CHAMPION DRIVER TITLE CHASE RESUMES SUNDAY

For the front-runners battling for the prestigious Champion Driver title in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2012 Virgin Atlantic Championship, it is all hands on deck for Sunday’s (September 23) BRC Autumn Gravel Sprint, a double-header at the popular Black Bess course in the northern parish of St Peter.   At a time of year when some classes are not fully-subscribed, resulting in a lower points haul for those competitors who do turn out, ensuring the minimum three starters is vital for those who stand a chance of claiming the big prize . . . and that can be even more difficult in a one-day double-header, where a fully-subscribed class in the morning might lose a car or two for the afternoon, with limited time to effect repairs.   The top six contenders for the BRC title are all on Sunday’s entry list, and all but one in a fully-subscribed class. With each dropping the lowest score for the season, only 16 points separate Championship leader Daryl Clarke (Honda Civic) and sixth-placed Jeremy Croney (Peugeot 206), respectively the leaders of the Modified 7 and Clubman classes.   As only one other competitor is entered in Clubman – the BRC’s only female driver, Shannon Kirton, is on the list – Croney is at a disadvantage, while Clarke and the other front-runners should be able to score maximum points. Dropping a score from each driver’s current total, Clarke leads the standings with 113 points, from Logan Watson (SuperModified 11 BMW M3) on 110, with Neil Corbin (M6 Toyota Starlet) third on 108, reigning Champion Geoff Noel (Production 4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) fourth on 107 and Paul Bourne (M8-WRC Ford Focus WRC07) fifth on 101, four points ahead of Croney.   With three runs in each direction of the three-kilometre Black Bess course on Sunday, the BRC Autumn Gravel Sprint could prove to be the turning point of this year’s Virgin Atlantic Championship, particularly if there is attrition in those classes which are starting the day with just three entries.   Competitors are expected to arrive for Scrutineering on Sunday by 8.00am, with the event slated for a 9.30am start. As before, service will be on the grassy area under the trees on the western approach to Mangrove Plantation. After a drive-through to allow competitors to see the course, there will be one practice run, followed by three official timed runs before lunch – almost certainly, the morning runs will be from west to east. Following a one-hour break, a second run-through is planned, as various stage furniture such as chicanes will have been moved, after which there will be a further practice run and three official runs in the opposite direction. BRC Autumn Gravel Sprint Provisional running order at September 21: 1 Paul Bourne (M8-WRC Chefette/LIME/Slam 101/MQI/Banks/Castrol Ford Focus WRC07) 2 Sean Gill (M8-WRC Simpson Motors/Shell V-Power/Automotive Art/Monster Energy Drink Suzuki SX4 WRC) 3 Roger Hill (M8-WRC Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC) 4 Dean Serrao (M8-WRC Sugar Ultra Lounge/Rush Restaurant Subaru Impreza WRC S9) 5 Geoffrey Noel (P4 Globe Finance/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Cargo Solutions International/Mix 96.9FM/CIAC Air Conditioners Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 6 Andrew Mallalieu (P4 Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10) 7 Mark Hamilton (P4 CIBC-FCIB/Simpson Motors/MAXI Malta/PowerMaster/Boston Seasoning/Automotive Art Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) 8 Logan Watson (SM11 Oreo/Chips Ahoy!/Club Social/Formula1 High Performance Auto Care Products/Liquid Wrench/Sign Depot/The Unknown Entity/In support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3) 9 Rhett Watson (SM11 Oreo/Chips Ahoy!/Club Social/Formula1 High Performance Auto Care Products/Liquid Wrench/Sign Depot/The Unknown Entity/In support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3) 10 Calvin Briggs (SM11 barbadostoday.bb/Sammy Lee Towing and Recovery/Erie Tyre Services Ford Escort MkII) 11 Daryl Clarke (M7 Ellco Rentals/Mom's Pasta Products/MQI/Roberts Manufacturing Honda Civic) 12 Edward Corbin (M7 Valvoline/Automotive Art/Prosales Toyota Corolla RunX) 14 Freddie Gale (M7 Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco/Redline Fuels/VP Racing Fuels Toyota Corolla RunX) 15 Karl Waterman (SM9 Toyota Starlet) 16 Neil Corbin (M6 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions/Castrol Toyota Starlet) 17 Wayne Archer (M6 Peugeot 206) 18 Jamal Brathwaite (M6 Valvoline/Mackeson/Kumho/Ellesmere Quarries/Codgi’s Customs Brokers/Chicken Pen Racing/AutoPlus Motors Mitsubishi Mirage RS) 19 Danny Williams (M6 Cutters Ford Fiesta) 20 Jeremy Croney (Clubman ReMax Lifestyles/Sweet Temptations/Sign Station/Gunk Peugeot 206) 21 Sean Corbin (SM11 Oreo/Chips Ahoy!/Club Social/Formula1 High Performance Auto Care Products/Liquid Wrench/Sign Depot/The Unknown Entity/In support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3) 22 Shannon Kirton (Clubman Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Gomez & Western Services/Field Insurance Brokers/Cartique/Gatorade/Fritolay/Fingerprint Designs Datsun 120Y) For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com; www.rallybarbados.bb