Posted: June 6, 2016 4:31 PM - 8016 Hits
Posted: June 6, 2016 4:31 PM
1st Jeffrey Panton – JAM/Michael Fennell Jnr – JAM (WRC-1 Rubis/Sandals Barbados/KIG Ford Focus WRC06), 1h 03m 59.55s
2nd Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (WRC-1 Sol/Flow/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12B), + 45.33s
3rd Elfyn Evans – WAL/Craig Parry - WAL (GpA Sol/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Fiesta R5 Evo), + 58.51s
4th Roger Mayers/Sean Corbin (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet), + 02:17.39
5th Josh Read/Mark Jordan (SM2 Sprite/Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/Weetabix/Chutney’s/Urban Kitchen/Cell Hut/Cockspur Toyota Starlet), + 02:28.99
6th Roger Duckworth - ENG/Mark Broomfield - ENG (WRC-2 Intrinsys Subaru Impreza WRC S6), + 02:47.80
7th Kevin Procter – ENG/Philip Hopkins - ENG (WRC-1 Procters Coaches/Swift Signs/Compass Royston/Coach2.com/Corner House Hotel Ford Fiesta), + 03:14.84s
8th Rob Swann – ENG/Aled Edwards - WAL (WRC-1 Elegant Hotels/Blue Sky Luxury/Cygnet Plant Subaru Impreza WRC S12B), + 04:20.39s
9th Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (WRC-2 Esso/Nassco/MotorMac/Pennzoil Toyota Corolla WRC), + 06:20.72
10th Neil Corbin/Matthew Staffner (M1 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions/Emtage Electric/BG Products & Services/Valvoline Toyota Starlet), + 06:46.20
11th Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM2 Rubis/Virgin Atlantic/GUNK/Hankook/Sugar Bay Ford Escort MkII), + 06:58.47
12th Jim McKenna – IRL/Arthur Kierans – IRL (SM2 McKenna Rentals/Kes Engineering Ford Escort MkII), + 07:04.45
13th Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M2 Platinum Motors Collision Repair/Valvoline/Automotive Art/Consumers Guarantee Insurance/Sunoco Fuels/JSB Motorsport/Ellesmere Quarries Honda Civic Type-R), + 07:35.96
14th Mark Thompson/Kurt Seabra - GUY (GpN Rock Hard Cement/Stag Beer/Automotive Art/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Valvoline/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction/Glassesco Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), + 08:03.92
15th Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (SM2 Lucozade/Caribbean Powder Coating Ford Escort MkII), + 08:48.07
16th Justin Campbell/Juan Watts (SM3 Republic Bank/Five Star Fast Track/Hilton Barbados/Dream Solutions/Castrol/Itstaboo.com/Campbell Racing Team BMW M3), + 09:13.40
17th David Coelho – TRI/James Harris – ENG (GpN Zanzibar/Kaizan Sushi/VP Fuels/Total Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), + 09:27.40
18th David St Hill/Ian Grimes (SM3 Solar Wind & Energy Solutions/Liqui Moly/Bimmer Specialist BMW M3), + 09:39.16
19th Damien Hagan – IRL/Paul Kelly – IRL (SM2 JG Kelly Supplies/Hagan Auto Repairs/Scabits Ford Escort MkII), + 10:00.93
20th Kurt Thompson/Adam Straker (M2 Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Beacon Insurance/R A Mapp/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction Honda Civic), + 10:38.11
21st Paul Horton - TCI/Dwayne Forde (M2 Java Island/H Racing/Sky Motorsports Ford Escort MkI), + 11:21.14
22nd Edward Corbin/Johnathan Alleyne (SM1 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant), + 11:21.46
23rd Martin Donnelly – IRL/Brian Doherty - IRL (WRC-2 Eire Concrete Toyota Corolla WRC), + 11:43.14
24th Martin Stockdale - ENG/Mark Swallow - ENG (SM3 Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic/Canems Engine Management/Quarry Motors BMW 1M Coupe), + 11:52.22
25th Kenny Hall - SCO/Fenny Wesselink – NED (M1 The Sporting Pig Sports Bar & Restaurant/Halltune Garage Ford Puma S1600), + 13:24.54
26th Pascal Calvel – MTQ/Miguel Azerot – MTQ (M1 ABC Depannage/SODIVA/Pro ROC/Tilo Citroen C2 R2 Max), + 13:28.12
27th Raymond Clough - ENG/Stephen Bell (H2 Saint-Gobain Weber Ford Escort MkI), + 13:57.88
28th Enda McCormack - IRL/Kieran McElhinney - IRL (SM2 McCormack Contracting Ford Escort MkII), + 14:01.88
29th Harold Morley - ENG/Shiva Maharaj – TRI (GpN ONTRAC/Red Square/10 Saints/Cost-u-Less/bajanloveshop.com Subaru Impreza WRX STi R4), + 14:59.23
30th Wayne Archer/Derek Edwards (M1 Archers Hall Design Centre/RW Water Peugeot 206), + 15:29.22
31st Jonathan Ince/David Armstrong (SM3 Brake Pro Inc/Ocean Fisheries Ltd BMW M3), + 15:43.29
32nd Jermin Pope/Adam Cox (C1 Glassesco/Good time Snacks/NKM/UFO/Niccolls & Edghill Construction/Bio Beauty Day Spa/Tile Express/Slam 101.1FM Honda Civic), + 16:00.73
33rd Stuart Austin – ENG/Jason Tull (GpA Austin Powell Ltd Subaru Impreza N12), + 16:08.63
34th Stuart Tomlinson - ENG/Nick Taylor - ENG (SM2 Tomlinson’s/Atlas Copco UK Ford Escort MkII), +16:57.52
35th Hugh Peat – ENG/Stephen Peat - ENG (SM2 All in/Wemix Concrete BMW M3 Compact), + 17:04.47
36th Dick Mauger – ENG/Andrew Smith - NZL (SM2 Major Farm Services Ford Escort MkII), + 17:42.83
37th Will Parry - WAL/Gareth Parry - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport/Gary’s Plant Hire/Hydro Customs/E & M Motors/TDW Forestry/MEM Ford Escort MkII), + 17:47.31
38th Sean Kukula - ENG/Emma Arthur - ENG (H2 Competitionsupplies.com/Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems/WOSP Performance/TRS Motorsport Equipment/Cobra Seats/DMD Motorsport Engineering/Tilton Engineering Ford Escort MkII), + 18:30.42
39th Paul Inniss/Selena Kirton (C2 Durex Barbados/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Hugh Auto Body/Drive-A-Matic Car Rentals/Sun General Insurance/JJ Racing Team/East Point Grill/Terasu Restaurant/The Chicken Shop Inc/Rallymaxx Honda Civic), + 20:16.48
40th Gary Thomas – WAL/Linda Thomas – WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII), + 20:26.43
