Barry and Cheryl Spencer will return to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in May, just days before they compete in the region’s biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados, for the second time.
Welsh rally legend Phil Collins, once described by triple Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna as “a nut-case”, will treat Caribbean motor sport fans to a demonstration of why the late Brazilian superstar might have thought that when he contests the region’s biggest annual motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados, in May.
Following confirmation from last year’s Sol Rally Barbados Group N winner, Ryan Champion, that he is stepping up to Group A this year with his iconic ex-Piero Liatti Subaru Impreza 555, the production category is certain to have a different winner in 2009 . . . and another British pairing hope to add their names to that roll of honour.
Although only two rounds of the 2009 Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Virgin Atlantic Driver’s and Class Championships have been run, some interesting patterns are already emerging, thanks, in part, to the Club’s new points structure, which promises some close contests in the Class Championship.
Local fans will not have to wait until scrutineering for Sol Rally Barbados 2009 to see the first of this year’s international visitors, as event regular Graeme Finlayson this week confirmed he is shipping his car early from the UK. His recently-acquired Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III will be in the island in time to contest the Automotive Art Shakedown Stages on Sunday, May 3.
One by one, the ingredients which promise to make 2009 one of the most competitive motor sport seasons in recent history are being added to the mix. On Sunday (March 22), it was the debut of Trevor Manning in the ex-Roger Skeete Ford Escort WRC, in which he finished second to Paul Bourne in the BRC Spring Gravel Sprint.
More than 30 competitors are entered for the second round of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Virgin Atlantic Driver’s and Class Championships tomorrow (March 22), among them Trevor Manning, whose first outing in the ex-Roger Skeete Ford Escort WRC is eagerly awaited by island fans. The BRC Spring Gravel Sprint, which will be run on the popular stage at Searles, Christ Church, is slated for a 9.00am start; competitors, who will be based in the Searles Factory Yard, will tackle four official timed runs.
More than 20 registered competitors scored points in the opening round of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Virgin Atlantic Driver’s and Class Championships run within the Motoring Club of Barbados Inc’s recent Double-Header Loose Event at Guinea.
Winner of Group N in Sol Rally Barbados 2008, Britain’s Ryan Champion, will this year step up to Group A when he ships a recently-restored example of the iconic Subaru Impreza 555 to the island for the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 20th running of its blue riband event over the last weekend of May.
Just 12 months on from finishing seventh overall and highest-placed novices in the opening round of the 2008 Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Mud Dogs Safari Championship, Dominic Brooker and Stephen Dear beat all-comers on Saturday (March 7) to win the ARMAG March Safari outright, taking an early lead in the 2009 standings.
