credit Suisse in Canary Wharf, Hall says: “I must admit, I generally follow Formula 1, but get stuck into watching most types of motor sport on television, with rallying a close second to the grands prix. I've never been to the Caribbean, but it certainly looks like a good place to celebrate your birthday. “I don’t enter competitions, but saw it in the magazine in the train on the way home, and the mixture of hot weather and rallying seemed ideal, so I entered there and then. I never thought I'd win . . . and now I have, it still doesn't seem real. Bring on the sand and the cars”.

Hughes agrees:
“I don’t think it will sink in until I’m on the plane!” Once Hughes’s name had been randomly selected, the Club’s PRO Neil Barnard tried to ‘phone him, without success, so resorted to e-mail and a message on Facebook. Hughes adds: “I said to myself this must be a scam, then looked at the terms and it said I would be contacted directly from Barbados. So I phoned the Pacenotes editor at nearly 11pm that evening, and he confirmed that it was true. I had intended doing some dvd work that night, but I spent until about two o'clock looking Barbados up on the internet!”

A huge rally fan, Hughes will travel with elder brother Richard. The Ulster Rally passed close to their home when Mark was young, and he got hooked on the sport; he is known for the video clips which he uploads to YouTube under the guise of MRH-Motorsport. The brothers also compete in the ANICC Navigation Rally Championship, in which they finished second in class last year in a 1200cc Vauxhall Corsa.

Class win in ‘Killer Kielder’ sets Siddall up for Caribbean adventure

Andrew Siddall won his class in Saturday’s (April 30) Pirelli Historic Rally, run in the giant Kielder Forest complex in the north of England, a timely boost ahead of his first trip to Sol Rally Barbados; driving the Siddall and Hilton Products/Sidhil Ford Escort RS2000 MkI in which he will compete in the Caribbean, Siddall won by a margin of 48.6 seconds.

The renowned stages are collectively known as ‘Killer Kielder’, because of their reputation for catching out even world-class drivers; Saturday’s six stages totalled just under 50 miles – the longest was 13.4 miles – and Siddall was beaten on only one.

Since posting his entry on the official Sol RB2011 web site (www.rallybarbados.bb), Siddall has a different co-driver, Carl Williamson, who was with him on Saturday; twice Welsh Road Rally Champion, Williamson has around 30 World Rally Championship starts to his credit . . . and an entry in the Guinness Book of Records! He co-drove for Finland’s Jari-Matti Latvala, when he became the youngest finisher on a WRC event, 17th on his debut in Wales Rally GB 2002 at the age of 17 in a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI.

In 2003, Latvala contested the British Rally Championship and four WRC rounds in a Ford Focus WRC02; he finished 10th on the Acropolis Rally, with Williamson co-driving, but their partnership ended shortly after, as Williamson explains: “We had a big accident on the Jim Clark Rally, which smashed my pelvis to smithereens, and it was six months before I could walk again.”

CARIBBEAN ACES SEEK SOL RALLY BARBADOS WIN

Posted: May 8, 2011 12:30 PM

News that regional champions Gary Gregg and John Powell have confirmed their entries for Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) further boosts the quality field for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, bringing the entry in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) World Rally Car class into double figures for the fourth year in a row.

Jamaican Gregg and co-driver Hugh Hutchinson won in 2006 and finished third in ‘05 and ‘08 in their previous Ford Focus WRC02, but did not enjoy the same fortune last year, when they dropped out of the top 10 on Sunday morning in the newer BD Gregg & Bros WRC05.

Trinidad-based Powell, Jamaican by birth but representing his adopted home country, has twice finished second, in Toyota Corolla WRCs - in ’05, he finished 53 seconds behind Roger Mayers (Ford Focus WRC), then just 1.7 secs adrift of Paul Bourne (Subaru Impreza WRC S9) two years later. This year, he returns with regular co-driver Michael March armed with the Intercontinental Shipping Impreza S12 in which he finished fourth and highest-placed regional driver in 2010, co-driven by Britain’s Craig Thorley.

The home team, led by 11-time winner Roger Skeete in last year’s victorious Impreza S12, also comprises: Paul Bourne (winner in ’03 and ‘07) in his ex-Paul Bird Focus WRC07; Sean Gill in the Suzuki SX4 WRC he drove to second place in both Rally Jamaica 2010 and Rally Trinidad earlier this year; regular top six finisher Roger Hill in his Corolla WRC, and Dean Serrao, whose Impreza S9 is also ex-Paul Bird.

The British contingent comprises Bird in his Focus WRC08 – with two seconds and a third in his three visits, there is only one podium step he has not yet climbed; Rob Swann steps up to Modified 8-WRC after winning Group N last year with a third Impreza S12, while Roger Duckworth (ex-Juha Kankkunen Impreza WRC) will experience Barbados for the first time, free entry, flights, shipping and accommodation his prize for winning Rallye Sunseeker National in the UK in February.