41st Marcel Freling – ENG/Karen Robinson – ENG (M All Seasons Resort Barbados/Mel Hudson Motors/Nankang Tyres/True Budget Accommodation/Visiontek.co.uk/Roverbreakers MG ZR), + 21:18.29
42nd John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (H2 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Toyota Corolla), + 22:23.05
43rd Peter Gallagher – IRL/Rene Forde (C1 Dublin Crystal Peugeot 206XSi), + 22:48.43
44th Howard Paterson – ENG/Ruth Paterson – ENG (M Rallydrive Driver Tuition/Little Bristol Beach Bar Speightstown Skoda Fabia), + 24:48.54
45th Trevor Mapp/Allister Nurse (C1 JSB Motorsport/A S Autostop/Chicken Pen Racing/Valvoline Mitsubishi Colt Mivec RS), + 25:33.37
46th Kevin-Jon Manning/Chazelle Cumberbatch (C1 KY/Flat 4s Barbados/Sunshade Tinting Studio/Pinder IT Peugeot 106 Rallye), + 27:28.48
47th Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (C1 RCR Tours/King Auto Repair/Barbados Business Listings/Bovell Auto Repair Suzuki Ignis Sport), + 28.26.89
48th Shelly Taunt – ENG/Julie Murphy - ENG (GpN Infinity on the Beach/Jantech Auto Services/Combined Scaffolding/Guest & Flore Bricklayers/ASF Signs/Julie Murphy’s Driving School/710 Oil/Jim Griffiths Car & Body Repairs Subaru Impreza N10), + 29:04.79
49th Russell Roberts - ENG/Barry Simpson - ENG (H1 Peugeot 205GTi), + 30:48.97
50th Steve Finch - ENG/Stanley Graham - ENG (SM2 Ford Escort MkII), + 39:40.19
Highest-placed non-national 4wd: Panton – JAM/Fennell Jnr – JAM (1st overall)
Highest-placed non-national rwd: J McKenna – IRL/Kierans – IRL (12th overall)
Highest-placed non-national fwd: Hall – SCO/Wesselink – NED (25th overall)
Highest-placed female driver: Shelly Taunt - ENG (48th overall)
Highest-placed female co-driver: Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (15th overall, co-driver for Andrew Jones)
Starters: 81 (40 Barbados, 36 International, 5 Regional)
Overall finishers: 53 (24 Barbados, 25 International, 4 Regional)
Overall Two-wheel-drive: 1st R Mayers/S Corbin; 2nd Read/Jordan; 3rd N Corbin/Staffner; 4th Armstrong/Ward; 5th J McKenna - IRL/Kierans - IRL; 6th Brathwaite/Hoyte; 7th Jones/Pilkington - ENG; 8th Campbell/Watts; 9th St Hill/Grimes; 10th Hagan - IRL/Kelly - IRL
Overall Historic: 1st Clough – ENG/Bell; 2nd Kukula - ENG/Arthur - ENG; 3rd J Corbin/Proverbs; 4th Roberts - ENG/Simpson - ENG
Sunday Cup: 1st Barry Mayers/Ben Norris (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Hankook/Quality Tyre/Illusion Graphics Ford Fiesta), 27m 32.35s; 2nd Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (M2 Roberts Manufacturing/Amir’s Chicken/Valvoline/MQI Collision Repair Honda Civic), + 41.41; 3rd Barry McKenna – IRL/Leon Jordan – IRL (SM2 ECD NY Inc Ford Escort MkII), + 59.55; 4th Mark Kinch/Andrew Peirce (SM3 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW M3), + 59.66; 5th Gareth Richards - WAL/Aled Lloyd Jones - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII), + 3:15.02; 6th Simon May - ENG/Melissa Wheeler - ENG (H2 ASM Automotive Engineers/Farnborough District Motor Club Ford Escort MkII), + 4:13.58s; 7th Allan Mackay – SCO/Andrew Croney (SM2 Beatson’s Building Supplies Ford Anglia WRC), + 4:29.29; 8th Shareef Walcott/Jan-Yves Hinds (SM1 Melwani’s/Novus Tech/Castrol/Caribbean Pleasures/Mianect Toyota Corolla), + 4:43.21; 9th Allan Kinch/Allan Maynard (C2 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW 318ti), + 4:49.38; 10th Simon Nutter – ENG/Robert Nutter – ENG (M Silverblue Tours Skoda Fabia), + 8:03.37
Class results
WRC-1: 1st Panton – JAM/Fennell Jnr – JAM, 1h 03m 59.55s; 2nd Skeete/Venezia, + 45.33s; 3rd Procter – ENG/Hopkins – ENG, + 03:14.84s; etc
WRC-2: 1st Duckworth – ENG/Broomfield – ENG, 1:06:47.35; 2nd Hill/Gittens, + 03:32.92; 3rd Donnelly – IRL/McElhinney - IRL, + 08:55.34
Group A: 1st Evans – WAL/Parry – WAL, 1:04:58.06; 2nd Austin – ENG/Tull, + 15:10.12
GpN: 1st M Thompson/Seabra – GUY, 1:12:03.47; 2nd Coelho – TRI/Harris - ENG, + 01:23.48; 3rd Morley - ENG/Maharaj – TRI, + 06:55.31; etc
SuperModified 3: 1st Campbell/Watts, 1:13:12.95; 2nd St Hill/Grimes, + 00:25.76; 3rd Stockdale – ENG/Swallow - ENG, + 02:38.82; etc
SM2: 1st R Mayers/S Corbin, 1:06:16.94; 2nd Read/Jordan, + 11.60s; 3rd Armstrong/Ward, + 04:41.08; etc
SM1: 1st E Corbin/Alleyne, 1:15:21.01
Modified 2: 1st Brathwaite/Hoyte, 1:11:35.51; 2nd K Thompson/Straker, + 03:02.15; 3rd Horton - TCI/Forde, + 03:45.18
M1: 1st N Corbin/Jordan, 1:10:45.75; 2nd Hall - SCO/Wesselink – NED, + 06:38.34; 3rd, Calvel – MTQ/Miguel Azerot – MTQ, + 06:41.92
M: 1st Freling – ENG/Robinson – ENG, 1:25:17.84; 2nd Paterson – ENG/Paterson – ENG, + 03:30.25
Historic 2: 1st Clough – ENG/Bell, 1:17:57.43; 2nd Kukula - ENG/Arthur - ENG, + 04:32.54; 3rd J Corbin/Proverbs, + 08:25.17
H1: 1st Roberts - ENG/Simpson – ENG, 1:34:48.52
Clubman 2: 1st Inniss/Kirton, 1:24:16.03
C1: 1st Pope/Cox, 1:20:00.28; 2nd Gallagher – IRL/Forde, + 06:47.70; 3rd, Mapp/Nurse, + 09:32.64; etc
GpB2: 1st Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Rob Brook - ENG (True Colour Racing/Earl’s Performance Hoses Ford Puma Evo), 1:15:56.53
GpB1: 1st Chris Ullyett/Tammy Lashley (Ullyett's Machine Shop/Proj-Rx Inc BMW M3), 1:16:08.72; 2nd Pete Rayner – ENG/Maria Rayner - ENG (Perry Road Autos Ford Escort MkII), + 15:13.51
Posted: June 3, 2016 8:30 AM
M-Sport World Rally Championship contenders Elfyn Evans and Craig Parry are seeded at number one in the final running order for Sol Rally Barbados 2016 (June 3-5), published by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) in advance of this evening’s Briefing Meeting at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa in Rockley. Campaigning the Sol/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Fiesta R5 Evo, the Welsh pair will lead off an international field of 83 cars, with overseas competitors representing 14 countries.
