Racegoers to remember John ‘Tiny’ Harrison next month

A legend of island motor sport will be remembered by racegoers on Sunday, May 6, when Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI) stages the John ‘Tiny’ Harrison Memorial Race Meet at the St Philip facility. The race programme will feature the second of four rounds of BPMSI’s 2018 Championship, which is currently being led by former bike racer Devan McCartney in his Honda CRX.

  While competitors will be keen to score championship points, it will also be a big day for another motor sport fan, as the winner of two Paddock Club tickets to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on June 10 will be revealed. Every patron who books a Bushy Park Driving Experience up to, and including, May 6, is rewarded with a voucher, on a rising scale (from one to six, depending on the Experience selected), with the Grand Draw to take place during the JTHM Race Meet.

  Harrison, who died aged 56 in December 2010, was a legend in island motor sport, a popular commentator at Old Bushy Park and a Founder Member over a 30-year period of three of the Clubs affiliated to the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF); he was also a passionate supporter of competitors whose resources sometimes didn’t match their talent and would always help out a driver struggling to make a race meet.

  McCartney has taken an early lead in the BPMSI Champion Driver title chase, with a hat-trick of Group 1 Class 2 victories in his Zephirins Bakery/C & A Autobody Repair Honda CRX, just as he did following last year’s opening round, amassing a total of 75 points. Kurt Thompson (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Honda Civic) lies second, with 45 points, his three wins coming in Gp3/C3, which was not fully subscribed, with Sacha Soodeen (Radisson BMW 318ti Compact) third on 37 after he finished fifth, fourth and third in Gp1/C2.

  There will certainly be a shake-up come May 6, with three drivers currently tied in fourth place, each with 36 points – Reigning Champion Driver Andre Walcott (Gp1/C1 Williams Industries/C & A Autobody/M-Grafix/SE Performance Suzuki Swift), Junior Benskin (Gp2/C1 TB Pickling & Painting Services Nissan NX Coupe) and Darren Lashley (Gp2/C2 Full Line Racing Parts/Hilti/Turk Lashley Motorsport/C & A Autobody Repairs Acura Integra). Shirley Scantlebury (Ride Tech Track Rentals/El Palacio Property & Car Rentals/Imperial Car Rentals Suzuki GSX-R600) leads the Superstock Bikes points.

  Entries opened yesterday (Monday) at Motorsport Services, Haggatt Hall, and will close at the standard rate ($120) on Friday, April 27, with late entries (fee $200) accepted until Wednesday, May 2.

BPMSI Championship 2018, points after round 1

Group 1/Class 1: 1st Andre Walcott (Williams Industries/CA Autobody/M-Grafix/SE Performance Suzuki Swift), 36 points Gp1/C2: 1st Devan McCartney (Zephirins Bakery/C & A Autobody Repair Honda CRX), 75pts; 2nd Sacha Soodeen (Radisson BMW 318ti Compact), 37pts; 3rd Justin Maloney (Bushy Park Driving Experiences Suzuki Swift Sport); etc

Group 2/Class 1: 1st Junior Benskin (TB Pickling & Painting Services Nissan NX Coupe), 36pts Gp2/C2: 1st Darren Lashley (Full Line Racing Parts/Hilti/Turk Lashley Motorsport/C & A Autobody Repairs Acura Integra), 36pts; 2nd Mark Thompson (Glassesco/Automotive Art/NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty Honda Civic), 30pts

Group 3/Class 3: 1st Kurt Thompson (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Honda Civic), 45pts; 2nd Tyrone Martindale (Martindale Workshop/TB Pickling & Painting Services Honda CRX), 24pts Gp4/4wd: 1st Doug Maloney (Maloney Racing Team Audi A4 quattro), 12pts

Superstock Bikes: 1st Shirley Scantlebury (Ride Tech Track Rentals/El Palacio Property & Car Rentals/Imperial Car Rentals Suzuki GSX-R600), 25pts; 2nd Kevin Bynoe (Suzuki GSX-R600), 18pts; 3rd Lowrey Worrell (Johno’s Pizza Suzuki GSX-R600), 15pts; 4th Steve Linton (Honda CBR-R600), 12pts