FIVE-WAY TIE IN VIRGIN ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP

  As competitors in the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Virgin Atlantic Driver’s and Class Championships start preparations for the upcoming Valvoline Rally (Sunday, April 28) – round three of 10 in this year’s Championship – there is a five-way tie in the Driver’s title chase, while Paul Bourne and Josh Read lead the four-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive standings respectively.   As last year, the BRC’s points-scoring for the season opened with the Spring Blaze double-header speed event in March, shared with the Motoring Club of Barbados Inc; the event was much better supported than last year, however, with more classes fully-subscribed, resulting in better scores for more drivers – if there are fewer than three starters in a class, reduced points are awarded. In 2012, just two drivers were tied as early front-runners, compared with five this year.   Class wins in both directions earned the maximum 30 points for Josh Read (SuperModified 10 Toyota Starlet), an impressive third overall both ways, Rhett Watson (SM12 BMW M3), sixth overall both ways, Geoff Noel (Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), Daryl Clarke (Modified 7 Honda Civic) and Conor Roach (Clubman Peugeot 106).   A further five drivers are tied in sixth place after consistent performances at Spring Blaze, including Bourne (Ford Focus WRC07), who collected only 26 points for winning WRC-1 both ways, as there were only two in the class. The others all finished second both ways: Martin Atwell (SM12 BMW M3), Ian Warren (SM10 Suzuki Swift), Edward Corbin (M7 Toyota Corolla Run X) and Trevor Mapp, returning to competition after some years away in a Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage.   Reigning four-wheel-drive Champion Bourne started his title defence well, his wins on both runs giving him a four-point advantage over Roger Skeete (WRC-1 Subaru Impreza WRC S12), in turn four points ahead of Roger Hill (WRC-2 Toyota Corolla WRC). In the 2wd standings, Read’s double victory gives him a four-point lead over Warren, with Watson third.   Entries for the Valvoline Rally opened at Motorsport Services in Haggatt Hall today (April 15) and close next Thursday, April 25, with the Briefing Meeting that same evening at 6.30pm at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House, Searles, Christ Church.   Virgin Atlantic BRC Class Championship Provisional positions after round 2:   WRC-1: 1st Paul Bourne (Chefette/Banks/LIME/MQI/Castrol Ford Focus WRC07), 26pts; 2nd Roger Skeete (Sol/Michelin/Simpson Motors/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 22pts WRC-2: 1st Roger Hill (Esso/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC), 22pts Group A: 1st Avinash Chatrani (Electric Avenue/iShop Barbados/Formula 1/Niagra Waters/Lubrigold Lubricants/Sign Station/PowerBass Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI), 22pts Group N: 1st Geoff Noel (Globe Finance/Kick Energy Drink/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Automotive Art/CIAC Air Conditioners/Mix 96.9FM/Dewalt Tools Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 30pts; equal 2nd Mark Hamilton (CIBC-FCIB/Automotive Art/PowerMaster Batteries/Simpson Motors/Maxi Malta/Eaton’s Jerk Seasoning Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) & Andrew Mallalieu (Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10), 24pts SuperModified 12: 1st Rhett Watson (Oreo/Chips Ahoy!/Armstrong Agencies/Power King Batteries/Unknown Entity/Hankook Tyres/SpringBoard Marketing Platforms/In Support of Little Pink Gift  BMW M3), 30pts; 2nd Martin Atwell (BMW M3), 26pts; 3rd Logan Watson (Ritz/Club Social/Armstrong Agencies/Power King Batteries/Unknown Entity/Hankook Tyres/SpringBoard Marketing Platforms/In Support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3), 22pts SM11: 1st Andrew Jones (Ford Escort MkII), 22pts SM10: 1st Josh Read (Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/SDRR/Weetabix/Royal Purple/EZone Toyota Starlet), 30pts; 2nd Ian Warren (Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Suzuki Swift), 26pts; 3rd Brett Clarke (Western Union Citroen C2), 22pts SM9: 1st Mark Kinch (Toyota Starlet), 22pts M7: 1st Daryl Clarke (Honda Civic), 30pts; 2nd Edward Corbin (Valvoline/Automotive ArtProsales/Klarkodio/Corbins Garage Toyota Corolla RunX), 26pts; 3rd Paul Horton (Sky Motorsports/Java Island/H Racing/Precision Racing Ford Escort MkI), 20pts; etc Clubman: 1st Conor Roach (Peugeot 106), 30pts; 2nd Trevor Mapp (Mackeson Stout/Valvoline Lubricants/Ellesmere Quarries/Chicken Pen Racing Mitsubishi Mirage RS), 26pts; 3rd Shannon Kirton (Datsun 120Y), 22pts Group B: 1st Geoffrey Ullyett (Ullyett's Machine Shop/Algae-X/MG America Datsun 200Y), 22pts   BRC 4wd Championship: 1st Bourne, 30pts; 2nd Skeete, 26pts; 3rd Hill, 22pts; 4th Chatrani, 20pts; 5th Noel, 18pts; equal 6th Hamilton & Mallalieu, 15pts BRC 2wd Championship: 1st Read, 30pts; 2nd Warren, 26pts; 3rd R Watson, 22pts; 4th B Clarke, 20pts; 5th D Clarke, 18pts; 6th Corbin, 15pts; 7th Atwell, 13pts; 8th Jones, 12pts; 9th L Watson, 10pts; 10th Norman Catwell (Ellesmere Quarries/John Hardman Engineering/Elite Transmissions Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk3), 7pts; etc   For media information only. No regulatory value.   For further media information, robin@bradfax.com Web site: www.barbadosrallyclub.com