Jamaica’s Jeffrey Panton and Michael Fennell Jnr (Rubis/Sandals Barbados/KIG Ford Focus WRC06) will start at number two, with the joint winners of last Sunday’s Flow King of the Hill, Martinique’s Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyere (Sol/Marina du Marin/Easydrift/Long Horn/La Martinique/Intercontinental Shipping Focus WRC08) at three.
Sol RB16 and BRC Chairman Mark Hamilton said:
“When last year’s King of the Hill was decided by just five-hundredths of a second, the smallest margin ever, it set us up for a memorable Sol Rally Barbados . . . and this year we had joint winners! This weekend’s action should be as hot and as unpredictable as anything we have ever seen.
“Although he finished third on Sunday, Elfyn is seeded first by virtue of his FIA Priority status, while Jeffrey starts at number two in acknowledgement of his victory over Simon last year. Elfyn is the first current WRC driver to compete in Barbados and Simon is a double European Champion, which promises an amazing showdown with the region’s finest. I must again thank John Powell, who owns both the R5 and the Focus that Simon is driving for his help in making this a reality. It is just a pity that he will not be here this weekend to enjoy the action personally.”
Also in contention are England’s Rob Swann, co-driven in the Elegant Hotels/Blue Sky Luxury/Cygnet Plant Subaru Impreza WRC S12B by Welshman Aled Edwards, and 13-time winner of the BRC’s premier event, Roger Skeete, who has Louis Venezia on the notes in the Sol/Flow/Automotive Art Impreza WRC S12B. The wild card is the English crew of Kevin Procter and Philip Hopkins, who will be campaigning the Procters Coaches/Swift Signs/Compass Royston/Coach2.com/Corner House Hotel Ford Fiesta for the first time.
Josh Read and Mark Jordan are top 2wd seeds for the second year in a row, starting at seven in the Sprite/Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/Weetabix/Chutney’s/Urban Kitchen/Cell Hut/Cockspur Toyota Starlet. Fellow 2wd runners Roger Mayers and Sean Corbin (Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet), Rhett Watson and James Hutchinson (Chefette/Carter’s Pitstop/Stihl/Gliptone/GUNK/The Unknown Entity in support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3), Dane Skeete and Tyler Mayhew (Sol/Flow/Automotive Art/Williams Trading Inc Peugeot 306 Maxi) complete the top 10.
In addition to the battle for overall and 2wd supremacy, there will be 16 separate classes contested, in all but two of which island competitors will enjoy the challenge of pitting their skills against regional or international entries.
Sol RB16 will start with two Friday evening stages on the unique Race Of Champions Parallel Track at Bushy Park Barbados and finish with a RallySprint SuperSpecial at the Vaucluse Raceway for the first time since 2007; after 23 stages across the island, with a total competitive distance of 119.70 kilometres, Sunday’s SuperSpecial will give drivers the chance to let their hair down head-to-head, safe in the knowledge that no times are being recorded . . . although they will be required to take the SuperSpecial start to be considered overall finishers.
Posted: June 3, 2016 8:30 AM
Key to nationalities (competitor from Barbados unless shown):
CDN – Canada; ENG – England; FRA – France; GUY – Guyana; IRL – Republic of Ireland; JAM – Jamaica; MTQ – Martinique; NED – The Netherlands; NIR – Northern Ireland; NZL – New Zealand; SCO – Scotland; TCI – Turks & Caicos; TRI – Trinidad & Tobago; WAL – Wales
1 Elfyn Evans – WAL/Craig Parry - WAL (GpA Sol/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Fiesta R5 Evo)
2 Jeffrey Panton – JAM/Michael Fennell Jnr – JAM (WRC-1 Rubis/Sandals Barbados/KIG Ford Focus WRC06)
3 Simon Jean-Joseph – FRA/Jack Boyere - FRA (WRC-1 Sol/Marina du Marin/Easydrift/Long Horn/La Martinique/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Focus WRC08)
4 Rob Swann – ENG/Aled Edwards - WAL (WRC-1 Elegant Hotels/Blue Sky Luxury/Cygnet Plant Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)
5 Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (WRC-1 Sol/Flow/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)
6 Kevin Procter – ENG/Philip Hopkins - ENG (WRC-1 Procters Coaches/Swift Signs/Compass Royston/Coach2.com/Corner House Hotel Ford Fiesta)
7 Josh Read/Mark Jordan (SM2 Sprite/Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/Weetabix/Chutney’s/Urban Kitchen/Cell Hut/Cockspur Toyota Starlet)
8 Roger Mayers/Sean Corbin (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet)
9 Rhett Watson/James Hutchinson (SM3 Chefette/Carter’s Pitstop/Stihl/Gliptone/GUNK/The Unknown Entity in support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3)
10 Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (SM2 Sol/Flow/Automotive Art/Williams Trading Inc Peugeot 306 Maxi)
11 Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (SM2 Lucozade/Caribbean Powder Coating Ford Escort MkII)
12 Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (WRC-2 Esso/Nassco/MotorMac/Pennzoil Toyota Corolla WRC)
14 Andrew Mallalieu/Geoff Goddard (GpN Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10)
15 Avinash Chatrani/Andrew Skeete (GpA Lenovo/PowerBass/Gunk/iShop/Electric Avenue/Copocabana/Unlabeled Society Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
16 Nigel Worswick – ENG/Rebecca Kirsch - ENG (WRC-2 Worswick Engineering/Rallytech Composites Ford Escort WRC)
17 Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (M2 Roberts Manufacturing/Amir’s Chicken/Valvoline/MQI Collision Repair Honda Civic)
18 David Coelho – TRI/James Harris – ENG (GpN Zanzibar/Kaizan Sushi/VP Fuels/Total Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
19 Martin Donnelly – IRL/Brian Doherty - IRL (WRC-2 Eire Concrete Toyota Corolla WRC)
20 Roger Duckworth - ENG/Mark Broomfield - ENG (WRC-2 Intrinsys Subaru Impreza WRC S6)
21 Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM2 Rubis/Virgin Atlantic/GUNK/Hankook/Sugar Bay Ford Escort MkII)
22 Barry Mayers/Ben Norris (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Hankook/Quality Tyre/Illusion Graphics Ford Fiesta)
23 Joe McQuillan – NIR/David Forde - IRL (GpA Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
24 Jim McKenna – IRL/Arthur Kierans – IRL (SM2 McKenna Rentals/Kes Engineering Ford Escort MkII)
25 Neil Corbin/Matthew Staffner (M1 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions/Emtage Electric/BG Products & Services/Valvoline Toyota Starlet)
26 Mark Thompson/Kurt Seabra - GUY (GpN Rock Hard Cement/Stag Beer/Automotive Art/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Valvoline/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction/Glassesco Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
27 Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M2 Platinum Motors Collision Repair/Valvoline/Automotive Art/Consumers Guarantee Insurance/Sunoco Fuels/JSB Motorsport/Ellesmere Quarries Honda Civic Type-R)
