DOUBLE THE FUN AS RALLY SHOW GROWS AT NEW SITE

Sol Rally Barbados Ceremonial Start brought forward

Motor sport fans and their families will be spoiled for choice at The Rally Show next Saturday (May 26), as the move to the former Banks Facility at Wildey has allowed organisers to expand the scope of the event to appeal to an even wider audience . . . and for longer, too, running from 1.00pm to 6.00pm. While the ‘petrol-heads’ enjoy unrivalled access to more than 90 local, regional and international cars and their crews, a mix of exhibitors large and small, competitions, the Chefette Kids Zone and the Harbour Lights Cultural Extravaganza will keep the whole family engaged.

  Key partners, including title sponsors the Sol Group and Flow, will already have staged pre-rally limes to showcase their own teams, but the Rally Show will be the only chance for local fans to see all the cars entered for Flow King of the Hill (May 27) and Sol Rally Barbados 2018 (June 1-3) in one location. With technical scrutineering ahead of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event now carried out at Bushy Park, the cars - including around 20 new to Sol RB - will be on static display throughout the afternoon.

  For younger family members, the Chefette Kids Zone will include a face painter, jumping tent, mechanical bull and spinning wheel – with prizes to be won – while Mums and Dads might like to check out the latest road cars from leading brands: local dealers McEnearney Quality Inc (BMW, Ford, Kia, Mazda and MINI), Nassco (Toyota) and Platinum Motors (Honda) are among those already confirmed as exhibitors, while related businesses such as Automotive Art and Carter’s Pit-Stop will also have a major presence.

  Bushy Park Barbados, which will host the Final Stage and Finish of Sol RB18 on Sunday, June 3, will have karts on display promoting its range of Driving Experiences, an array of Classic Cars will interest those with nostalgia in mind, while the Fight N Fit gym will be offering patrons a Rally Fit Challenge. A wide range of food & beverage outlets, including Sharkeys, Mobilicious, Sips, Splurge Cake Studio and Tastee Patties will offer something to appeal to everyone, while the Market Stalls will include vendors of jewellery, souvenirs and toys.

  The Main Stage, located on the western side of the display area will be the focal point of a series of driver interviews, with the chance for fans to get closer to their idols in an extended Mega Autograph Signing Session towards the end of the day. As The Rally Show again coincides with the annual Barbados Celtic Festival, there will be a Pipers Walk-Through during the afternoon, with the Harbour Lights Extravaganza the cultural highlight of the day: a Tuk Band, with Mother Sally and Stilt Walkers will work their way through the crowds all around the arena, to arrive in front of the Main Stage, before the Stilt Walkers join the Carnival Girls to perform with Steel Pan backing, while drivers from each of the 12 competing nations will parade their National Flags to the Main Stage, where they will be flown for the rest of the day.

  Co-ordinator Carrie Corbin says: “Once we had separated the technical scrutineering checks from the promotional side of the day, a whole range of new opportunities opened up. Last year’s first crack at this, which wasn’t helped by the weather, was a huge learning curve, but we heard so many positive reactions that it was clear we should press on and expand. While The Rally Show obviously does what it says on the tin, we have worked to ensure that there is something for everyone. If you're a rally fan, or just like a good lime, The Rally Show is the place to be.”

  Scrutineering, which had formerly played a part in the build-up to Sol Rally Barbados over the previous weekend is now dealt with at Bushy Park, away from public gaze, and in good time for every car competing in Sol RB18 to be on display at The Rally Show. Local competitors whose cars had not already been scrutineered in advance of last month’s Carter’s Pit-Stop Stages – there are approaching 20 of them – will be checked on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings next week; as the St Philip facility is already home to ‘Rally Central’, hosting around 30 of the overseas visitors, International Scrutineering will take place at the same location on the Saturday morning ahead of crews transferring to the new Rally Show venue at Wildey.

Sol Rally Barbados Ceremonial Start brought forward

The Ceremonial Start and opening stage of Sol Rally Barbados 2018 at the Vaucluse Raceway (VRW) in St Thomas have been brought forward by 40 minutes; originally scheduled for 6.30pm, the start will now be at 5.50pm, as the organisers are keen to avoid too late a night for the top-seeded drivers, who will be the last to tackle VRW on Friday, which is being run in reverse order of seeding, and the first in to Saturday’s opening stage.

Sol Rally Barbados (June 1-3) and Flow King of the Hill (May 27) are organised and promoted by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2017. Title sponsors: The Sol Group and Flow. Major partners: Automotive Art, Banks, Chefette, Simpson Motors, Toyo Tires. Partners: Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Geest Line, Tourism Development Corporation. Associate sponsor: Stoute’s Car Rental