SAFARI SEASON GETS UNDER WAY

The Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) 2006 season of promoted events gets under way this weekend with the opening round of the renamed BRC Safari Championship . . . and a healthy entry of nearly 30 crews confirms the continuing popularity of the off-road navigational challenge.
The Toyo Tires February Safari, sponsored by McEnearney Quality, will start from the company's Wildey premises in St Michael at 8.00am on Sunday (February 12), with scrutineering scheduled to start one hour earlier.
Competitors will face a challenging route of approximately 120 kilometres, set by Stewart Gill and re-checked by Sean Gill, two of the BRC's leading exponents of the art of navigation and both former winners of the island’s oldest-established motor sport event, the June Rally. There be a stop-over mid-way through the route at the Sand Dunes restaurant in Belleplaine, with the first crew expected to arrive back at the finish at Lord Willoughby’s Tavern at around 5pm. Both BRC and Tulip-type navigation will be used.
After Tuesday night’s briefing meeting, BRC navigational committee member Lindsay Farmer said: “For the third year of the championship, we decided to change the title to incorporate the word Safari, as it gives a more accurate reflection of the events we are staging; this is not about speed, but about the art of navigation and the ability to read the terrain, much of which is very rough.
“I’m delighted that Toyo Tires has agreed to sponsor the opening round of the championship once again, and I’m also very encouraged by the size - and quality – of the entry. But for a couple of our regulars being laid low by illness or injury, we would have hit the 30 first time out.”
The entry is headed by the reigning champion navigator and driver, Neil Barnard and Barry Gale in the latter’s Mitsubishi L200, but they cannot expect an easy ride! Kenny Croney, the 2004 champion navigator, and Philip McConney will be in the forefront of the chasing pack in their Suzuki Samurai, along with 2004 champion driver Derek Gill, paired with Andrew Croney in another Samurai. Other potential winners include brothers Ian and Robert Warren (Isuzu Pickup) and the husband and wife partnership of Leslie and Anna-Lee Alleyne (Suzuki Samurai).
Last year’s highest-placed novice crew of Curtis Greaves and Jamal Brathwaite (Suzuki Samurai) have moved up to the Pro division for the first time, but there is no shortage of entries to replace them, with more than one-third of those listed appearing in the Novice division.
Farmer said: “One of our original aims in reviving the navigational events was that we might be able to bring new blood in to the club, and also take people back to the grass roots. After all, the art of navigation is core to rallying, and this is an excellent way for newcomers to learn.”

Toyo Tires February Safari, February 12
BRC Safari Championship, round 1
Provisional entry

Pro class
1 Peter Bradshaw/Ryan Marshall (Land Rover Series 111)
3 David Lewis/Harcourt Hinkson (Nissan Frontier)
4 John Sealy/tba (Land Rover Defender)
5 Leslie Alleyne/Anna-Lee Alleyne (Suzuki Samurai)
7 Curtis Greaves/Jamal Brathwaite (Suzuki Samurai)
8 Derek Gill/ Andrew Croney (Suzuki Samurai)
10 Brett Barber/Biddy Barber (Daihatsu Feroza)
11 Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Isuzu)
13 Barry Gale/Neil Barnard (Mitsubishi L200)
14 Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai)
15 Paul Marshall/Ian Huston (Mitsubishi L200)
17 Michael Ward/Willie Hinds (Maruti Gypsy)
19 Audley Croney/Geoffrey Goddard (Suzuki Samurai)
21 Colin Goodman/David Williams (Suzuki Samurai)
22 Chris Beckley/Warren Gollop (Mitsubishi Pajero)
26 Phillip McConney/Kenny Croney (Suzuki Samurai)

Novice class
2 Adrian Sinckler/Ansley Edey (Suzuki Samurai)
6 Hadley Green/Ian Giles (Toyota Hilux)
9 Sean Payne/Brian Gibson (Suzuki Samurai)
12 Kerry Renee/Winston Drakes (Suzuki Samurai)
16 Damian Brooker/Dustin Edwards (Toyota Hilux)
18 Chris Choat Jr/Justin Inniss (Range Rover Special)
20 Gregory Dickenson/Anna-Marie Dickenson (Toyota Hilux)
23 Sean Mottley/Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara)
24 Mark Philips/Dean Springer (Suzuki Samurai)
25 Dominic Brooker/Nathan Harling (Toyota Hilux)
27 Rory Gray/Michelle Barber (Land Rover Defender 110)

2006 BRC Safari Championship - qualifying rounds:
Round 1 - February 12
Round 2 - June 10/11
Round 3 - August 27
Round 4 - November 12
* drivers will count their scores from all rounds

For further information, robin@bradfax.com