28 Jeremy Gonsalves/Chris Corbin (SM1 Sign Depot/Makita/Star Products/Valvoline/Yamaha/John Hardman Engineering Opel Corsa)
29 Steve Finch - ENG/Stanley Graham - ENG (SM2 Ford Escort MkII)
30 Mark Kinch/Andrew Peirce (SM3 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW M3)
31 Gary Thomas – WAL/Linda Thomas – WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII)
32 Enda McCormack - IRL/Kieran McElhinney - IRL (SM2 McCormack Contracting Ford Escort MkII)
33 Kurt Thompson/Adam Straker (M2 Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Beacon Insurance/R A Mapp/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction Honda Civic)
34 Martin Stockdale - ENG/Mark Swallow - ENG (SM3 Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic/Canems Engine Management/Quarry Motors BMW 1M Coupe)
35 David St Hill/Ian Grimes (SM3 Solar Wind & Energy Solutions/Liqui Moly/Bimmer Specialist BMW M3)
36 Kenny Hall - SCO/Fenny Wesselink – NED (M1 The Sporting Pig Sports Bar & Restaurant/Halltune Garage Ford Puma S1600)
37 Norman Catwell/Kyle Catwell (M2 Chicken Pen Racing/Ellesmere Quarries/John Hardman Engineering/Jenvey/Elite Transmissions Volkswagen Golf GTI)
38 Justin Campbell/Juan Watts (SM3 Republic Bank/Five Star Fast Track/Hilton Barbados/Dream Solutions/Castrol/Itstaboo.com/Campbell Racing Team BMW M3)
39 Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (M2 Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco Toyota Corolla RunX)
40 Greg Cozier/Natasha Farnum (H2 Barbados Historic Rally Carnival/Geest Line/MS Motorsport/Jondel Race Engines Ford Escort RS)
41 Paul Horton - TCI/Dwayne Forde (M2 Java Island/H Racing/Sky Motorsports Ford Escort MkI)
42 Chris Ullyett/Tammy Lashley (GpB1 Ullyett's Machine Shop/Proj-Rx Inc BMW M3)
43 Pete Rayner – ENG/Maria Rayner - ENG (GpB1 Perry Road Autos Ford Escort MkII)
44 Damien Hagan – IRL/Paul Kelly – IRL (SM2 JG Kelly Supplies/Hagan Auto Repairs/Scabits Ford Escort MkII)
45 Barry McKenna – IRL/Leon Jordan – IRL (SM2 ECD NY Inc Ford Escort MkII)
46 Raymond Clough - ENG/Stephen Bell (H2 Saint-Gobain Weber Ford Escort MkI)
47 Jonathan Ince/David Armstrong (SM3 Brake Pro Inc/Ocean Fisheries Ltd BMW M3)
48 Shelly Taunt – ENG/Julie Murphy - ENG (GpN Infinity on the Beach/Jantech Auto Services/Combined Scaffolding/Guest & Flore Bricklayers/ASF Signs/Julie Murphy’s Driving School/710 Oil/Jim Griffiths Car & Body Repairs Subaru Impreza N10)
49 Allan Mackay – SCO/Andrew Croney (SM2 Beatson’s Building Supplies Ford Anglia WRC)
50 Harold Morley - ENG/Shiva Maharaj – TRI (GpN ONTRAC/Red Square/10 Saints/Cost-u-Less/bajanloveshop.com Subaru Impreza WRX STi R4)
51 Pascal Calvel – MTQ/Miguel Azerot – MTQ (M1 ABC Depannage/SODIVA/Pro ROC/Tilo Citroen C2 R2 Max)
52 Orry Hunte/Chris Haywood (M2 S G DeFreitas/Bushy Park Driving Experiences/Crane & Equipment/Phoenix Protection Services/Williams Equipment/BG Race Products/Goodyear/ACSI Valet Services/Blakey’s Bar & Restaurant Mitsubishi Lancer)
53 Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (M2 The Tiki Bar/Autolink/Indoor Plant Services Ford Fiesta ST150)
54 Edward Corbin/Johnathan Alleyne (SM1 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant)
55 Stuart Austin – ENG/Jason Tull (GpA Austin Powell Ltd Subaru Impreza N12)
56 Gareth Richards - WAL/Aled Lloyd Jones - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII)
57 Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Rob Brook - ENG (GpB2 True Colour Racing/Earl’s Performance Hoses Ford Puma Evo)
58 Stan Hartling - TCI/Andy Proudfoot – CDN (SM3 H Racing/Bambarra Rum BMW M3)
59 Stuart Tomlinson - ENG/Nick Taylor - ENG (SM2 Tomlinson’s/Atlas Copco UK Ford Escort MkII)
60 Pierre Clarke/Ezra Gibbs (C1 SDRR Hydraulics & Industrial Spares Honda Civic)
61 Simon Wallis – ENG/Peter Horsman – ENG (GpA Cambridge Compilers Ltd Subaru Impreza N10)
62 Wayne Archer/Derek Edwards (M1 Archers Hall Design Centre/RW Water Peugeot 206)
63 Hugh Peat – ENG/Stephen Peat - ENG (SM2 All in/Wemix Concrete BMW M3 Compact)
64 Dick Mauger – ENG/Andrew Smith - NZL (SM2 Major Farm Services Ford Escort MkII)
65 Jermin Pope/Adam Cox (C1 Glassesco/Good time Snacks/NKM/UFO/Niccolls & Edghill Construction/Bio Beauty Day Spa/Tile Express/Slam 101.1FM Honda Civic)
66 Allan Kinch/Allan Maynard (C2 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW 318ti)
67 Shareef Walcott/Jan-Yves Hinds (SM1 Melwani’s/Novus Tech/Castrol/Caribbean Pleasures/Mianect Toyota Corolla)
68 Paul Inniss/Selena Kirton (C2 Durex Barbados/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Hugh Auto Body/Drive-A-Matic Car Rentals/Sun General Insurance/JJ Racing Team/East Point Grill/Terasu Restaurant/The Chicken Shop Inc/Rallymaxx Honda Civic)
69 Sean Kukula - ENG/Emma Arthur - ENG (H2 Competitionsupplies.com/Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems/WOSP Performance/TRS Motorsport Equipment/Cobra Seats/DMD Motorsport Engineering/Tilton Engineering Ford Escort MkII)
70 Will Parry - WAL/Gareth Parry - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport/Gary’s Plant Hire/Hydro Customs/E & M Motors/TDW Forestry/MEM Ford Escort MkII)
71 Marcel Freling – ENG/Karen Robinson – ENG (M All Seasons Resort Barbados/Mel Hudson Motors/Nankang Tyres/True Budget Accommodation/Visiontek.co.uk/Roverbreakers MG ZR)
72 John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (H2 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Toyota Corolla)
73 Winston Thompson/Scott Bentham (SM1 Toyota Starlet)
74 Calvin Briggs/Michael Best (GpB2 Lucas Oil/Massy Realty Ford Sierra)
75 Mike Marshall - NZL/Marc Keen - NZL (SM1 Window Factory Peugeot 106 S16)
76 Peter Gallagher – IRL/Rene Forde (C1 Dublin Crystal Peugeot 206XSi)
77 Trevor Mapp/Allister Nurse (C1 JSB Motorsport/A S Autostop/Chicken Pen Racing/Valvoline Mitsubishi Colt Mivec RS)
78 Simon Nutter – ENG/Robert Nutter – ENG (M Silverblue Tours Skoda Fabia)
79 Rommell Martin/Rashid Phillips (C1 Winston Enterprise/Kola Kick/Slam Condoms/VV&K Rentals Ltd/Castrol/Premium Seafood/Fusion Boutique/B3 Imaging/Candy Lane Toyota Starlet)
80 Howard Paterson – ENG/Ruth Paterson – ENG (M Rallydrive Driver Tuition/Little Bristol Beach Bar Speightstown Skoda Fabia)
81 Russell Roberts - ENG/Barry Simpson - ENG (H1 Peugeot 205GTi)
82 Kevin-Jon Manning/Chazelle Cumberbatch (C1 KY/Flat 4s Barbados/Sunshade Tinting Studio/Pinder IT Peugeot 106 Rallye)
83 Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (C1 RCR Tours/King Auto Repair/Barbados Business Listings/Bovell Auto Repair Suzuki Ignis Sport)
84 Simon May - ENG/Melissa Wheeler - ENG (H2 ASM Automotive Engineers/Farnborough District Motor Club Ford Escort MkII)
Posted: May 19, 2016 9:45 AM
Sol Rally Barbados 2016 will return to Bushy Park in St Philip and repeat last year’s hugely-successful Friday evening start, with two special stages on the unique Race Of Champions parallel track. With only two of seven stage venues being used exactly as they were last year and the finish returning to the Vaucluse Raceway in St Thomas, competitors from home and overseas will face some exciting new challenges.