Automotive Art capitalises on motor sport sponsorship

Automotive Art, a long-term backer of the Barbados Rally Club, is capitalising on its sponsorship by staging its bi-annual Franchise Conference to coincide with Sol Rally Barbados 2011; this year, the company will also host all of its distributors. Founded in 1990 by Hugh Blades and Dereck Foster, the company is a former sponsor of the BRC Driver’s Championship and, more recently, principal backer of the Club’s blue riband event’s ‘signature’ stage, Canefield; it has sponsorship interest in more than 10 cars in the various disciplines of island motor sport, and many more across the region.

Automotive Art’s products can be found in 45 stores across the Americas and the Caribbean: it is represented in 26 countries, with 14 stores in eight franchise countries, while its products also sold to distributors in 18 other markets, including the USA.

A new state-of-the-art retail facility recently opened in Welches, St Thomas, and one reason for the decision to hold the Conference in Barbados is to allow franchisees and distributors to experience it. Automotive Art’s Vice-President of Franchising and Finance, Chris Maloney, explained:
“Having celebrated our 20th Anniversary last August, and just launched the new store, we thought it would be great for our distributors to come to Barbados, not only to take part in the celebrations with our franchisees, but to see first-hand the benefits of becoming a franchise.

“Our Franchise Conference is every two years - we discuss various topics of concern, bring to light new developments in the industry, and enjoy ground-breaking brainstorming on what we want to accomplish as a group for the following two years. There are also awards for the best small store, large store, new product development and, of course, Franchisee of the Year.”

Including franchisees, distributors, their spouses and members of the corporate team, around 80 people will participate; once the weekday work is done, they will gather again in the VIP Hospitality Tent. Maloney added: “It is customary at the Conference to have a ‘fun day’ once the formalities are over, so we can mingle as a family. Since Automotive Art is a huge player in the motor sport arena, especially at Sol Rally Barbados, it was the ideal weekend for the Conference, so that our guests could enjoy this amazing event.”

LONG-DISTANCE RECORD FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: April 15, 2011 7:41 PM

Retired Australian businessman Paul Darrouzet will set a new long-distance record for Sol Rally Barbados when he travels to compete in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international . . . a round trip of more than 36,000kms, from Brisbane to Los Angeles, LA to Miami, then Miami to Grantley Adams International and back.

The entry for Darrouzet and English co-driver Jim Hurman posted on the official web site (www.rallybarbados.bb) brings to 18 the countries outside the Caribbean to be represented in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event in recent years . . . while their car is a first for the event, too, a 400 horsepower Ford Capri Perana.

The Perana was a limited edition vehicle built under licence from the Ford Motor Company by Basil Green in South Africa between 1968 and ‘74; powered by fearsome Ford Windsor 4.9-litre V8s, Peranas claimed a string of national circuit racing championships in the hands of Green and other notable South African drivers of the period, including Basil van Rooyen and Bob Olthoff.

The example travelling to Barbados has a 400-horsepower engine, four-barrel Holley carburettors and Mustang gearbox; it was built up from a 1969 Ford Capri Mk 1 shell by Ben Rainsford, a long-serving Australian motor sport official and current Chairman of Rally Australia - the target was the London to Sydney Rally in 2000, which he duly won, sharing the car with 1984 World Rally Champion Stig Blomqvist.

Current owner Darrouzet, who has earned the nickname ‘Crash Test Dummy’, lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, in the popular resort of Noosa, which even has a street named Barbados Crescent. He has competed in a number of exotic events, including the London to Sydney Marathon in 2004, retiring after a major crash on the Tata Tea plantation stage in India. He went on to the 2006 Carrera Sudamericana, in which Hurman also competed, finishing fourth overall, co-driving an Opel Astra GTE for fellow Brit Nick Starkey, who now prepares the Perana with Martin Julia.

Darrouzet and Hurman teamed up for the 2007 East African Safari Rally. Their latest outing was October’s Rallye International du Maroc – they were fourth after the first day’s 110 kilometres of stages, behind the Porsche 911s of former World Championship works driver Gregoire de Mevius and Geoff Bell, and John Lloyd’s Ford Escort.

Disaster soon befell them, however, as Hurman recalls:
“The stages were up to 120 kilometres and very rough in parts - we fell in to a hole about three feet deep and broke the axle! We managed to weld it up, but we had lost lots of time and had to take care of the car, as it was lame and not quite straight . . . and we had another five days and 900 kilometres to go!” They did make it to the finish, 11th overall and ninth in class.

Just three weeks before Sol RB2011, Darrouzet will be competing in his home event, the International Rally of Queensland, the second round of both the Australian Rally Championship and the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship; he will drive the sister Capri Perana, which is based in Australia.

