QUALITY ENTRY FOR SEPTEMBER SAFARI

As the front-runners in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Safari Championship all look forward to the chance of scoring more vital points in this weekend’s third round (Sunday, September 23), those responsible for running the Championship are equally delighted with the growing support for these navigational events that hark back to the Club’s roots.
While celebrating its 50th Anniversary with a series of special events during 2007, the BRC’s Committee of Management has been as keen to look forward as to look back. In the provisional entry list for Sunday’s September Safari, the Novice category outnumbers the Pro category for the first time since the Championship was launched at the beginning of 2004.
Alongside multiple June Rally winners including Dave Barnard, Derek Gill, Stewart Gill, Robin Hinds and John Sealy, the entry in the Pro category includes seasoned competitors such as Doug Armstrong, Biddy Barber, Willie Hinds and Paul Marshall.
As a contrast, the Novice category is packed with potential future talent, not only in navigational events such as this, but also in a more general motor sport context. A battle royal can be expected on Sunday – the two navigators fighting for Novice honours are both sons of three-time winning navigators in the June Rally, the event which brought about the BRC’s formation in 1957: eighth overall with 74 points in the Championship this year is Dustin Edwards, whose father David won in 1981, ’84 and ’88 with Roger Manning, while Kreigg Yearwood’s father Kevyn won with three different drivers over a longer period, John Corbin (‘85), David Barnard (‘87) and, in the modern age, with Derek Gill (‘05). Yearwood is just two points behind Edwards at the season’s half-way stage.
Commenting on Sunday’s event, BRC Chairman Mark Hamilton said: “For a Club like ours, run by enthusiasts and volunteers, reaching the 50-year milestone has been an amazing achievement. But it surely doesn’t end there. To know that we are still attracting new members, and that they are competitive and willing to learn, is the best possible foundation for our next 50 years – the mix of old and new, particularly in an event like Sunday’s, means that a lot of old-style enthusiasm and knowledge, and the core values of the Club, will rub off on our younger members.”
The overall Championship is led by Andrew Croney (Navigators) and Derek Gill (Drivers) who, with two top five finishes, have comfortably the best record so far this year; Robin Hinds and Mark Western are respectively second in each category, while third are the Champion Navigator and Driver of 2005, Neil Barnard and Barry Gale; as route-setters this weekend, they will be adding points equal to fifth place (their better result so far) to their tally.
Sunday’s event starts at the Black Bess Quarry in St Peter at 8.00am, and crews will spend the early part of the day in the north of the island; the lunch halt is scheduled for around 11.30am at Lamberts Plantation in St Lucy. Thereafter, crews will travel through the parishes of St Andrew, St Joseph and St George on their way to the finish at the BCTSA Clubhouse at Searles in Christchurch, where the first arrival is scheduled for around 3.30pm.

BRC September Safari, September 23
2007 BRC Safari Championship – round 3

Entry list - Pro class
1 Stewart Gill/Bruce Wilkie (Suzuki Samurai)
7 Biddy Barber/Warrick Eastmond (Autozone Inc/Biddy's Information Centre Daihatsu Feroza)
11 David Barnard/Robert Warren (McEnearney Quality Inc Ford Ranger)
12 Paul Marshall/Courtney Holder (Mitsubishi L200)
13 Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc Mitsubishi Pajero)
14 Doug Armstrong/ Jeremy Croney (tba)
16 Mike Ward/Willie Hinds (Niccolls & Edghill Construction Jeep Wrangler)
19 John Sealy/Lisa Roett (Land Rover Defender)
20 Chris Beckley/Warren Gollop (Essco Mitsubishi Pajero)
22 Lindsay Farmer/Megan Blades (Rallynut.com Suzuki Samurai)
23 Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Yardman/Kar Parts Store Suzuki Samurai)

Novice class
2 Sean Mottley/Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara)
3 Anthony Seale-Mayers/Renata Roett (Simpson Motors Suzuki Samurai)
4 Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbin's Catering/Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux)
5 Kirk King/Tricia King (Suzuki Samurai)
6 Dominic Brooker/Stephen Dear (SDRR Hydraulics/Joe Brooker’s Building Ltd Toyota Hilux)
8 Adrian Sinckler/Ansley Edey (Suzuki Samurai)
9 Dean Springer/Laura Hutchinson (Suzuki Vitara)
10 Wayne Archer/Rhett Watson (Nissan Pickup)
15 Ian Worrell/Wayne Manning (Land Rover Series III)
17 Tfphill Juman/Farouk Smith (Satellite Tracking Solutions Suzuki Samurai)
18 Rory Gray/Brian Fernandes (Land Rover 110)
21 Gregory Dickenson/Timothy Wells (Toyota Hilux)

For further information, robin@bradfax.com