KEEN COMPETITION EXPECTED IN RUF ’n’ TUF EVENT

Competition promises to be intense when the new Barbados Rally Club Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship gets under way this weekend; more than 20 crews had entered by the close of the mid-week briefing meeting and entries remain open until two hours before the start on Saturday (March 13).
This first of four rounds in the new championship is the only one to cater for cars as well as 4 x 4 vehicles and has attracted a varied entry; it will start at 2.00pm from SuperCentre Warrens and finish at the Vaucluse Raceway in St Thomas at around 7.30pm, after which refreshments will be on sale. The route has been set by experienced Club members Richard Daniel and Jason Downey, using both Tulip and BRC types of navigation.
The entries are evenly split between the Pro and Novice classes, with a keen contest expected among the Pro crews, all of whom are entered in 4 x 4s. The list of potential winners includes husband and wife team Leslie and Annalee Alleyne, winners of last year’s June Safari in their Autozone Mazda B2500, and Ian Warren and Peter Bradshaw, the joint winners of the June Safari in 2002. Driving Isuzu and Land Rover respectively, Warren will have brother Robert navigating, while Bradshaw is teamed with Chris O’Neal.
And those crews will need to watch the progress of championship sponsor and experienced competitor Mark Sabga, with Chris Chamely navigating the Billy Boy School Uniforms/Romaro Uniform Centre Kia Sportage.
Newcomers to the Pro class are Keri-Dawn Watkins and Lisa Roett, who finished an impressive fifth overall of the 29 starters and second Novice crew in the BRC’s 4 x 4 Safari last November. Unfortunately for them, the championship rules state that “a competitor shall be determined to be a Novice if, at the time of registration for the Championship, they have never finished in the first 15 places overall in previous events.” And that puts Keri-Dawn, Lisa and the Hankook Tyres Toyota RAV4 firmly in the Pro class!
Their exploits last year have certainly acted as an inspiration, however, as the novice class this weekend includes two all-girl crews; Leslie Evanson and navigator Lisa Sealy (Toyota Starlet) and Lisa Hurdle with Michelle Lewis (Toyota Corolla) will take up the fight where Keri-Dawn and Lisa left off.
The BRC/Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship will comprise four rounds; the remaining events, which will be restricted to 4 x 4s, are slated for: Saturday/Sunday, June 26/27; Sunday, September 19; Sunday, November 7.

For further information, robin@bradfax.com
BRC web site: www.rallyclub.com

BRC/Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship, round 1 – Saturday, March 13, 2004
Provisional entry list
Pro Class
Leslie Alleyne/Anna-Lee Alleyne (Autozone Inc Mazda B2500)
Brett Barber/Warren Gollop (Mazda B2500)
Peter Bradshaw/Chris O'Neal (Land Rover)
Daniel Burton/Kirk Watkins (Isuzu Gemini)
Adam Corbin/Ryan Corbin (Suzuki Vitara)
Gregory Dickenson/Walter Dickenson (tba)
Philip McConney/Kenny Croney (Suzuki Samurai)
Mark Sabga/Chris Chamely (Billy Boy School Uniforms/Romaro Uniform Centre Kia Sportage)
Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Isuzu Pickup)
Keri-Dawn Watkins/Lisa Roett (Hankook Tyres Toyota Rav4)
Rhett Watson/Lindsay Farmer (Mercedes)
Novice class
Jamal Brathwaite/Dwayne Ifill (Nissan Sentra)
Leslie Evanson/Lisa Sealy (Toyota Starlet)
Dwayne Forde/Aisha Olton (Mitsubishi Lancer)
Philip Gooding/Marva Clarke (Mazda)
Hally Holder/Rodney Jarvis (Billy Boy School Uniforms/Romaro Uniform Centre Daihatsu Feroza)
Lisa Hurdle/Michelle Lewis (Toyota Corolla)
Jason Jackson/Alestair Patterson (Subaru Impreza WRX)
Romeo Mayers/William Phillips (Nissan Frontier)
Kirk Phillips/Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara)
David St Hill/Christopher Gajadler (Mitsubishi Pajero)
David Wood/Stacia Springer (Toyota Corolla)