CLOSE CONTEST IN SAFARI CHAMPIONSHIP

With two rounds run and two to go, no-one is taking bets on the outcome of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Safari Championship, which continues with the August Safari next weekend. Reigning Champion Andrew Croney leads the Navigator standings by just two points, Derek Gill enjoying the same advantage in the Driver standings.
With two top five finished, Croney and GIll have comfortably the best record so far this year: having led after route one of the Toyo Tires February Safari in their Suzuki Jimny, they slipped back during the afternoon to end the day second to Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke. In the Esso Courtesy Garage 50th Anniversary June Safari, Gill and Croney (Mitsubishi Pajero) won the final route to finish the weekend fifth, giving them a total of 110 points over the two events.
Armstrong and Clarke had a bad weekend in June in the Shelbury Construction Suzuki Samurai, a rear suspension collapse on Saturday meaning a good overall finish was out of the question, causing them to slip down the table; even so, they lie seventh in their respective standings, 32 points behind the leaders.
Robin Hinds and Mark Western (Yardman/Kar Parts Store Suzuki Samurai) are second in the Navigator and Driver standings; the championship regulations allow for competitors who become route-setters for one event to add a score equal to their best result of the season to their total - fourth place in February made for a strong start to the season for Hinds and Western, the 54 points gained doubled up to give them a current total of 108.
Just a further 10 points behind them lie the Champion Navigator and Driver of 2005, Neil Barnard and Barry Gale (Mitsubishi L200); fifth in February and eighth in June, they will be adding points equal to fifth place to their tally whatever the result next weekend, as they have set the route, as they did for the equivalent event last year.
Fourth in the Navigator standings is Lisa Roett, who has collected the award for highest-placed female competitor in both this year’s events; she has finished ninth twice, navigating for the experienced John Sealy in his Land Rover Defender. Sealy is fifth in the Driver standings
Jeremy Croney completes the top five in the Navigator standings, having sat alongside Justin Cuke and Hadley Green in the February and June events.
There is an equally close battle among the Novices: eighth overall with 74 points are Navigator Dustin Edwards and Driver Ryan Corbin (Toyota HiLux), they finished eighth and highest-placed novices in February; their closest challengers are Kreigg Yearwood and Sean Mottley (Suzuki Vitara), just two points behind, having finished 11th and top Novices in June.
The briefing meeting for the August Safari will be held at 7.00pm on Tuesday, August 21, at the BCTSA Clubhouse, Searles, Christchurch, which will also be the finish for the event. Route details are currently being finalised, but competitors can expect to see the parishes of St Peter, St Lucy, St Andrew, St Joseph and St George on their way to Christchurch.

2007 BRC Safari Championship
Provisional positions – after round 2

Navigators
1st Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc Mitsubishi Pajero), 110 points
2nd Robin Hinds (Yardman/Kar Parts Store Suzuki Samurai), 108pts
3rd Neil Barnard (Mitsubishi L200), 98pts
4th Lisa Roett (Land Rover Defender), 88pts
5th Jeremy Croney (Hunte's Auto Spares/Stingray Car Rentals Toyota Hilux), 86pts
6th Warren Gollop (Armag/Hankook Tyres Toyota Land Cruiser), 80pts
7th Wayne Clarke (Shelbury Construction Suzuki Samurai), 78pts
8th Dustin Edwards (Corbin's Catering/Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 74pts
9th Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara), 72pts
10th Lindsay Farmer (Rallynut.com Suzuki Samurai), 64pts
etc

Navigators
1st Derek Gill (Insurance Solutions Inc Mitsubishi Pajero), 110pts
2nd Mark Western (Yardman/Kar Parts Store Suzuki Samurai), 108pts
3rd Barry Gale (Mitsubishi L200), 98pts
4th Paul Marshall (Mitsubishi L200), 90pts
5th John Sealy (Land Rover Defender), 88pts
6th Doug Armstrong (Armag/Hankook Tyres Toyota Land Cruiser), 84pts
7th Chris Armstrong (Shelbury Construction Suzuki Samurai), 78pts
8th Ryan Corbin (Corbin's Catering/Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 74pts
9th Sean Mottley (Suzuki Vitara), 72pts
10th Megan Blades (Rallynut.com Suzuki Samurai), 64pts
etc

For further information, robin@bradfax.com