STOCKDALE CONFIRMED FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

Britain’s Martin Stockdale has confirmed that he will once again compete in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International - Sol Rally Barbados - when he makes his 13th consecutive appearance in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event over the weekend of June 1/2 this year.   Fresh from celebrating daughter Laura-Jo’s 21st birthday in the British Midlands last weekend, surrounded by family and friends, including many made in Barbados since his first visit in 2001, when Laura-Jo wasn’t even in her teens, Stockdale was bubbling over with enthusiasm for his forthcoming trip when he talked to www.rallybarbados.net.   Stockdale said: “We had a fantastic time last weekend and it was great to see so many of the friends we have met through Rally Barbados. Glenis and I can’t imagine not coming back to visit our extended family on the island each year, have a few beers . . . and take part in some great motor sport. What more could you ask for?”   The guest list for last weekend’s gathering included many names familiar in the island such as Fred ‘the Builder’ Davidson and wife Carole, Kenny Hall with wife Fiona and son Alex, Kevin and Paula Procter, Paul and Ali Rees and Hall’s co-driver, Holland’s Fenny Wesselink; indeed, one party-goer described it as “just like being at Rally Barbados”.   Nicknamed ‘Mad-dale’ by island fans for his flamboyant handling of a string of BMWs, Stockdale – three times a class-winner over the years - will again drive the Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals/Quarry Motors BMW M3 Compact, this time in the new SuperModified 12 class. His regular co-driver Mark Swallow can’t make it this year, but Gary Miller confirmed just a few days ago that he is available for his sixth trip to compete in Barbados, his second with Stockdale.   After Sol RB12, Stockdale enjoyed mixed fortunes on UK events, the highlight a class win, by more than two minutes, and ninth overall on the Lynn Charity Stages after nearly 100 miles of slippery stages on the former bomber airfield of RAF Sculthorpe in Norfolk in November. On the down side, but for a three-minute penalty imposed for an early error, he would have finished third overall on the Lincoln Green Stages in September. Motor sport volunteers praised for commitment Senior motor sport volunteers keen to enhance their skill sets were praised as they assembled for a three-day training programme organised by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) and majority funded by the sport’s world governing body, the Federation Internationale d’Automobile (FIA), before the start of the island’s new season last Sunday (February 3); delegates came from all six of the BMF’s sporting member Clubs, covering circuit racing, drag racing, karting, rallying and speed events.   Chairman of the National Sports Council, Seibert Straughan, said: “I am delighted that the international governing body continues to be supportive of our development as a motor sporting nation. The fact that our participants in this programme are volunteers, who have opted to enhance their knowledge, is especially laudable.”   Deputy Clerk of the Course of Sol RB13 and PRO for the BRC Neil Barnard said: “I found the training to be informative and very motivating. There are areas, particularly in terms of event planning and safety, that I can see us implementing on our events in the future. I never felt that the instructors were trying to get us to change what we were doing in Barbados, more a case of teaching us how to analyse what we are doing and perhaps coming up with solutions and processes that will improve our events within our local Barbadian motor sport context.”   The training sessions dealt with topics ranging from roles and responsibilities to event planning and incident management and culminated in a ‘Train the Trainers’ session, the first step towards selected local officials qualifying as instructors for the future. Sue Sanders, Training Manager of the Motor Sports Association (MSA), the UK’s governing body, and MSA International Trainer Nigel Drayton conducted the course.   BMF Vice-President John Sealy said: “As this was the first time that professional training had been organised for senior officials, I must commend those 34 persons whose commitment to island motor sport was shown by their willingness to give up an entire weekend in advance of the 2013 season. The next step is to assess the results of the ‘Train the Trainers’ session, to decide which Barbadians will travel to the UK later in the year to further enhance their knowledge.” Sol Rally Barbados (June 1/2) and Scotiabank King of the Hill (May 26) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB13 is the 24th running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the sixth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company. For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com web sites: www.rallybarbados.net; www.barbadosrallyclub.com