Barbados crew racks up international experience

The number of competitors from the Caribbean to have rallied outside the region grew by one last weekend, when reigning Barbados Rally Club Modified 6 Champion Driver Jamal Brathwaite was co-driver for fellow Bajan Jonathan Linton in Rallye Erzgebirge (April 8/9), in the mountainous and picturesque south-east of Germany.

They were competing in the Opel Astra OPC in which Linton and brother Adrian have recorded three finishes in WRC events (Wales Rally GB twice, also Rally Finland) with technical and crew support from Team AutoScharf and sponsorship from Team KickAstra’s regular backers, Ravensden.

After a slow start – 38th of the 56 starters, 12th in class on stage one – they soon picked up pace; as their new partnership developed, and they were also tackling stages for a second or third time, they moved steadily up the order, finishing in the top 20 on the last two of the nine stages.

They finished 22nd overall and sixth of the 10 finishers in Division 5, where they faced machinery including BMWs, Renaults and Skodas. Linton said: “Thanks to Jamal for excellent pace notes and great driving tips that allowed me to be 50 seconds faster on the repeat of SS1, the penultimate stage of the day, SS8, when we were 19th fastest.”

They now turn their attentions to island motor sport and Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5), in which they are both defending class winners: Brathwaite will again drive with sister Talia Mapp as co-driver in M6, while Linton will call the notes for Germany’s Berndt Knuepfer in his Team AutoScharf Opel Astra OPC Turbo in Production 4, having won M7 with brother Adrian last year.

Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

WIN A Trip To 2011 Sol Rally Barbados!

Posted: April 1, 2011 12:20 PM

Offered exclusively by Pacenotes Rally Magazine, the closing date for submitting your entry is just one week away.

The Prize...

A trip for two people is up for grabs, inclusive of return air fares from London Gatwick on Virgin Atlantic. The prize also includes accommodation for 12 nights (26 May – 6 June) plus a rental car.

The competition is exclusive to Pacenotes Rally Magazine but no purchase is necessary.

ENTER NOW...

So if you want to be in with a chance of having some rally fun in the sun, log on to

www.rallybarbados.bb/rtbpacenotes

and submit your entry!

Entries close on 8 April so don’t delay.

BIRD TARGETS SOL RALLY BARBADOS VICTORY / Winner 11 times, Skeete leads the home defence

Posted: March 27, 2011 5:48 PM

Former UK National Rally Champion Paul Bird will return to Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) this year with one aim in mind . . . victory in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international; he will once again campaign his Ford Focus WRC08, but in its new Frank Bird Poultry livery, and shod with DMACK tyres. On his first two visits to the island in 2008 & ‘09, he was beaten into second place by Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke – the Ulsterman went on to win the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2009 - then finished third last year, behind local aces Roger Skeete and Paul Bourne; he was also the highest-placed international competitor in 2010 and Scottish co-driver Kirsty Riddick the highest-placed female. Bird says: “There’s no shame in being beaten by class drivers like that, but I have learned some useful lessons since my first visit. I’ve said it more than once, Rally Barbados really is the best rally in the world, the crowds, the enthusiasm, the people.

“And last year, driving against Roger on top form in the Impreza and Paul in my old Focus, was the best rally battle I’ve ever been involved in. I always enjoy my time in Barbados, whether for the rally or family holidays . . . but it might be just that bit more fun if I finally ticked the box and won!”

Once again, however, he’ll have to face Skeete, whose victory in 2010 was his 11th in the 21-year history of the Barbados Rally Club’s premier event; ‘The Sheriff’ is among the entries already received on-line on the official web site – www.rallybarbados.bb - entered in the Virgin Atlantic/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Michelin Subaru Impreza WRC S12, in which he won last year with co-driver Louis Venezia.

On Saturday February 12 Bird once again proved how quickly he can adapt to a new event, when he finished second in the Team GMF Wyedean Forest Rally, opening round of the UK’s BTRDA Rally Championship; it was the first outing for the Focus in its new livery, although the extremely muddy conditions meant that only those who saw the car early in the day could enjoy the full impact.

‘Birdy’ had not contested a gravel event for nearly a year, and had never before driven the high-speed stages in the rarely-used Forest of Dean; after a steady start as he reacclimatised himself with the car on the loose, Bird gradually upped the pace as an enthralling battle for the lead was fought out between multiple Wyedean winner Andy Burton in his radical Peugeot Cosworth and the Ford Focus of regular BTRDA front-runner Hugh Hunter.

After Hunter and Burton had claimed one stage win apiece, Bird went fastest on stage three - Speech House, at 12.76 miles comfortably the longest of the day – then one more stage win from Burton left a spread of only six seconds across the three leading crews, with just the final three stages to run. Burton's experience proved invaluable – he had won the Wyedean five times previously - and he claimed victory by 19 seconds, while Bird added a second stage win at the end of the day.

