Rally Club committed to “positive impact” of motor sport

The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is committed to ensuring that motor sport “has a positive impact.” That was the message from Chairman Neil Corbin for members who gathered for the Club’s Annual General Meeting last evening (Tuesday) at Mahogany Ridge, St Thomas.

  Looking back on 2023, which was “envisioned as a rebuilding year” after the pandemic, Corbin highlighted the formation of a new Rally Sub-committee to look after speed events and rallies. Its focus was to include “one of local rallying biggest challenges, that of public relations. A lot more time and energy has been spent ensuring the relationship with the residents and the travelling public remains positive.”
  In a moment of silence, members paid their respects to those lost since the last AGM, with particular mention given to Competition Secretary Jamal Brathwaite, two-time Rally Barbados winner Paul Bourne, Scrutineer Tony Rowe and Conor Roach, who was the Club’s youngest Champion Driver in 2012.
  Corbin continued: “Rallying in Barbados is not the same as it was even 10 years ago. The Club has been working hard to ensure that the sport has a positive impact on local communities and the island as a whole.
  “We have worked with sports clubs such as Conrad Hunte Sports Club in St Andrew, using the facilities as a service stop on the rally and sponsoring their cricket team in local competition for the past three seasons. The Club works with local vendors who come out to ply their trade on special stages and we also liaise with local businesses situated on rally routes, such as bars and restaurants, who directly benefit from spectator attendance at events.
  “The Club will continue to try to minimize inconvenience and improve communication and our relationship with residents and the travelling public.”
  In thanking corporate Barbados, various Government agencies and the Club’s tourism partners, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc and the Tourism Development Corporation, Corbin made specific mention of The Sol Group, whose sponsorship of the Club’s premier event had started in 2008: “We have to thank Sol for their incredible support for the Club and its blue riband event - Rally Barbados - for the past 15 years.”
  Corbin also reported on healthy competitor numbers in 2023, more than 250 in total, including the nearly 40 overseas visitors who travelled for Sol RB23: “When it comes to our Autocross and MudDogs events, we are happy to report great competitor numbers, with 47 drivers taking part in Autocross and 23 drivers and 26 navigators taking part in MudDogs. Thank you to all competitors who continue to support these events.”
  A number of changes to the Club’s Vehicle Classification Regulations (VCR) for the next three-year cycle, 2025 to 2027, were agreed at an Extraordinary General Meeting, which immediately preceded the AGM. Highlights among these include: Group B is renamed Open Class and will now cater for 2wd cars built before 2011 (previously 1986); in the Clubman classes, two- as well as four-seater production cars will now be allowed, while only locally available pump fuel will be permitted; the Modified classes will also now allow two-seater cars, along with engines from a different manufacturer. Some minimum weights were also amended.
  Two changes to the Club’s Committee of Management (CoM) were voted in: Jason Downey replaces the late Jamal Brathwaite as Competition Secretary, while Leslie Evanson joins for the first time as Secretary, replacing Geoffrey Noel. In welcoming her to the position, Corbin said: “We know that you are already heavily involved with motorsport and look forward to your input as we work together to make the club even stronger.”

BRC CoM: Chairman, Neil Corbin; Vice-Chairman, Robert Simmons; Treasurer, Jeanne Crawford; Competition Secretary, Jason Downey; Assistant Competition Secretary, Geoffrey Goddard; Assistant Competition Secretary (MudDogs), Ricky Holder; Vehicle Classification Officer, Adrian Linton; Secretary, Leslie Evanson; Marshal Liaison Officer, Dexter Griffith; Equipment Officer, Jason Tull; Public Relations Officer, Neil Barnard; Entertainment Secretary, Ben Norris

For media information only. No regulatory value.

For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com, www.muddogsbarbados.com, www.rallybarbados.net