Local competitors have already given the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) an enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’ after senior officials outlined the plans for its premier event last Thursday (April 21). Rally Director Neil Barnard said:
“We had an excellent meeting. The overall route outline was met with round of applause, with separate lengthier applause for the finish being at Vaucluse.”
The Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International, Sol RB16 will run from Friday to Sunday, June 3 to 5, with Scrutineering at Simpson Motors and Flow King of the Hill the previous weekend (May 28/29). Entries close this Friday, April 29, with approaching 100 already posted on-line at the official web site www.rallybarbados.net.
As well as outlining the route, Thursday’s meeting was organised to give competitors some insight in to the Club’s approach to event planning, as Barnard explained:
“Key factors taken into consideration are: compact stage venue configuration, with reasonable transits; stage variation year-on-year; safety; the impact on the wider community; proximity to service areas; road conditions and competitor enjoyment.
“We have to make a number of compromises and it is not just a simple case of choosing a set of stages. To enable the rally to run even remotely to schedule, we take into account residents and the travelling public, bus routes and timetables, local churches - particularly their service times – along with options for traffic detours and spectator access and control. All of these things are thrown into a pot, then we mix in ‘how can keep the rally interesting to the spectators and the competitors?’ It is essentially one huge balancing act.”
Friday night’s opening SuperSpecial at Bushy Park will start at 5.30pm, with the cars running in reverse order of seeding, from slowest to fastest. Barnard: “Based on last year’s start, we are hopeful that both stages will be completed by 9.30pm.”
After something of a shake-up for last year’s 25th Anniversary event, there is a return to the more traditional format, with Saturday’s stages in the north, Sunday’s in the south-east. On Saturday, the Service Park will be Greenland in St Andrew and the opening stage, Haggatts to Spring Vale, one of the only two the same as in 2015, which is followed by the popular Hangman’s Hill to Mount Misery stage.
After the longest transit of the day, around 30 minutes, comes the rally’s longest stage, Mt Poyer to Luke Hill. Barnard again: “The first part of this stage has only been used once before and joins the familiar Pickerings stage and continues out to Luke Hill. We have paid particular attention to when?this stage was scheduled and two runs during the middle of day should minimize the inconvenience to the travelling public. We have not scheduled a third run of this stage for this reason.” After service, that loop is repeated.
Following one more run each of Spring Vale and Canefield, the event’s fourth venue is Four Hills to French Village, the reverse of 2015. Saturday closes with two reversed runs from Canefield down through the Lion Castle crossroads, past VRW and on to Hangman’s Hill, sandwiching a final visit to Four Hills to French Village. Barnard:
“We expect that the last two stages of Saturday will be in the dark for the entire field.”
Sunday starts from Carrington Factory Yard, St Philip, into the second of the two identical venues from 2015, Drax Hall to Pool, while the next stage of the loop runs from Tappy Pond to Malvern, a reversed version of most of the stage used in 2015. With three Houses to Padmore Village final stage, Barnard concludes:
“We have used this stage in the past, but not in this direction for some time. Sunday’s three venues are extremely compact, giving stage end to stage start transits of around 10 and 15 minutes.”
The rally is scheduled to finish at VRW at 3.00pm with head-to-head competition on the RallySprint track; crews will be required to take the start to be classified in Sol RB16.
Posted: May 17, 2016 9:31 AM
Citroen World Rally Championship driver Kris Meeke says every rally fan should visit Sol Rally Barbados “at least once”. The Ulsterman made the remark when he joined the Circuit of Ireland’s Chief Marshal Raymond Linton last week to pick the names of two motor sport volunteers who will enjoy a trip to Sol RB16 next month (June 3-5) out of the prestigious Ulster Automobile Club Trophy.
Double winner of the Barbados Rally Club’s premier event with co-driver Paul Nagle in 2008 & ’09, Meeke was home in Dungannon after launching the test and development programme of Citroen Racing’s new WRC contender in France, then doing the recce for Rally Argentina, the event at which he claimed his first WRC victory last year.
He said: “It's brilliant to reward a couple of Circuit of Ireland marshals. I hope the people who have won have never been before. It's definitely something that everyone should do at least once. Sol Rally Barbados is a great event, but it's not just the event, it's everything else that goes with it . . . the sunshine, the atmosphere and the people.
“People think Irish rallying is laid back, but out there it's unbelievable! It was nice to be invited to do it and it holds a special place for me. I got to know a lot of the locals and [Rally Chairman] Mark Hamilton still keeps in touch with me. Hopefully, in the future, I'll be able to go back."
Nicole Adair and Julie Edghill were chosen from around 800 marshals who worked on this year’s ‘Circuit’ (April 8/9) to win return flights from London Gatwick to Barbados, accommodation and rental car, plus VIP hospitality, courtesy of the Barbados Rally Club and the Tourism Development Corporation. Both are from County Down: Adair, from Portavogie, marshalled on the Cairncastle stage while Edghill, who lives in Carryduff, was at the start of the Hamilton’s Folly stage, as well as in Bushmills for the regroup.
Adair, who will be making the trip with her partner Winston Murdoch – they marshalled together at Cairncastle – said: “I had only just started a new job the Monday a few days before I heard I’d won the prize, but everyone has been so very helpful. We have bought a second ticket, so that we can make what sounds like a fabulous trip together.”
Edghill first fell into motor sport while working in London, as a colleague marshalled at Brands Hatch; she became Chief Paddock Marshal before moving to Race Control, then also became involved with what was then known as the RAC Rally. She and her partner John Cunningham are Treasurer and Chairman respectively of the Northern Ireland region of the British Motorsport Marshals’ Club.
Of her prize trip, she said: “I was absolutely stunned when I found out I’d won. I was told that Raymond Linton had been trying to contact me at work – sometimes we can’t answer our phones straight away - as my name had been pulled out of the hat for the Sol Rally Barbados trip. I was just so excited about it! It will be lovely to go over to see how they do things there.”