At the end of the event, the Kawasaki World Superbike Team boss said:
"All things considered, I have to be delighted with second place behind a driver of Andy's capability and reputation on this event which he has won six times now. It was my first time on gravel since last year's Malcolm Wilson Rally so I was a bit rusty but doing the Jack Frost Rally at Croft certainly helped. I'd heard a lot about these stages and indeed they were unique and very fast so to set two quickest times was also pleasantly surprising."

GERMAN ENTRY A FIRST FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS / New ‘Clubman Class’ introduced to island rallying

Posted: March 26, 2011 9:31 AM

Germany’s Berndt Knuepfer will make history at Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5), not once, but twice: not only is he the first German to enter the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, but his Team AutoScharf Opel Astra OPC Turbo will be the first turbocharged two-wheel-drive car to run in the local Production 4 category, based on the internationally-recognised FIA Group N4. The former National Class Rally Champion’s entry brings to 17 the countries outside the Caribbean which have been represented in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event over the past decade . . . and to 12 the currently confirmed number of European competitors making their first trip to the island. Knuepfer will benefit from the local knowledge of experienced Bajan co-driver Jonathan Linton, who lives and works in Germany, where the entry has already attracted media coverage. Linton has high hopes for the trip: “I see this as an opportunity to stir up interest in Sol Rally Barbados, and the island; rallying is very popular in mainland Europe, and we hope this first entry from Germany will not be the last!”

Backed by Auto Dienst, Barth Bau, Stahl Seltmann and Sachs in its home events, the Astra – until recently the only turbocharged 2wd car homologated for N4 - will also be supported by Ravensden, regular sponsor of Team KickAstra, the Linton family outfit; brother Adrian will be rally his usual Modified 7 Astra. Jonathan added: “Having originally entered the older P3 Astra, the team decided this week to use the newer car, as they will not miss any major rallies and want to trade times with Adrian in a faster car.”

Knuepfer’s first experience in competition was in 1986, in motocross, and he continued in off-road events on two wheels until 1994, when he drove his first rally in a Trabant. The following year, he switched to a Peugeot 205GTi, before joining Tobias Scharf and his team in 2001, since when he has rallied exclusively in Opel Astras.

He has claimed many class wins in German rallies, was the German N3 Champion in 2004, and will be heading to Barbados on the back of two successful seasons, in which he has finished fourth (2009), then second last year in the ADMV Rally Championship.

Based in Kiel, co-driver Linton first made the connection with Scharf when the brothers bought their own Astra OPC, in which they have recorded three finishes in WRC events - Wales Rally GB twice, also Rally Finland - with Scharf’s technical and crew support. Jonathan recalls:
“I was seeking help with our OPC and was very lucky to find Tobias; the service is great and the team spirit good. Rallies in the region are enjoyable and challenging, and we are made to feel really at home.”

The relationship between KickAstra and AutoScharf has also included outings on German national events, and Jonathan is entered to drive in Rallye Erzgebirge (April 8/9), in the mountainous south-east of the country; co-driver will be reigning BRC Modified 6 Champion Driver Jamal Brathwaite, a former Champion Novice Navigator in the Club’s off-road events and no stranger to the ‘other’ seat.

New ‘Clubman Class’ introduced to island rallying

Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale is urging competitors to check out the new ‘Clubman Class’ regulations introduced for 2011; a pdf download is available in the Competitors section of the official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb.

The class has evolved from the desire of many island competitors to reduce their motor sport costs, as Gale explains: “While this is inherently an expensive sport, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune, if the right rules are put in place. As Clubman Class is included in our 2011 championship, anyone who feels their car is uncompetitive in its current class is strongly encouraged to have a look to see if it is eligible.
“We certainly don’t want to stop people bringing in modern cars - if you have the budget to run a WRC car, then that’s fantastic for the whole sport; but, for those with smaller budgets, we wanted something more exciting than Production, less expensive than Modified. With things like sequential gearboxes and remote reservoir shocks banned, a big portion of the Modified expense has gone, while other provisions make many more cars competitive in the class, whether they are old or new technology . . . and much more affordable to run for an entire season.
“Engine swaps are also allowed, so people can simply have some fun without spending a ton of money modifying an older engine, when they could replace it with a newer, more powerful one. The Clubman Class is a new twist for Sol Rally Barbados, and I reckon it promises to be exciting . . . and perhaps more rewarding for those involved.”

Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Rally Barbados

EURO COMPETITIONS FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS TRIPS

Posted: February 3, 2011 11:26 AM

The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is stepping up its marketing and promotion campaign for Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) this week, with confirmation of extensive coverage – and reader competitions – in a cross-section of motoring and lifestyle publications in the UK and Ireland. Supported by the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), this initiative brings the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international - and the island which hosts it – to the attention of nearly 1.5 million readers, a large percentage of them in affluent and influential market sectors. Neil Barnard, the Club’s PRO, said:
“We work hard to attract an increasing number of overseas competitors, and will keep doing so; but, thanks to the TDC’s support of our new plan, we have been able to spread our promotion far wider this year. The competitions we have agreed with our partner publications speak directly to our premier event’s position as an important cog in the sports-tourism wheel.”

