Revs up for Rally Barbados

- Sunday 09, May-2004

by Trevor Thorpe

Rally Barbados, the region’s biggest rally, will see four previous winners competing against crack drivers and navigators from Europe and the Caribbean for the 36-stage event, which will be contested on May 29 and 30.

Jamaica’s Jeffrey Panton, who won the event in 1998, will have Justin Morin with him as co-driver in his Castrol Toyota Celica GT4.

Together they will compete against local champion Roger Skeete and Dave Crawford, driving their McEnearney/Texaco/Michelin Ford Escort WRC, who have nine wins.

1999 winner Trevor Manning and James Betts, in a Courts/Automotive Art/Shell/Kerridge/Simpson Motors Mitsubishi Evo VIII, are also a strong team, just like last year’s winning crew, Paul Bourne and Louis Venezia, who will compete in a Banks/Texaco/Pirelli Subaru Impreza WRC. Read more

Extracts compliments of the Nation News

Saturday 29, May-2004

Defending champion Paul Bourne and nine-time winner Roger Skeete head a total of 90 drivers to face the starter in the Rally Barbados which will start at Simpson Motors, Warrens, today at 9 a.m. and continues tomorrow.

Of the 90 starters, 54 are from Barbados and eight from the region, including Jamaica’s championship leader Greg Gregg and his compatriot and former champion driver Jeff Panton who will this year be partnered by Justin Morin. Read more

Extracts compliments of the Nation News

Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL)

Wednesday 21, April-2004

No injuries, but a badly damaged car. That was the outcome of a racing accident during the second day’s racing of the Barbados Auto Racing League at Bushy Parkon Sunday.

It happened during an Automotive Art Group 3 race with two laps completed when Kirk Worrell, in the C&W Toyota Starlet, ran wide at the Hammer bend and Chris Parkinson, in a similar car made contact with each other and Parkinson was launched into a series of rolls and ended in the nearby field, the car badly damaged.

He was unhurt, but it was disappointment for the driver who had only recently prepared the car. He took no further part in the day’s action, but Worrell was able to effect repairs and return later.

A race for the top-class competitors, it was eventually won by defending champion driver Stuart Williams, in the Leeson Moe-prepared Williams Industries/Castrol Toyota Starlet, who also made a clean sweep of the races allotted to Group 3C. He was followed home by the experience Doug Maloney in a well-prepared Peugeot 306 S16 and Trevor Whitehall in a Castrol Toyota Starlet. Read more

Forty-one cars took part in the day’s action. Following is how they finished.

Extracts compliments of the Nation News

Sunday 18, April-2004

Drivers and their mechanics are working around the clock to get cars ready for today’s open practice and qualifier for the Barbados Auto Racing League’s (BARL) second round of the 2004 championship, which starts at noon at Bushy Park, St Philip.

Among them is the works crew of Dave Hinds, who has only a few minor adjustments to make before the car goes to Bushy Park for testing and qualifying.

Hinds confirmed that work was at an advanced stage and only special brake fluid was needed as they worked on the Toyota Starlet.

If all goes to plan, he will face the starter today among top-class competitors who include champion driver Stuart Williams, in the Williams Equipment Castrol Toyota Starlet; Trevor Whitehall, in another Castrol Toyota Starlet; and the veteran Doug Maloney, in a well-prepared Peugeot 306 S16. Read more

Extracts compliments of the Nation News

Sporting islands

Caribbean rally racing

BARBADOS