BRITAIN’S SWANN FOR GROUP N AT BLACK BESS

While the front-runners striving to become Champion Driver in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2012 Virgin Atlantic Championship fight their last battle of the season at Black Bess in St Peter this Sunday (October 28), Britain’s Rob Swann will be using the BRC Winter Gravel Rally as a warm-up for his next outing in the UK.   Swann, who achieved the unique double of winning Group N in Sol Rally Barbados 2010, then repeating the feat in Rally Jamaica the same year, has become a regular fixture of the BRC’s premier event, finishing seventh this year with regular co-driver Darren Garrod in his redeveloped M8-WRC Subaru Impreza.   On Sunday, he will be partnered by Geoff Goddard, a former BRC Competition Secretary and experienced co-driver, who has sat with Harold Morley and James Betts in recent years. Swann will drive the Group N Subaru Impreza N10 usually campaigned by Andrew Mallalieu, sponsored by Terra Caribbean and Waves Hotel Barbados.   Swann says: “We’re here having a holiday, and I always try and get a rally in if possible. Plus, it will be a good warm-up for the Tempest Rally just west of London next weekend. It’s my first time on gravel in Barbados, so it will be interesting.”   While Swann’s performance against the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IXs of Group N regulars Mark Hamilton and Geoff Noel will interest some, most attention will focus on the battle between the three drivers still in with a realistic chance of becoming Champion Driver.   Modified 7 leader Daryl Clarke (Honda Civic) still looks favourite to win the title, which is based on each driver’s class total, minus the season’s lowest score, but there is still a threat from Neil Corbin (M6 Toyota Starlet) and Logan Watson (SuperModfied 11 BMW M3). Before dropped scores are taken into account, Clarke has 156 points, Corbin 153 and Watson 150. Once the score is dropped, however, the gaps are cut: Clarke has 143, Corbin and Watson 140 each. The year’s final event promises to be one to remember, as the island’s most prestigious title is contested.   Sunday’s BRC Winter Gravel Rally will comprise eight stages, with four in each direction, either side of the lunch break. Competitors are expected to arrive for Scrutineering by 8.00am, with the event slated for a 9.00am start. As before, service will be on the grassy area under the trees on the western approach to Mangrove Plantation.   BRC Competition Secretary Neil Corbin said: “Although we are rather limited in our options without major work, we have changed the configuration of the course slightly from previous events. There will be a pace-noting session at 9.30am on Saturday (October 27) for any interested parties, and a short drivers’ briefing prior to the start of the event. I hope that spectators turn out in their numbers to watch the Club Championship title chase finally settled.” BRC Winter Gravel Rally Provisional entry list at October 26 (alphabetically, by class): Paul Bourne/David Cossey (M8-WRC Chefette/LIME/Slam 101/MQI/Banks/Castrol Ford Focus WRC07) Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (M8-WRC Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC) Dean Serrao/Josh Delmas (M8-WRC Sugar Ultra Lounge/Rush Restaurant Subaru Impreza WRC S9) Mark Hamilton/Clive Howell (P4 CIBC-FCIB/Simpson Motors/MAXI Malta/PowerMaster/Boston Seasoning/Automotive Art Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) Geoffrey Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (P4 Globe Finance/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Cargo Solutions International/Mix 96.9FM/CIAC Air Conditioners Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) Rob Swann – ENG/Geoff Goddard (P4 Terra Caribbean/Waves Hotel Subaru Impreza N10) Karl Waterman/Jason Cozier (SM11 Toyota Starlet) Logan Watson/Ryan Wood (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) Rhett Watson/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) Carlos Edwards/Andre Waithe (SM9 Courts I-Finance/Enermax Toyota Starlet) Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (M7 Ellco Rentals/Mom's Pasta Products/MQI/Roberts Manufacturing Honda Civic) Edward Corbin/Shareef Walcott (M7 Valvoline/Automotive Art/Prosales Toyota Corolla RunX) Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (M7 Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco/Redline Fuels/VP Racing Fuels Toyota Corolla RunX) Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (M7 Ford Fiesta) Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M6 Valvoline/Mackeson/Kumho/Ellesmere Quarries/Codgi’s Customs Brokers/Chicken Pen Racing/AutoPlus Motors Mitsubishi Mirage RS) Neil Corbin/Ryan Corbin (M6 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions/Castrol Toyota Starlet) Danny Williams/tba (M6 Cutters Ford Fiesta) Jeremy Croney/Andrew Croney (Clubman ReMax Lifestyles/Sweet Temptations/Sign Station/Gunk Peugeot 206) Shannon Kirton/Lisa Roett (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