Under the tag-line ‘Rally to Barbados’, the competition offers the winners two economy return flights on Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick, 12 days accommodation – this covers Shell V-Power King of the Hill and Sol RB2011 – and rental car for their stay.

The London-based RunWild Media Group is featuring Sol RB2011 in the February issue of three of its free circulation lifestyle publications, Canary Wharf, City Magazine and Vantage, which enjoy a combined readership approaching 700,000; the first two are distributed to banks, businesses, gyms, private members’ clubs, hotels, bars and restaurants in the British capital’s two key financial centres, while Vantage circulates in the affluent north London suburbs of Hampstead and St John’s Wood.

PaceNotes Rally Magazine, sold on subscription and in High Street newsagents, is based in Ireland, which has been the event’s most significant growth market in terms of competitors in recent years; a publication which has already given generous coverage to Sol Rally Barbados, the February issue will feature editorial, photographs and the reader competition, with further editorial features planned for future issues.

Barnard noted: “
We are really excited about the prospects for this promotion, and we still have a couple more media outlets to firm up. Canary Wharf, in particular, has become a major centre of motoring activity in recent years, with car shows, displays and test drives a regular feature of the area. Part of our arrangement is that there will be follow-up coverage in each publication, as they report on the event, and their prize-winners' experience of Barbados.”

The Daily Telegraph, the UK’s most popular quality daily paper, with a circulation of 650,000, published a 20-page Travel supplement on Barbados in early January; within the general editorial on sports-tourism, Sol Rally Barbados was highlighted and illustrated in a separate panel.

In addition, a two-page overview of Sol Rally Barbados was published in the Winter 2010 issue of Motorsports Now! The official organ of the Motor Sports Association, the UK’s governing body of motor sport, this full colour quarterly magazine is circulated free to all 33,000 competition licence holders, plus around a further 15,000 names, including registered officials, local motor clubs and the media.

First-time competitors boost growing entry list

Twenty-five per cent of the entries so far received on-line for Sol Rally Barbados 2011 via the official web site (www.rallybarbados.bb) are from newcomers to the event; as the total heads past 40, nearly half of those listed are from overseas competitors, prompting a timely warning from the organisers.
Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale said:
“While we are very encouraged to see new names being added to the ever-growing list of competitors we have welcomed to our shores, it is also perhaps time to nudge some of our local competitors.
“I appreciate that there is still a little over three months to go before entries close on May 6, but we received more than 50 entries in February alone last year – that’s nearly two every day. I would urge anyone who wishes to enter, either from Barbados or overseas, to go on-line to www.rallybarbados.bb and do so very, very soon!”

Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Rally Barbados

REGIONAL INTEREST HIGH FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: January 23, 2011 5:46 PM

Regional interest in Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011), the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, remains high. Two returnees from Trinidad & Tobago, one a former National Champion, are among the early entries received on-line at the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) official event web site, www.rallybarbados.bb.

Currently without a permanent circuit racing facility, the twin-island state is enjoying a resurgence in rallying; entry levels of a decade ago have more than doubled, and the Trinidad & Tobago Rally Club’s (TRC) premier event, Rally Trinidad, attracted eight crews from Barbados in 2010, plus triple British Rally Champion, Mark Higgins.

Trinidad Rally Champion in 2006, Vishal Dhanraj will be making his fourth appearance in Barbados, driving a Gulf Motor Oil/Lucozade Energy/The Dispensary/Automan Ltd/Worldclass Coatings/V3 Rally Team Toyota Starlet. For 2011, he will have a new co-driver, Douglas Stampfli – although new to the left-hand seat, he is familiar with the BRC’s blue riband event, having been a spectator in Barbados for the past five years, and has been involved in the management and development of the team.

In 2008, Dhanraj was 35th overall and sixth in Modified 8-A in the Subaru Impreza, in which he finished runner-up in the TTRC 4WD Championship in the same year; then he acquired the Starlet, formerly rallied by David Williams in Barbados, where the car still resides - 10th in SuperModified 9 in the Starlet in 2009, Dhanraj improved to sixth in SM9, 41st overall, last year.

After switching between two- and four-wheel-drive, Dhanraj, who has also won three team awards back home since 2006, has decided to concentrate on the former. He says:
“I have officially switched to the two-wheel-drive class this year to chase that title in Trinidad & Tobago with a Mitsubishi Lancer Mivec.”

Former circuit racer David Coelho made his Sol Rally Barbados debut last year driving the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX campaigned in 2009 by John Powell; having finished all six of the TTRC Championship events he contested last year, he ended his first season in rallying second in the 4WD class (to his car’s former owner, Powell) and fifth overall.

