DEAD HEAT IN RUF ’n’ TUF NAVIGATIONAL EVENT

A look at the rule book was necessary to settle a dead heat in a very competitive opening round of the new Barbados Rally Club Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship on Saturday (March 13). Just 200 penalty points covered the top four finishers after the 160-kilometre event, the leading two crews reaching the finish on the same penalty score of 300.
Derek Gill and Kevin Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara) had covered more of the route before incurring their first penalty of the day, however, so were confirmed as winners; and there was more good news for the Yearwood family, as Kevin’s son Kreigg navigated the Suzuki Vitara of Kirk Phillips to fifth place overall and victory in the Novice class.
Lindsay Farmer and Rhett Watson (Mercedes) had tied on 300 penalties with Gill and Yearwood, but had been the first of the two crews to make a mistake, so were therefore allotted second place. Third, another 100 penalty points behind, were last year’s June Safari winners Annalee and Leslie Alleyne; for this event, the husband and wife team had swapped front seats – and vehicles - Annalee driving her Hyundai coupe, with Leslie navigating. A further 100 penalty points behind them, Philip McConney and Kenny Croney (Suzuki Samurai) placed fourth.
Before the start, Mark Sabga of Barbados Garment Industries, sponsor of the new championship, said: “It is really good to see such a big turn-out; to have more than 20 entries for the first round is very encouraging, and I’m sure the championship will go from strength to strength and the year progresses.”
Of the 26 crews assembled at the start, 12 were in the Novice class, testament to the success of the BRC navigational sub-committee’s efforts to revive this branch of the sport, which is an important form of entry-level competition for motor sport novices. Jamal Brathwaite/Dwayne Ifill (Nissan Sentra) finished eighth overall and second in the Novice class, with Romeo Mayers/William Phillips (Nissan Frontier) 11th overall and third Novice crew.
In their first event in the Pro class, Keri-Dawn Watkins and Lisa Roett (Hankook Tyres Toyota RAV4) placed 11th in class, although missed out on an overall position, thanks to failing to report to two-thirds of the checkpoints . . . a fate shared with another 13 crews. The other two all-girl crews, Lisa Hurdle/Michelle Lewis (Toyota Corolla) and Leslie Evanson/Lisa Sealy (Toyota Starlet), placed sixth and seventh respectively of the 12 novice crews.
This first of four rounds in the new championship was to be the only one to cater for cars as well as 4 x 4 vehicles and attracted a varied entry; from the start at SuperCentre Warrens, the route took crews through St Michael and Christchurch, using Tulip navigation, before switching to BRC navigation through St Philip and the beginning of the section through St George. Mid-way through the central parish, navigators switched back to the Tulip system for the final section through St Thomas and St James, before finishing at the Vaucluse Raceway. The route was set by experienced Club members Richard Daniel and Jason Downey.
There is no timing on this type of event, the results based on a series of penalties assessed by use of Direction Checks.
Prize-giving for the opening round of the BRC/Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship will be at Kendal Sporting on Tuesday (March 16) at 7.30 pm. The remaining three rounds, which will be restricted to 4 x 4s, are slated for: Saturday/Sunday, June 26/27; Sunday, September 19; Sunday, November 7.

For further information, robin@bradfax.com - BRC web site: www.rallyclub.com

BRC/Ruf ’n’ Tuf Navigational Championship, round 1 – Saturday, March 13, 2004
Results - Overall
1 Derek Gill/Kevin Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara), 300 penalties
2 Lindsay Farmer/Rhett Watson (Mercedes), 300 pens
3 Anna-Lee Alleyne/Leslie Alleyne (Autozone Inc Hyundai Tiburon), 400 pens
4 Philip McConney/Kenny Croney (Suzuki Samurai), 500 pens
5 Kirk Phillips/Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara), 1100 pens
6 Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Isuzu Pickup), 1300 pens
7 Brett Barber/Warren Gollop (Mazda B2500), 2600 pens
8 Jamal Brathwaite/Dwayne Ifill (Nissan Sentra), 2700 pens
9 Chris O'Neal/Peter Bradshaw (Mitsubishi L200), 2800 pens
10 Adam Corbin/Ryan Corbin (Suzuki Vitara), 2900 pens
Pro Class
1 Gill/Yearwood
2 Farmer/Watson
3 Alleyne/Alleyne
Novice class
1 Phillips/Yearwood
2 Brathwaite/Ifill
3 Romeo Mayers/William Phillips (Nissan Frontier), 2900 pens