Posted: May 10, 2016 3:26 PM
+ driver/co-driver (car) - listed alphabetically by class
+ some classifications subject to scrutineering
Key to nationalities (competitor from Barbados unless shown): ANT - Antigua & Barbuda; CDN - Canada; ENG - England; FRA - France; GLP - Guadeloupe; GUY - Guyana; IRL - Republic of Ireland; JAM - Jamaica; MTQ - Martinique; NED - The Netherlands; NIR - Northern Ireland; NZL - New Zealand; SCO - Scotland; TCI - Turks & Caicos; TRI - Trinidad & Tobago; WAL - Wales
WRC-1
Simon Jean-Joseph - FRA/Jack Boyere - FRA (Ford Focus WRC08)
Jeffrey Panton - JAM/Michael Fennell Jnr - JAM (Ford Focus WRC06)
Rob Swann - ENG/Aled Edwards - WAL (Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)
Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)
WRC-2
Martin Donnelly - IRL/Brian Doherty - IRL (Toyota Corolla WRC)
Roger Duckworth - ENG/Mark Broomfield - ENG (Subaru Impreza WRC S6)
Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (Toyota Corolla WRC)
Kevin Procter - ENG/Philip Hopkins - ENG (Subaru Impreza WRC S7)
Nigel Worswick - ENG/Rebecca Kirsch - ENG (Ford Escort WRC)
Group A
Avinash Chatrani/Andrew Skeete (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
Elfyn Evans - WAL/Craig Parry - WAL (Ford Fiesta R5 Evo)
Joe McQuillan - NIR/David Forde - IRL (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
Pierre Negre - GLP/Gilles Gaussens - GLP (Ford Escort RS Cosworth)
Group N
Stuart Austin - ENG/Jason Tull (Subaru Impreza)
David Coelho - TRI/James Harris - ENG (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
Andrew Mallalieu/Geoff Goddard (Subaru Impreza N10)
Harold Morley - ENG/Shiva Maharaj - TRI (Subaru Impreza WRX STi R4)
Shelly Taunt - ENG/Julie Murphy - ENG (Subaru Impreza N10)
Mark Thompson/Kurt Seabra - GUY (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
Simon Wallis - ENG/Peter Horsman - ENG (Subaru Impreza N10)
SuperModified 3
Justin Campbell/Juan Watts (BMW M3)
Owen Cumberbatch/tba (BMW M3)
Stan Hartling - TCI/Andy Proudfoot - CDN (BMW M3)
Jonathan Ince/David Armstrong (BMW M3)
Mark Kinch/Andrew Peirce (BMW M3)
David St Hill/Ian Grimes (BMW M3)
Martin Stockdale - ENG/Mark Swallow - ENG (BMW 1M Coupe)
Rhett Watson/James Hutchinson (BMW M3)
SuperModified 2
Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (Ford Escort MkII)
Steve Finch - ENG/Stanley Graham - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Damien Hagan - IRL/Paul Kelly - IRL (Ford Escort MkII)
Allan Mackay - SCO/tba (Ford Anglia WRC)
Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Graham Manning/Mick Squires - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Dick Mauger - ENG/Andrew Smith - NZL (Ford Escort MkII)
Barry Mayers/Ben Norris (Ford Fiesta)
Roger Mayers/Sean Corbin (WR Starlet)
Enda McCormack - IRL/Kieran McElhinney - IRL (Ford Escort MkII)
Barry McKenna - IRL/Declan Tynan - IRL (Ford Escort MkII)
Jim McKenna - IRL/Arthur Kierans - IRL (Ford Escort MkII)
Hugh Peat - ENG/Stephen Peat - ENG (BMW M3 Compact)
Josh Read/Mark Jordan (Toyota Starlet)
Gareth Richards - WAL/Aled Lloyd Jones - WAL (Ford Escort MkII)
Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (Peugeot 306 Maxi)
Gary Thomas - WAL/Linda Thomas - WAL (Ford Escort MkII)
SuperModified 1
Edward Corbin/Rodney Clarke (Daihatsu Charmant)
Mike Marshall - NZL/Marc Keen - NZL (Peugeot 106 S16)
Winston Thompson/Fiona Catwell - ANT (Toyota Starlet)
Shareef Walcott/Jan-Yves Hinds (Toyota Corolla)
Kurt Ward/Kirt King (Ford Escort MkI)
Modified 2
Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (Honda Civic Type-R)
Norman Catwell/Kyle Catwell (Volkswagen Golf GTI)
Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (Honda Civic)
Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (Toyota Corolla RunX)
Paul Horton - TCI/Dwayne Forde (Ford Escort MkI)
Orry Hunte/Chris Haywood (Mitsubishi Lancer)
Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (Ford Fiesta ST150)
Kurt Thompson/Adam Straker (Honda Civic)
Chris Ullyett/Chantal Ullyett - CDN (Ford Escort RS2000)
Modified 1
Wayne Archer/Derek Edwards (Peugeot 205)
Pascal Calvel - MTQ/Jean-Marc Verrier - MTQ (Citroen C2 R2 Max)
Neil Corbin/Matthew Staffner (Toyota Starlet)
Peter Gallagher - IRL/Rene Forde (Peugeot 206XSi)
Kevin Goddard/tba (Mitsubishi Mirage)
Jeremy Gonsalves/Chris Corbin (Opel Corsa)
Kenny Hall - SCO/Fenny Wesselink - NED (Ford Puma S1600)
Russell Roberts - ENG/Barry Simpson - ENG (Peugeot 205GTi)
Modified
Marcel Freling - ENG/Karen Robinson - ENG (MG ZR)
Simon Nutter - ENG/Robert Nutter - ENG (Skoda Fabia)
Howard Paterson - ENG/Ruth Paterson - ENG (Skoda Fabia)
Historic 2
David Brewster/Alex Kirton (Peugeot 205GTi)
Raymond Clough - ENG/Stephen Bell (Ford Escort MkI)
John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (Toyota Corolla)
Greg Cozier/Natasha Farnum (Ford Escort RS)
Sean Kukula - ENG/Emma Arthur - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Simon May - ENG/Melissa Wheeler - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Stuart Tomlinson - ENG/Nick Taylor - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Clubman 2
Paul Inniss/Selina Kirton (Honda Civic)
Allan Kinch/tba (BMW 318ti)
Clubman 1
Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (Suzuki Ignis Sport)
Pierre Clarke/Ezra Gibbs (Honda Civic)
Kevin-Jon Manning/tba (Peugeot 106 Rallye)
Trevor Mapp/tba (Mitsubishi Colt Mivec RS)
Rommell Martin/Rashid Phillips (Toyota Starlet)
Jermin Pope/Adam Cox (Honda Civic)
Group B2
Calvin Briggs/tba (Ford Sierra)
Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Rob Brook - ENG (Ford Puma Evo)
Group B2
Stuart McChlery/Julian Goddard (Ford Escort MkI)
Pete Rayner - ENG/Maria Rayner - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Geoffrey Ullyett/Jason King (Nissan 160T)
Posted: May 10, 2016 3:21 PM
World Rally Championship WRC 2 points-leader Elfyn Evans and co-driver Craig Parry will compete in Sol Rally Barbados 2016 (June 3-5) in the first-off-the-line Ford Fiesta R5 Evo which the car's owner John Powell drove to victory in his home event, Rally Trinidad, this year. They will arrive in the island before Simpson Motors Scrutineering and Flow King of the Hill the previous weekend, allowing time to prepare for their new challenge.