While he had finished seventh overall and third in Group N in Rally Trinidad earlier in the season, he failed to achieve an overall finish in Sol Rally Barbados 2011 – his engine expired with five stages to go – but was placed fifth in Group N. With a further season of competition under his belt, it is expected that he and co-driver James Harris will make more of an impression second time round in the Total and Subway-supported entry.

FAMILY FIRST FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Posted: January 4, 2011 7:22 PM

Scottish teenager Alex Hall will become the first ‘second generation’ overseas driver to compete in the Caribbean’s biggest annual international motor sport event, when he makes his debut on Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) next year. Hall’s father Kenny is a veteran of the event – next year is his ninth visit - and a three-time class winner.

Co-driven by Dave Armstrong, Alex will compete in the Opel Corsa in which Kenny claimed those Modified 5 class wins; although he will not celebrate his 18th birthday until the Thursday before Sol RB2011, Alex already has one title to his name, having won the Border Ecosse Car Club’s 2009 Junior Autocross Championship in his first season of competition in a standard 1400cc Vauxhall Corsa . . . and even beat Kenny driving the rally Corsa once at a charity autocross.

Kenny said:
“The incident at the autocross is embarrassing . . . to be thrashed by your son is bad enough, but with 100bhp less is shocking! I did give him a thrashing when the track dried out, but I am not allowed to forget that day. I just hope the Puma has the legs on them in Barbados - they were only seven seconds behind me on tarmac in the Kingdom Stages last month, before Alex broke the clutch. I’m looking forward to seeing how they do on my favourite event . . . just so long as they don’t beat me!”

Hall Senior was just a few hundred yards away from a fourth class win last year, but a wrong slot on the first run of the Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Simpson Motors meant he failed to give his ex-works Super 1600 Ford Puma a win on its island debut. For 2011, the four-time Scottish class champion will have fellow Scot Marieanne Gray as co-driver; she won the historic class with Welshman Richard Lewis (Ford Escort MkII) on her Barbados debut in 2010 and has completed the Nick Grist Co-Driver Academy.

Rally Chairman Barry Gale said:
“One of the strengths of the Barbados Rally Club has always been family involvement, with many second and third generation competitors, including myself. I look forward to seeing Alex compete here . . . and I’ll be watching to see whether experience or youthful exuberance comes out on top!”

International television coverage on the increase

Sol Rally Barbados is set to enjoy significantly increased television coverage in the coming weeks. For the third year running, British production company Acceleration TV has made a 60-minute programme, combining its report of Sol RB2010 with coverage of the crew’s tourist experiences in Barbados. The programme will air for the first time on December 31 on Motors TV UK, which is carried by the major satellite platforms, Sky and Virgin Media. Ten repeats (double the 2009 number) are scheduled up to January 17, with coverage across the rest of the Motors TV network yet to be confirmed by the channel’s Paris HQ – last year, this was treble the UK coverage. Motors TV is broadcast in six languages (Dutch, English, French, German, Greek and Serbian) to more than 18 million households subscribing by satellite, cable and ADSL in 59 countries across Europe and the African sub-continent.

Rally Chairman Barry Gale said:
“The timing could hardly be better – international competitors will be deciding on events for 2011, so a visual reminder of the appeal of Sol Rally Barbados is spot on. With the dreadful weather that our friends in Europe are suffering – and the airport disruption that means many will totally lose their Christmas holidays – I think the temptation to slap in an on-line entry will be difficult to resist!”

SOL RALLY BARBADOS TARGETS TWO-WHEEL-DRIVES / Overall entry cap raised to 100 to accommodate growing interest

Posted: November 26, 2010 1:12 PM

The organisers of Sol Rally Barbados, the Caribbean’s biggest annual international motor sport event, are targetting the most exciting two-wheel-drive cars in Europe to compete in next year’s event, which will be staged over the weekend of June 4/5.

The Barbados Rally Club (BRC), which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007, has enjoyed steady growth in its blue riband event, which has grown from a one-day rally for around 30 local competitors in 1990 into one of the strongest sporting brand names in the region and a major contributor to the island’s sports-tourism product.

In addition to a stepped scale of discounts for repeat visitors, which proved popular when it was introduced this year, the Club is offering a range of new incentives for 2011: these include trophies for the Top 10 two-wheel-drive cars, while the highest-placed overseas crews in front- and rear-wheel-drive cars will have their entry fees reimbursed.

Sol RB2011 Chairman Barry Gale says:
“We decided to do something to more actively encourage the cars that go out of their way to excite spectators. Invariably, these are the two-wheel-drive monsters created through the fanaticism of competitors who are convinced that their Ford Escort/Peugeot 205/Toyota Starlet can be the fastest thing in a straight line . . . or, perhaps, the most sideways thing never to see a straight line.

