Walcott third different leader of BPMSI Champion Driver points

Andre Walcott (Courts iFinance/M-Grafix/Courts Optical Suzuki Swift) has become the third different leader this year in the chase for Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc’s (BPMSI) Champion Driver title, following round three of the 2017 Championship last Saturday (July 1). He moves ahead of Adrian Bailey, who had taken the lead in May, ousting Devan McCartney, who emerged on top after BPMSI’s opening race meet in March.

  Despite frequent rain showers creating very tricky conditions at the weekend, Walcott maintained his perfect record of wins in Group 1 Class 1, bringing the number to nine, plus three pole positions, and his score to 160 points. His total could have been higher, but for his class not always being fully subscribed – four starters are required for maximum points to be awarded – whereas Bailey (SRG/M Y Bhana/Bliss Water Sports/Tropicana Jewellers/Pro Sales/Lucid Consulting/Tint ‘R’Us/Dove Exhaust Peugeot 205) contests Gp1/C2, in which nearly 20 drivers have competed this year.

  While Bailey still leads the class, in which he has been Champion for the past two years, his advantage was cut at the weekend from nine points to four after three very competitive races, in two of which he finished behind his closest rival Derek Edwards (D & A Mechanical Services/Arrow Construction/Arrow Woodworking BMW 318ti Compact). Edwards finished third in race one, second in race two, then fourth in race three, in which Bailey finished second.

  After failing to score in March, then finishing second to Bailey in May, Robert Gill (Venture Car Rentals/Rezults Auto/Percy King Auto Parts Toyota Starlet) claimed a hat-trick of class wins on Saturday in a dominant display, winning by margins of 23, 16 and 20 seconds. Not only has he moved into a challenging third place in the class, 20 points behind Edwards, but he is also now fourth in the Champion Driver title chase.

  Sacha Soodeen made an impressive BPMSI debut in Gp1/C2 in another BMW Compact, finishing second and third in his first two races, then went on to enjoy a flag to flag victory in the 10-lap Hilti Handicap for Cars at the end of the day; he led almost from the off, holding on for victory by 2.2secs over a hard-charging Tremaine Forde-Catwell (Cheese Auto Glass Finish/CCT Paints/Mark’s Auto Spares/Rezults/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant), with Mark Maloney third in his Suzuki Challenge Series Radical SR3.

  Kyle King, who won the season’s first Handicap race in his Automotive Art/Percy King Auto Parts/Valvoline Toyota Starlet, finished fourth, moving into the lead of the Hilti Championship with 37 points, two ahead of Kevin Wiggins (Johnson’s Auto Repairs/Therapy Charters/KK Auto Repairs Toyota Starlet), who finished fifth on Saturday and was the winner in May.

BPMSI Championship, points after round 3 Group 1/Class 1: 1st Andre Walcott (Courts iFinance/M-Grafix/Courts Optical Suzuki Swift), 160 points; 2nd Darren Lashley (SRG Engineering/Full Line Racing Parts/C & A Autobody Repairs/RJ’s Towing Services Peugeot 205XS), 93pts; 3rd William Jones (H & B Hardware & Lumber Inc Datsun B310), 72pts; etc Gp1/C2: 1st Adrian Bailey (SRG/M Y Bhana/Bliss Water Sports/Tropicana Jewellers/Pro Sales/Lucid Consulting/Tint ‘R’Us/Dove Exhaust Peugeot 205), 144pts; 2nd Derek Edwards (D & A Mechanical Services/Arrow Construction/Arrow Woodworking BMW 318ti Compact), 140pts; 3rd Robert Gill (Percy King Auto Parts/Venture Car Rentals Toyota Starlet), 120pts; etc Group 2/Class 1: 1st Ripley Greene (Huntes Auto Spares/Hilti Toyota Corolla), 102pts; 2nd Mark Thompson (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Slam 101.1FM/Bio Beauty Toyota Starlet), 60pts Gp2/C2: 1st Tremaine Forde-Catwell (Cheese Auto Glass Finish/CCT Paints/Mark’s Auto Spares/Rezults/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant), 84pts; 2nd Andre Forde (Percy King Auto Parts/Forde’s Vending Machines Toyota Starlet), 27pts; 3rd Darren Lashley (Full Line Racing Parts/Hilti/Turk Lashley’s Garage Acura Integra), 24pts Group 3/Class 2: 1st Kyle King (Automotive Art/Percy King Auto Parts/Valvoline Toyota Starlet), 96pts; 2nd Kurt Thompson (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/SLAM 101.1FM/Y103.3FM Honda Civic), 81pts; 3rd Jason Harewood (Mark’s Auto Spares/SDRR/HiHi/JVM Signage/Gaskin’s Garage/Image Vault/Starboy Performance Toyota Starlet), 45pts; etc

Group4/2wd: 1st Mark Maloney (Digicel/Hilti/Maloney Racing Team Mazda RX-3), 75pts; 2nd Gregory Catwell (Cheese Auto Glass Finish Datsun 1600), 15pts

Hilti Handicap for Cars: 1st King, 37pts; 2nd Kevin Wiggins (Johnson’s Auto Repairs/Therapy Charters/KK Auto Repairs Toyota Starlet), 35pts; 3rd Forde-Catwell, 30pts; 4th Bailey, 26pts; 5th Sacha Soodeen (BMW 318ti Compact), 25pts; 6th Edwards, 21pts; etc