BPMSI and Suzuki Challenge Series return to Bushy Park

Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI) will break new ground at the third round of its 2017 Championship at Bushy Park Barbados on Saturday, July 1, with a revised format for Practice and Qualifying. The afternoon’s schedule, which will also feature round two of the Suzuki Challenge Series Swift Cup and SR3 Cup, will conclude with a Club lime and film show in the Cafeteria.

  As the Club aims to fit 13 races in to a fast-paced six-hour programme, officials have decided to combine what would previously have been two separate periods for Practice and Qualifying. Each group will have a 20-minute session in which to practice and set a time for grid position; in a change from the previous Qualifying format, in which only a driver’s first five laps were timed before the chequered flag was shown, the clocks will keep running, so every lap will be timed.

  Drivers will be allowed to enter the Pits to make adjustments, then rejoin the session, which should allow ample time for each driver to set an optimum time. As before, these times will be used to decide the grid order for the first race of three, with the subsequent BPMSI grids based on the results of the previous race. In the case of the Suzuki Challenge Series, the grid for race two is based on the reverse of Qualifying, with the third gird based on the points scored by each driver in the previous two races, with the highest total earning pole position.

  Group 1/Class 2 leader Adrian Bailey is currently also heading the BPMSI Champion Driver title chase with a total of 108 points from two rounds; that gives him a slender advantage of two points over Gp1/C1 leader Andre Walcott, with Derek Edwards, who is second in Bailey’s class, third overall on 95. Devan McCartney, who had emerged from the BPMSI’s opening round in February as the leader, has now slipped down the order to equal sixth with Mark Maloney on 75 points, also falling behind Tremaine Forde-Catwell (84) and Ripley Greene (78), who lead Gp2/C2 and Gp2/C1 respectively.

  Josh Read has made the early running in the Swift Cup, with 58 points, but the chasing pack are not far behind: former Champions Ryan Peyrau of Trinidad & Tobago and Ryan Wood are just three and eight points adrift respectively. In the SR3 Cup, although he has the same 58 points, Sol Esuf has a more substantial cushion, compared with 43 each for Stuart and Mark Maloney, and 42 for their brother Sean.

  Entries opened at Motorsport Services on Monday (June 19), with Early Bird entries closing at 5.00pm next Monday (June 26); the final close of entries will be at 5.00pm next Thursday (June 29).

BPMSI Championship, round 3; Suzuki Challenge Series, round 2 Admission details Saturday, July 1, 12.30 - 6.30pm: Admission - $10; children under 12 free. Tickets available on the gate. Viewing from the Open Air Suites only. Parking in the south car park, with access via Pit Gate. Coolers allowed (please no glass bottles) and the Cafeteria will be open

Provisional timetable

These scheduled starting times may be changed by the Organisers

12.40pm: Practice & Qualifying 1 – Suzuki Challenge Series Swift Cup

1.00pm: Practice & Qualifying 2 - BPMSI Groups 2, 3 & 4

1.20pm: Practice & Qualifying 3 - BPMSI Group 1

1.40pm: Practice & Qualifying 4 - Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup

2.00pm: Race 1 - Suzuki Challenge Series Swift Cup, round 2 – race 1 (8 laps)

2.20pm: Race 2 - BPMSI Groups 2, 3 & 4, round 3 – race 1 (6 laps)

2.40pm: Race 3 - BPMSI Group 1, round 3 – race 1 (6 laps)

3.00pm: Race 4 - Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup, round 2 – race 1 (10 laps)

3.20pm: Race 5 - Suzuki Challenge Series Swift Cup, round 2 – race 2 (8 laps)

3.40pm: Race 6 - BPMSI Groups 2, 3 & 4, round 3 – race 2 (6 laps)

4.00pm: Race 7 - BPMSI Group 1, round 3 – race 2 (6 laps)

4.20pm: Race 8 - Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup, round 2 – race 2 (10 laps)

4.20pm: Race 9 - Suzuki Challenge Series Swift Cup, round 2 – race 3 (8 laps)

5.00pm: Race 10 - BPMSI Groups 2, 3 & 4, round 3 – race 3 (6 laps)

5.20pm: Race 11 - BPMSI Group 1, round 3 – race 3 (6 laps)

5.40pm: Race 12 - Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup, round 2 – race 3 (10 laps)

6.00pm: Race 13 - Hilti Handicap Championship for Cars, round 3 (10 laps)