“These are the cars that spark our crowds into delirious fits of revelry when they manage, somehow, to completely negotiate a corner without ever facing the direction they are travelling in. And these are the cars we want! Our two-wheel-drive awards have been expanded to include, for the first time, a Top 10 that is separate and distinct from the rest of the rally, and for which only two-wheel-drive cars are eligible.

“It is our hope that this potential for recognition will bring out the best on offer among those fanatics I’ve mentioned . . . not least for the fact that some serious bragging rights are at stake! In addition to the Top 10, the fastest overseas competitors in front-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive will receive a refund of their entry fee. Simple, and immediately gratifying, this is designed to further encourage our overseas friends . . . gone are the days when only the WRC cars steal the limelight!”

Overall entry capraised to 100 to accommodate growing interest

The announcement of entries opening on-line in mid-October encouraged an early flurry of interest, which suggests that once again the balance between local, regional and international entries will contribute to an interesting and hard-fought event. Overseas entries so far represent nearly half of those received, and already include competitors who will be competing in the island for the first time.

Gale is encouraged by this early response:
“We have never opened entries so early in the past - as most people are probably not even aware that entries opened in October, and are planning to enter in January as usual, this certainly bodes well for the level of response we expect to get by April. Better than that, three-quarters of the entries we’ve received so far are two-wheel-drive, which supports our new initiative.”

Sol Rally Barbados 2010 was 20 per cent over-subscribed, a total of 118 entries received for what was this year the cap of a 90-strong starters list. With the chance of a similar situation arising again, the BRC has looked carefully at the structure of the event.

Gale:
“As organisers, we have to plan for the number of competitors many months in advance. The logistics include the space available at Scrutineering and the service parks, the layout of the stages and transit routes, and the timing necessary to ensure that stages are not waiting too long for cars to return. Also, we are keen to make sure that each stage is not ‘quiet’ for too long, creating spectator restlessness, so reducing the quality of the show we are putting on.

“With that in mind, and given the unprecedented response to Sol Rally Barbados 2010, we have decided to raise the maximum entry to 100. This would still not accommodate all the interest from 2010, but we feel comfortable that this number of cars can be accommodated without requiring a major redesign of the route or service parks.

Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

ENTRIES OPEN FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2011 / Expanded incentive programme for International crews

Posted: October 16, 2010 9:08 PM

Nearly 180 International competitors – more than twice the potential recipients this year – could benefit from an expanded incentive programme being offered by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) for Sol Rally Barbados 2011, the Caribbean’s biggest annual international celebration of motor sport, scheduled for the weekend of June 4/5.

Entries opened on-line this week at the official web site which has been refreshed to enable easier navigation; the Additional Supplementary Regulations (ASRs) have been posted, along with the Overseas Competitor Information Document, which details not only the package on offer, but also provides background on flights, accommodation and car rental. Available as pdf downloads, both documents can be found on the home page.

For the 20th Anniversary of the inaugural running of the Club’s International All-Stage Rally in 2010, the Club offered an incentive package to European competitors who had loyally supported the event, helped it grow in stature and helped build its character; such was the success of that programme that it has been expanded for 2011.

While first-timers will pay the standard entry and shipping package from Europe of US$2,600 per car, the real costs of which are already subsidised by the BRC by around 35 per cent, those who have participated before will enjoy further discounts ranging from around 10 to nearly 40 per cent. Putting the programme into perspective, Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale said: “When we offered reduced rates to our loyal International visitors, part encouragement to return, part a celebration of the contribution those very clubmen had made towards the event’s success over the last 20 years, the feedback was tremendous . . . so good, in fact, that we decided to maintain tiered entry fees for 2011!”

English BMW ace Martin Stockdale stands out among the 76 European competitors who have taken part more than once, having competed on the island for the past 10 years; Scotland’s Graeme Finlayson has been nine times (including driving the Zero Car in 2002) and fellow-countryman Kenny Hall eight, with another 30 having rallied in the island more than three times.

While this year’s discounts were offered only to those who had competed twice or more, the 2011 programme includes those who would only be making their second trip, which opens the scheme up to another 100 competitors: they will benefit from a US$250 discount, at the start of a rising scale through two visits (US$500 discount) and three (US$750 discount) to four or more, for which the US$1000 discount represents around 38 per cent of the standard package.

Of the general plans for the 22nd running of the Club’s premier event, Gale added: “Our mission has always been to better the event year-on-year with small, evolving improvements, rather than big experiments, so much so that my own (somewhat clichéd) expression ‘the best Rally Barbados yet’ is now a goal, rather than a statement of past performance. We aim for constant improvement, all the while retaining the features that make the event so special, and 2011 will be no exception.”

