ARMSTRONG BATTLES THROUGH RALLYE SUNSEEKER

Four-time Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Group Champion Neil Armstrong finished 13th overall and 10th in class in Rallye Sunseeker International yesterday (February 26), despite battling with a high fever throughout the opening round of the Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship (DTBRC). Backed by the Sol Group and the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), Armstrong and co-driver Max Ferri were entered in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, prepared by MSR Motorsport and fully liveried to promote Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5), the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international. With the benefit of a shakedown on Thursday, then the recce on Friday, the crew had high expectations in the run-up to the event, despite the entry list including the cream of young rallying talent from the British Isles - many with Championship wins already to their credit - plus competitors from Australia, Finland and Estonia. Ferri said: “Being able to do your own notes on a recce is obviously a plus - you’ve seen the stage, driven the stage, you get a feel for it. Last time we did this, we worked off somebody else’s notes and a video - it was helpful, but being able to drive the stage and do your own notes was a lot more normal, for Neil as well, so the whole collaboration between us was better and we were a lot more confident.” Rallye Sunseeker, organised by the Southern Car Club, is the only major rally in the south of England; the gravel event offers around 60 miles through 11 stages, varying from 2.58 to 10.55 miles, and also includes National and historic events. From the Ceremonial Start on Poole Quay on Friday evening through to the finish on Pier Approach in Bournemouth, thousands of spectators turned out to enjoy the annual event, which has been based in the area for the past 25 years. Armstrong, however, did not share in the enjoyment, as Ferri explained on Saturday evening: “It was a pleasure to do Rallye Sunseeker again, the organisation was absolutely fantastic, the stages were brilliant . . . unfortunately Neil fell ill on the recce, and he’s not recovered in any way. This morning, when we woke up, he had a very high fever, and he just kept getting worse and worse throughout the day. “Half-way through the day, we almost thought of stopping and closing off the event, as he was not really in a position to drive . . . but we decided to keep going because, at the end of the day, we’re here to represent the country and we wanted to make sure we did a good job and finish the rally, which was the whole point. “We went ahead . . . we didn’t have a fantastic result, but we still came 13th, so we were still very happy with the final result. It was a very, very challenging event, definitely one of Neil’s hardest drives in his life, for sure.” Rallye Sunseeker International was won by double Scottish Rally Champion David Bogie (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), with Tom Cave (Evo X) and Elfyn Evans (Subaru Impreza) the other podium finishers.   Duckworth wins free entry to Sol Rally Barbados 2011 Roger Duckworth and Aled Davies (Subaru Impreza WRC) are the winners of an all-expenses paid trip to Sol Rally Barbados 2011 – the package includes free entry and shipping from the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), plus flights, accommodation and rental car from the Barbados Rally Club (BRC), an award valued at around £5,500. Following their victory in Rallye Sunseeker National yesterday (February 26), they received their award during the Richard Burns Foundation Charity Dinner and Auction from Petra Roach, BTA vice-president, marketing & sales UK, and Aymara Cummins, representing the BRC and the Sol Group. During the auction, a spontaneous offer from the BTA vice-president of an additional item - return flights and a one-week holiday at Southern Palms Hotel, Christ Church – helped the Foundation raise a total of nearly £4,000. Other items had included a bottle of 10-year-old Barbados rum from St Nicholas Abbey. Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5, 2011) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB2011 is the 22nd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the start of a second three-year term of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company. For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com web site: www.rallybarbados.bb