The Welsh pair are slotting their Caribbean trip into an already busy schedule, having been enlisted by M-Sport for a dual programme with the new-generation Fiesta R5 Evo. Tasked with winning both the WRC 2 title and the re-vamped British Rally Championship (BRC), Evans has started well, currently leading WRC 2 after wins in Monte Carlo and Sweden and lying second in the BRC, having won the opening round in Wales.
Powell, whose Focus WRC08 will be driven by French ex-Ford works driver Simon Jean-Joseph, said:
"We are always happy to work with the Barbados Rally Club as we continue to evolve the sport in the Caribbean. Like everybody else, I am really excited to see how our local and regional drivers will compare with Elfyn and Simon."
It is 20 years since Welsh rallying legend Gwyndaf Evans won the BRC, in which he also finished runner-up four times over a 15-year period, and 10 short years since son Elfyn first embarked on a rally career, finishing second in the F1000 Championship. Since then, Evans - now 27 years old - has won eight titles in Ford Fiestas, including the FIA WRC Academy and BRC R2 Championship in 2012, then the Fiesta Sport Trophy Shootout in the same year, which offered him a year's employment at M-Sport.
He played a major role in the development of the Fiesta R5, challenging ex-Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica in the second half of 2013, finishing eighth overall and winning WRC 2 in Wales Rally GB. In his subsequent two seasons in the WRC, Evans has 12 top-six results to his credit, with two podiums: he led much of the Tour de Corse last year, claiming a career-best second place, and had earlier finished third in Rally Argentina, making for two British crews on the podium, as double Sol Rally Barbados winner, Ulsterman Kris Meeke, secured his first WRC victory.
Evans said:
"I've heard a lot of great things about this event so a big thanks to John [Powell], M-Sport and the rally organisers for giving myself and Craig an opportunity to experience it for ourselves. There's always a lot of competition and the event attracts a lot of top-specification cars, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. But, if there is a possibility to challenge for the win, we'll certainly give it a go! This really is a unique opportunity to experience another new and very popular event. I'm sure it will live up to the expectation and I'm really looking forward to sampling the atmosphere first hand."
Parry, paired with Evans this season for the first time, brings a wealth of experience to the partnership, having rallied across the world as a full-time co-driver in 2002, which was also when he made his WRC debut. In recent years, he has dove-tailed campaigns in the WRC with Championships in Canada, the Middle East and, last year, selected rounds of the NACAM Fiesta R2 Cup, including a class win in Rally Panama.
Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Mark Hamilton said:
"Through the years, our event has been fortunate to attract high-profile regional and international crews, who have enhanced the event's competitive nature, and also its worldwide profile . . . we are confident that Elfyn and Craig will do so again. The participation of a crew and car that currently compete at the highest level in both the British Rally Championship and WRC 2 ticks two new boxes for us, and we hope this is a sign of things to come.
"The M-Sport built Fiesta R5 will add a new dimension to this year's Sol Rally Barbados and I am sure that spectators will enjoy watching the local, regional and international crews over the three days of competition. We must thank Intercontinental Shipping and John Powell for their involvement in making this a reality, M-Sport for their interest in, and support of the effort and, of course, Elfyn and Craig for their time to come and have a play in the sand, sea, sun - and speed - that Barbados has to offer".
Jean-Joseph and Duckworth bring 4wd line-up to 20
Jean-Joseph and Britain's Roger Duckworth were also confirmed as participants, when the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) released the provisional entry list of 91 crews today (Monday) during a Media Briefing at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa in Rockley.
Double European Rally Champion Jean-Joseph returns with co-driver Jack Boyere in the John Powell-owned Ford Focus WRC08, in which they finished second in Sol RB15, 2secs behind Jamaica's Jeff Panton (Focus WRC06). While he is retired from regular competition, Jean-Joseph is still heavily involved in the sport, as gravel crew for Volkswagen Motorsport and triple World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier.
In the three years since WRC-2 (for cars built before 2004) was introduced to island regulations, double UK National Champion Duckworth has won the class twice in his ex-Juha Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC S6 - fifth overall both times - with Kevin Procter (ex-Markko Martin S7) the winner last year, eighth overall.
Sol RB16 will start with two Friday evening stages on the unique Race Of Champions Parallel Track at Bushy Park Barbados and finish with a RallySprint SuperSpecial at the Vaucluse Raceway for the first time since 2007; after 23 stages across the island, Sunday's SuperSpecial will give drivers the chance to let their hair down head-to-head, safe in the knowledge that the times are not included in the results
although they will be required to take the SuperSpecial start to be considered overall finishers.
Title sponsor since 2008, Sol was represented today by General Manager (Barbados), Ezra Prescod:
"Every year, the event expands and continues to attract the finest local, regional and international drivers, as well as visitors and supporters from across the globe. We want to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new visitors and to also welcome back our 'Rally Nation' of die-hard supporters."
Corporate Communications Manager of Flow, Alan Harris, agreed: "Flow is especially pleased to be strengthening its support of local rallying, and as the excitement steadily builds, we are also very proud to be the title sponsor of Flow King of the Hill, an event that continues to provide motorsport fans with the perfect warm-up for Sol Rally Barbados. Year after year, the profile of rallying continues to be raised and we now look forward to yet another outstanding edition of Caribbean's largest annual motorsport International."
Sol Rally Barbados (June 3-5) and Flow King of the Hill (May 29) are organised and promoted by the Barbados Rally Club, which will celebrate its 60th Anniversary in 2017; title sponsors are the Sol Group and Flow. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, Automotive Art and Banks; official partners are Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Geest Line and the Tourism Development Corporation; associate sponsors are Chefette and Stoute's Car Rental.
Posted: May 10, 2016 3:17 PM
M-Sport World Rally Team's Elfyn Evans and Craig Parry will contest next month's Sol Rally Barbados with a Ford Fiesta R5 Evo - adding a further event to their extensive campaign.
Tasked with securing two championship titles this year - in the FIA World Rally Championship's principal support series as well as the re-vamped British Rally Championship - the Welsh pairing are benefitting from a range of competitive outings, to which Rally Barbados adds another dimension.
Growing in popularity, the event attracts a number of high-profile regional and international crews. Benefitting from its own success, the Caribbean fixture has established a worldwide profile with increased competition year on year.
Piloting John Powell's Fiesta R5 Evo - with which Powell claimed victory at Rally Trinidad in March - Evans is sure to thrill the enthusiastic crowd and will be looking for a strong result on his debut.
Arriving on the island well in advance, the Welshman will contest the full itinerary - including the legendary ?King of the Hill' hillclimb - to ensure he and Parry are on top form ahead of their latest challenge.
Also contesting the event are Simon Jean-Joseph and co-driver Jack Boyere in Powell's Ford Focus RS WRC.
Elfyn Evans said:
"I've heard a lot of great things about this event so a big thanks to John [Powell], M-Sport and the rally organisers for giving myself and Craig an opportunity to experience it for ourselves.
"There's always a lot of competition and the event attracts a lot of top-specification cars, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. But, if there is a possibility to challenge for the win, we'll certainly give it a go!
