MUDDOGS PREPARE FOR 2012 SEASON FINALE

Competitors in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2012 MudDogs Safari Championship and the Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship are making final preparations for Sunday’s (November 11) fifth and final round, the Nassco November Safari.   With route-setters Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke, Champions-elect for 2012, revealing little of what they have in store for the 20 crews listed on the running order published today, an intriguing day is in prospect. Although dislodging Armstrong and Clarke is unlikely, there is all to play for among the crews chasing the places, so a day of determined competition is anticipated.   BRC MudDogs Chairman Warren Gollop says: “Although the entry list is rather shorter than we had hoped for, there are interesting and experienced crews out there, among them some of our previous route-setters wanting to pit themselves against Chris and ‘Mork’. There’s a rather lower Novice entry as well, but all the key players are in there to settle the final positions.”   Sean Dowding returns to the driving seat in a Toyota Hilux, having set the Chefette April Safari with navigator Kirk Watkins; while is it Dowding’s first competitive outing of the year, ‘Watty’ finished ninth in the Sol Go Further 55th Anniversary June Safari, navigating for Wayne Manning. Manning (Country Notions/Chevron/Quality Tyre Suzuki Samurai) is back, too, re-united with his regular rally co-driver Willie Hinds, who has been sitting with Mike Ward in recent Safari seasons.   Biddy Barber and Warrick Eastmond (KG Enterprises/In Support Of Little Pink Gift Mitsubishi Pajero), route-setters for the Shelbury Construction September Safari, are also in action, as are Audley and Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports/Arthurs Electrical Suzuki Vitara), who set the June Safari along with Peter and Judy-Ann Bradshaw. Gollop added: “This is a great way to end what has been a season of many twists and turns . . . and am I really looking forward to see who comes out on top on Sunday. I am sure that Chris and Wayne will have come up with a route that causes everyone involved to pause for thought on a regular basis.”   The first crew is set to leave the start of the Nassco November Safari at Chefette Charles Rowe Bridge, St George, at 8.01am on Sunday, with the finish at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House at Searles, Christ Church, at around 4.30pm. There will be a lunch stop at Chefette Six Roads, St Philip, after which the afternoon route will include two driver challenges. The Prizegiving will be held at the BCTSA Clubhouse on Monday (November 12), once results are made final.   Gollop concluded by saying: “In addition to thanking Nassco for the continued sponsorship of our final event of the season, I must again thank Chefette for the year-round support the company provides, not only in event sponsorship and support for our Novice Championship, but also for feeding our marshals.” BRC MudDogs Safari Championship & Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship Round 5 – November 11 – Nassco November Safari Pro Class 1 Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc Mitsubishi Pajero) 4 Biddy Barber/Warrick Eastmond (KG Enterprises/In Support Of Little Pink Gift Mitsubishi Pajero) 5 Sean Dowding/Kirk Watkins (Toyota Hilux) 6 Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store Nissan Patrol) 7 Gregory Dickenson/Rorie McConney (Toyota Hilux) 8 Audley Croney/Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports/Arthurs Electrical Suzuki Vitara) 9 Sean Gibbs/Brett Barber (Toyota Hilux) 10 Paul Marshall/Shane Marshall (Mitsubishi L200) 11 Kerry Renee/Jason Downey (Suzuki Samurai) 13 Ben Norris/Darnley Rayside (Land Rover Tomcat) 16 Wayne Manning/Willie Hinds (Country Notions/Chevron/Quality Tyre Suzuki Samurai) 17 Nicolas Lorde/Renata Roett (Sam Lorde's Enterprises/Comfeet/Britpart Land Rover Discovery) 18 Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Valvoline Isuzu D-Max) 19 George Mendes/Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi Sportero L200) 20 Aswad Bannister/Andre Murrell (Toyota Hilux) Chefette Novice Class 2 Dave Gibson/Andy Williams (Suzuki Samurai) 3 Damien Johnson/Daniel Christie (Western Union Suzuki Samurai) 12 Joshua Plaza/Rashid Nakhuda (Ramshackle Bar/Renegade Auto Services Suzuki Samurai) 14 Dominic Straker/Matthew Ward (Hunte’s Auto Spares/Lucky Horsehoe/Sign Station Nissan Patrol) 15 Johnny Pinto/Nick Branson (Amsoil/Paints Plus Suzuki Jimny) For further media information, robin@bradfax.com Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com, www.muddogsbarbados.com