Over the four-month period that on-line entries were open, Sol Rally Barbados 2010 was oversubscribed by almost 20 per cent, something which caught Gale and the rest of the BRC’s management team off guard: “To be honest, the level of support surprised us, given the difficult times in which we have all been living; clearly, we must be getting something right! One thing I’ll admit we did fall down on was the date – by sticking with the last weekend in May, we lost one or two regular supporters, for whom UK school holidays play an important part in the decision to compete. We have consulted all the right people this time, and have been assured that the dates fit perfectly.”

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 4/5, with Scrutineering and the Shell V-Power King of the Hill ‘shakedown’ the previous weekend, May 28/29.

From small beginnings in 1990 as a one-day rally for around 30 local competitors, Rally Barbados – it was renamed in 2003 - has grown into the Caribbean’s biggest annual international motor sport event, attracting as many as 90 crews, one-third of them from overseas. It is one of the strongest sporting brand names in the region, particularly for visitors from Europe, and a major contributor to the island’s tourism product and foreign exchange earnings.

Rally Barbados

DATES CONFIRMED FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2011

Posted: August 22, 2010 12:35 PM

In response to the growing number of enquiries from overseas, the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) moved early this week to confirm the dates for the next running of its blue riband event: Sol Rally Barbados 2011 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 4/5, with Scrutineering and the Shell V-Power King of the Hill ‘shakedown’ the previous weekend, May 28/29. Sol Rally Barbados 2010 marked the 20th Anniversary of the inaugural running of the Club’s International All-Stage Rally; no fewer than 18 first-timers brought to 235 the number of overseas competitors hosted by the event in the past decade, a total organisers anticipate will pass the 250 mark next year.

Drivers and co-drivers from the wider Caribbean now number 57 – and that would have been 61, but for two first-time crews withdrawing after damaging their cars elsewhere in the region - while the International list stands at 178, from 15 countries; that total would also have been larger, but for late withdrawals from competitors affected by the continuing financial crisis. Over the four-month period that on-line entries were open, Sol Rally Barbados 2010 was oversubscribed by almost 20 per cent.

Rally Chairman Barry Gale is upbeat about the prospects for 2011:
“Our first enquiry about the date came within days of this year’s Prizegiving, and questions are being asked on a few rally forums, particularly in Europe. We have enjoyed a steady growth in interest from Ireland, where there has been a valuable increase in media coverage in recent years . . . and I’m optimistic about welcoming more first-timers next year.

“To be honest, the level of support for our event surprised us this year, given the difficult times in which we have all been living; clearly, we must be getting something right! One thing I’ll admit we did fall down on was the date – by sticking with the last weekend in May, we lost one or two regular supporters, for whom UK school holidays play an important part in the decision to compete. We have consulted all the right people this time, and have been assured that the dates we’re announcing today fit perfectly.”

Beyond announcing the dates, the Club will not confirm any further details until later in the year, as Gale confirms:
“We have already started kicking around some new ideas for the format, carefully studying all the locations to see what works, and what could perhaps be improved; decisions will not be made in a rush - rest assured, though, we are continuing in our never-ending search for the ‘best Rally Barbados yet’!”

From small beginnings in 1990 as a one-day rally for around 30 local competitors, Rally Barbados – it was renamed in 2003 - has grown into the Caribbean’s biggest annual international motor sport event, attracting as many as 90 crews, one-third of them from overseas. It is one of the strongest sporting brand names in the region, particularly for visitors from Europe, and a major contributor to the island’s tourism product and foreign exchange earnings.

Anniversary event in 2010 “amazing”

Rally Chairman Barry Gale says:
“Our 20th anniversary event was, by all accounts, amazing. We achieved many of the goals we set ourselves, in particular by making the event even more accessible to those clubman competitors from Europe and the wider Caribbean who have, over the years, helped build our event into a huge success. A phenomenal level of financial support from our Marketing Partners allowed us to spread subsidies across everyone’s entry fees in 2010 - as one repeat driver put it: “We would not have been able to do Sol Rally Barbados this year without the Club generously subsidising our shipping and entry fees!”

“The investment from our Marketing Partners also enabled us to run the event in a professional manner; it was relatively incident-free, with only one stage cancelled due to an accident on Saturday afternoon, and one more later in the day, simply due to us running out of time.

“All of the Sunday stages were run, including the Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Simpson Motors, where the atmosphere was electric, thanks to the battle that had been going on for two days between local stars Roger Skeete and Paul Bourne and Britain’s Paul Bird. The average human being takes 0.7 seconds to react to seeing a traffic light turn green - when they arrived at Warrens, after an hour of competitive stage driving, Skeete and Bourne were separated by less than two seconds, roughly double that reaction time, which made for a thrilling finale to the weekend!

“On behalf of the entire organising team, I would like to thank our title sponsor, the Sol Group, all our other Marketing Partners, the volunteer marshals and competitors for creating a fitting and memorable 20th Anniversary celebration.”

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB11 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Event Website

Posted: August 22, 2010 12:34 PM

Rally Barbados