[1]Saturday night Driver Challenge to test crews
Crews are making final preparations for round two of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2018 Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship, the April Safari this Saturday (April 14). As the Driver Challenges, which count towards the Shelbury Construction Trophy, grow in importance in the calculation of results, crews will need to be on their toes, with a night-time challenge included.
As well as increasing the driver input into each event, the challenges are popular with spectators, who can settle down and watch the crews pit their skills against both the natural terrain and some man-made obstacles. On Saturday, the first Driver Challenge is at approximately 5.00pm at Hopewell, St Thomas, with spectator access off Highway 2 a few hundred yards south of the bottom of Hangman’s Hill; the second at around 9.00pm at Searles Quarry, Christ Church, with spectator access down the first cart road on the left after the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association’s entrance, when heading to Searles. There will be lighting at Searles, to aid both competitors and spectators.
Last year’s Chefette April Safari winners, five-time Champions Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal, will be aiming to repeat that victory on Saturday in the Simpson Motors/Shell Spirax/Shell Rimula/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max; they will face a tough challenge, however, from Jean-Marc Cozier and Andrew Croney (Country View Bar/Market Hill Farms/Westside Security Services Honda Pioneer), who kicked off the new season in fine style with victory in the March Safari, with Cozier also winner of the Driver Challenges.
A new class structure for 2018, devised in an effort to broaden participation in navigational rallying, the branch of the sport on which the Rally Club was founded in 1957, has already borne fruit. The growth in entries seen in last month’s first event has carried forward to this second round, with new names, along with some returning crews, on the 16-strong entry list confirmed at last night’s (Tuesday) Briefing Meeting at the Country View Bar, Market Hill, St George.
Route-setters for the Chefette April Safari are Michael Ward and Warrick Eastmond, who finished third in the season-opener in their Regional Fire & Security/Quality Tyre Suzuki Jimny, with Brett Barber co-ordinating the Driver Challenges. The first crew will leave the start at Chefette Lancaster, St James, at 2.00pm on Saturday, heading for the dinner halt at around 6.00pm at Chefette Charles Rowe Bridge, St George; suitably refreshed, the crews will then tackle the second route, leading them to the finish at approximately 11.45pm at the Country View Bar.
The Chefette April Safari Prizegiving will follow publication of the results at the Country View Bar next Tuesday (April 17) at 7.00pm.
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship
Round 2 - April 14 – Chefette April Safari
Class A
1 Stephen Mayers/David Reece (Toyota Hilux)
2 Leslie Alleyne/Chris O'Neal (Simpson Motors/Shell Spirax/Shell Rimula/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max)
4 Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbins Catering Services Mahogany Ridge Toyota Hilux)
5 Chris Armstrong/Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux)
6 Willie Hinds/Wayne Manning (Black Bess Group Suzuki Samurai)
8 George Mendes/Alex Kellman (G & G Sales & Services Inc Mitsubishi Sportero)
9 Trevor Manning/Derek Gill (Garbage Master Ltd Mitsubishi L200)
12 Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Land Rover Defender)
14 Ben Norris/Kirk Watkins (Toyota Land Cruiser)
16 Jean-Marc Cozier/Andrew Croney (Country View Bar/Market Hill Farms/Westside Security Services Honda Pioneer)
Class B
3 Corie Walkes/Ronnie Cummins (Vehicle Aesthetics Management Ford Ranger)
7 Richard Hinkson/Kevin-Jon Manning (Windforce Tyres Suzuki Samurai)
10 John Pinto/Nicholas Branson (Structural Systems GMC Sonoma)
11 Damien Johnson/Justin Lynch (Dre Tuned Toyota Hilux)
13 Yosuf Patel/Abdullah Patel (Aquarius Faucets/ToolCraft Mitsubishi L200)
15 Tristan Hoyos/Samuel Manning (Garbage Master Ltd Toyota Hilux)
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship Points, after round 1
Overall (Driver/Navigator): 1st Cozier/Croney, 60 points; 2nd Alleyne/O'Neal, 58pts; 3rd Michael Ward/Warrick Eastmond (Regional Fire & Security/Quality Tyre Suzuki Jimny), 56pts; 4th Hinds/W Manning, 54pts; 5th T Manning/Gill, 52pts; 6th Johnson/Lynch, 50pts; 7th Y Patel/Bilal Patel, 48pts; 8th Mayers/Reece, 46pts; 9th Hinkson/K-J Manning, 44pts; 10th Dean Springer/Bridget Garity (Toyo Tires/Eastern Veterinary Clinic Ford Ranger), 42pts; etc Class B (Driver/Navigator): 1st Johnson/Lynch, 60pts; 2nd Y Patel/Bilal Patel, 58pts; 3rd Hinkson/K-J Manning, 56pts; 4th Kai Prescod/Kristina Pinto (Ford PK XLT), 54pts; 5th J Pinto/Branson, 52pts Shelbury Construction Trophy Points, after round 1: 1st Cozier 0 points; 2nd Ward 60pts; 3rd Mayers 100pts; equal 4th Hinds & Alleyne 120pts; etc
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship: Round 1 - March 11; Round 2 - April 14; * MudFest - May 1; Round 3 - June 23/24; Round 4 - September 16; Round 5 - November 11. * non-championship event
