Sunday 18, April-2004

by Trevor Thorpe

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.

The three figured in the nail-biting HOTT FM Handicap which brought the curtain down on the opening day’s action, which Williams won.

Dudley Forde is also expected to make winning difficult for the others as he seeks to add to his tally in the race for group honours.

Among the lower groups Nigel Brown and Robert Gill will try to keep out the efforts of others, while Arron Parris is expected to be well-prepared as he takes on the likes of Greg Catwell during the day’s action.

Sliding master and BARL chairman Geoff Ullyett said that despite the uncertainty of the continued use of the Bushy Park racing facility, drivers were working hard on their respective machines and good competition was in store for racing fans from the opening race.

Compliments of the Nation News

Wednesday 21, April-2004

by Trevor Thorpe

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

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