MUD DOGS PREPARE FOR SHELBURY JUNE SAFARI

After a break of three months, the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Mud Dogs Safari Championship, competitors are preparing for the series to burst back into life with the Shelbury Construction June Safari (June 27/28), the longest event in the championship calendar.
And competitors can expect a challenge worthy of the 53rd running of the oldest motor sport event in the Caribbean with a continuous history. BRC Assistant Competition Secretary Leslie Alleyne notes: “A really exciting and challenging navigational event is on the cards for our second round; this event will ensure that ‘The June’ remains the premier event on the navigation calendar and I am confident it will live up to the legacy of the rallies and safaris that have gone before.
“My recent conversations with route-setter Stewart Gill reveal that he is excited about the tricks he has been able to come up with . . . and a couple of the challenges are very interesting as well. One in particular turned back his Samurai on three attempts!”
There will be three routes, two on Saturday, one on Sunday. The first crew is scheduled to leave the start at Heymans Factory, St Peter at 2:01pm on Saturday, with the first route concluding with a dinner stop at Chefette in Speightstown at around 7:00pm. The second route will finish at Andrews Factory Yard in St John in the vicinity of midnight.
The crews which reassemble on Sunday for the re-start at Automotive Art, Welches, at 8:01am will face a further four hours of competition before the finish at Kendal Sporting at approximately noon. The route is primarily Tulip, with a couple of sections of BRC (80 per cent Tulip, 20 per cent BRC), and there is no BRC in Route two.
Entries are now open at Motorsport Services, located at DC Security Inc, Haggatt Hall, St Michael. Entries will close at noon next Tuesday (June 23). The Briefing Meeting will be held on the same day, at 7.00pm, at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House, Searles, Christ Church.
Emphasising that no entries or monies will be taken during the Briefing Meeting, Alleyne added: “Motorsport Services is open from 6:00am until 10:00pm seven days a week, including holidays, so there should be ample convenience for everyone to complete their entry.”

Good turn-out for Fun Safari

Following the tremendous success of the Practice Safari run in late February, which attracted more than 30 crews, the Mud Dogs organised a similar event last Sunday (June 14). The June Fun Safari was once again aimed at attracting newcomers to navigational rallying, and enabling experienced competitors to share their knowledge.
Alleyne says: “This time, we had some 32 vehicles and 83 people spread among them, which is enormously encouraging. I would like to thank everyone for coming out and trust that an enjoyable time was had by all, even those who found it difficult to follow the route. I must also thank Paul Marshall and Ricky Holder for setting what was reportedly a fantastic event; thanks also to the marshals who came out and supported us once again.”

2009 BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship
Positions after round one - Navigators:
1st Stephen Dear (SDRR Hydraulics/Next Generation Electrical/Joe Brooker's Building Toyota Hilux), 60 points
2nd Neil Barnard (Mitsubishi L200), 58pts
3rd Robert Warren (Flyin’ Fish Nissan Frontier), 56pts
4th Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux), 54pts
5th Kirk Watkins (Axis Inc Isuzu Dmax), 52pts
6th Ryan Corbin (Crane & Equipment/SDRR Toyota Hilux), 50pts
7th Geoffrey Goddard (JCB Excavators Suzuki Samurai), 48pts
8th Warrick Eastmond (Nicolls & Edghill Construction Suzuki Vitara), 46pts
9th Tricia King (K & N Equipment Suzuki Samurai), 44pts
10th Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara), 42pts
etc
Drivers:
1st Dominic Brooker (SDRR Hydraulics/Next Generation Electrical/Joe Brooker's Building Toyota Hilux), 60 points
2nd Barry Gale (Mitsubishi L200), 58pts
3rd Darrin White (Flyin’ Fish Nissan Frontier), 56pts
4th Chris Armstrong (Toyota Hilux), 54pts
5th Sean Dowding (Axis Inc Isuzu Dmax), 52pts
6th Paul Marshall (Mitsubishi L200), 50pts
7th Dustin Edwards (Crane & Equipment/SDRR Toyota Hilux), 48pts
8th Audley Croney (JCB Excavators Suzuki Samurai), 46pts
9th Nicolas Lorde (Nicolls & Edghill Construction Suzuki Vitara), 44pts
10th Kirk King (K & N Equipment Suzuki Samurai), 42pts
etc
Remaining rounds:
June 27/28 - Shelbury Construction June Safari
September 13 - Mud Dogs September Safari
November 8 - Mud Dogs November Safari

For further information, robin@bradfax.com