"This really is a unique opportunity to experience another new and very popular event. I'm sure it will live up to the expectation and I'm really looking forward to sampling the atmosphere first hand."
Sol Rally Barbados Chairman, Mark Hamilton, said:
"Through the years, our event has been fortunate to attract high-profile regional and international crews, who have enhanced the event's competitive nature, and also its worldwide profile. We are confident that Elfyn and Craig will do so again. The participation of a crew and car that currently compete at the highest level in both the British Rally Championship and WRC 2 ticks two new boxes for us, and we hope this is a sign of things to come.
"The M-Sport built Fiesta R5 will add a new dimension to this year's Sol Rally Barbados and I am sure that spectators will enjoy watching the local, regional and international crews over the three days of competition.
"We must thank Intercontinental Shipping and John Powell for their involvement in making this a reality, M-Sport for their interest in, and support of the effort and, of course, Elfyn and Craig for their time to come and have a play in the sand, sea, sun and speed that Barbados has to offer".
Posted: March 12, 2016 1:22 PM
The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is renewing its partnership with the Circuit of Ireland, one of the world's oldest rallies, which marks its 85th Anniversary this year. In association with the island's Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), the BRC is again offering two Irish motor sport volunteers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enjoy the Caribbean's biggest annual motor sport International, Sol Rally Barbados (June 3-5).
In addition to continuing as a round of the FIA European Rally Championship and the FIA ERC Junior, Irish Tarmac and Northern Ireland Rally Championships, 'The Circuit' also returns to the British Rally Championship. The event has moved away from its traditional Easter date and will run from April 7 to 9; after a Ceremonial Start on Thursday evening, there will be two legs on Friday and Saturday, covering 210 stage kilometres (130 miles).
The newly re-launched BRC - there was no British Championship last year - made a huge impact when it kicked off at the Mid-Wales Stages last weekend (March 5/6). There was fierce competition on the stages, Elfyn Evans beating Sweden's Fredrik Ahlin by just 17 seconds, with Tom Cave third, all in Ford Fiesta R5s; off-stage, a wide range of conventional and social media platforms followed the action closely, with coverage on terrestrial television starting at 7.30am on Channel 4 tomorrow (Saturday), then on BT Sport on Sunday.
With its inclusion in the BRC, The Circuit can expect to build on last year's extremely successful event, which enjoyed a record number of entries, as well as spectator numbers increasing by seven per cent to 78,000. It also more than doubled its global television audience from 15 to 40 million.
The prize on offer to the Irish volunteers, for which the two winners' names will be 'drawn out of a hat', includes return flights from London Gatwick to Barbados, accommodation and a shared rental car. As well as Sol RB16, the trip encompasses Simpson Motors Scrutineering and King of the Hill the previous weekend; all volunteers over the age of 17 will automatically be entered.
Circuit of Ireland Event Director Bobby Willis said:
"We're absolutely thrilled to once again work together with Sol Rally Barbados and the Tourism Development Corporation. Two such different events joining together is a real partnership across the ocean. Sol Rally Barbados is such a fantastic rally, which is enjoyed by so many British and Irish people, and it's fantastic that we can continue this partnership.
"This year the Circuit of Ireland will reach new heights with the added participation and media coverage of the British Rally Championship. To think that two of our lucky volunteers will travel to such a fun and exciting island over 4000 miles away is truly awesome."
Barbados Rally Club Chairman Mark Hamilton said:
"Our seven-year association with the TDC has helped us to promote our event, and Barbados as a destination, to the rally-mad Irish with tremendous success - we are two islands with rallying at the heart of our culture, so there is a natural fit. Motor sport is the same on both sides of the Atlantic - without our unpaid volunteers, our sport would be lost."
Posted: March 9, 2016 8:08 AM
Three crowd-pleasing Ford Escort MkIIs from Ireland have been added to the growing entry list confirmed for Sol Rally Barbados 2016 (June 3 to 5) on the official web site, www.rallybarbados.net. While Enda McCormack will be remembered by the island's large contingent of rear-wheel-drive fans from his visit to Sol RB13, Damien Hagan and Jim McKenna are new to the event, and are proof positive of the power of 'word of mouth?.
The Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) premier event and the region's biggest annual motor sport International, Sol RB16 is preceded by Scrutineering and the King of the Hill 'shakedown' event (May 28/29), the first chance for local enthusiasts to see overseas crews up close and in action. Hagan and McKenna were both encouraged to make the trip by fellow Co Monaghan resident Maurice Moffett, who also entertained the fans in 2013, in his sideways Toyota Starlet.
McCormack, from Longford in the Republic of Ireland, has rallied extensively on both sides of the Atlantic; a regular podium finisher in the United States Rally Championship since 2007, he finished third in the USRC all-wheel-drive class in 2010, and has also had success at home, winning Class 15 for modified four-wheel-drive cars on his first attempt at the Dunlop Irish National Tarmac Rally in 2012, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.
The Escort, powered by a 292bhp, 2-litre Opel JRE racing engine, was built new for Sol RB13 by Philip Case Rallysport in County Donegal, home to McCormack's co-driver Kieran McElhinney. After a relatively quiet 2014, when he did show pace in a handful of events in his Hyundai Accent WRC, McCormack acquired a Skoda Fabia S2000. A regular top three finisher in his class in the 2015Irish Championship, he took a big leap into the unknown by competing in Spain's round of the World Rally Championship in October.
Having campaigned solely on tarmac in Ireland, the mixed-surface event would present McCormack with some new challenges and he rose to the occasion. He quickly found his rhythm on the gravel stages of the opening day before switching back to the more familiar demands of tarmac; he was delighted to complete what had been a technically-challenging event, 16th of the 26 Non-priority Drivers who finished.
He so enjoyed the experience that he will compete on both gravel and tarmac in Ireland in 2016, having recently acquired an ex-Petter Solberg, ex-Mads Ostberg Subaru Impreza WRC S10 for the task. As he is planning a concerted campaign, the Impreza will stay in Ireland, while the Escort makes the journey to Barbados.
The McKenna Rentals/TT Panelling/KES/TTS MkII was built at around the same time as McCormack's, built by Den Motorsport; now prepared by Cormeen Motorsport and run by R & D Motorsport, it is powered by a 2.5-litre Millington Diamond engine. Another former class-winner in the Irish Championship, McKenna won the Mark II Challenge on the ALMC Stages Rally last July and finished second overall in the 2015 Midlands East Championship. His co-driver Arthur Kierans, another crew member from Co Monaghan, has claimed numerous titles, including Champion Co-Driver in the British Rally Championship in 2014, sitting with Daniel McKenna in a Citroen DS3 R3T.
Hagan and co-driver Paul Kelly complete the Monaghan competitors, in a 2-litre 260bhp JG Kelly Supplies/Hagan Auto Repairs/Scabits Escort, which Hagan built and prepares himself. Hagan, who started rallying as a teenager 30 years ago at the wheel of an Escort, is a former winner of the Monaghan Championship. Co-driver Kelly, another to have started his career in an Escort, 20 years ago, has won his class in the Irish Forestry Championship, finished in the top 20 on two rounds of the ERC and was the winning co-driver (with Adrian McElvaney in an Impreza) in the 2008 Sligo Stages.