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Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Valvoline Isuzu D-Max) claimed their third victory in the five rounds of this year’s Barbados Rally Club (BRC) MudDogs Safari Championship in last Sunday’s (November 11) Nassco November Safari, but it was not enough to unseat the Champions-elect for 2012, Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke.
Armstrong and ‘Mork’ Clarke, who won the season’s other two events, were the route-setters for this year’s finale, which was described by competitors as a “fair and fun event”. Clarke, who retains the Champion Navigator title he won for the first time last year, is the only competitor to have won the BRC’s June Rally (now Safari) five times, and has a reputation for setting very tricky events.
As Armstrong explained, however, the plan was different this time round: “The aim was to set a relatively easy rally, to encourage novices especially - on a scale of one to 10, the event was a five for difficulty. It was very dry, and we were hoping for rain to make it a bit more interesting. We made the Driver Challenges longer, and more enjoyable - as a driver myself, I know that drivers like longer challenges.”
According to MudDogs Chairman Warren Gollop, the plan worked: “While following the event, it was very apparent that the Novices stood a good chance of upsetting the apple cart, as the Pros were clearly over-thinking Mork’s intentions, and not taking the instructions at face value. So much so that Novice team Josh Plaza and Rashid Nakhuda were leading everyone in route two, with zero penalties, until very late in the day!”
Alleyne and O’Neal claimed the lowest penalties on both routes, a total of 425, to enjoy a winning margin of 284 points. Audley and Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports/Arthurs Electrical Suzuki Vitara) finished second, 116 points clear of third-placed Mark Western and Robin Hinds (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store Nissan Patrol), who might have fared better but for slipping from second place on route one to ninth on route two.
After three fifth places, it was the Croneys best result of the season, Jeremy noting: “The first route was a bit challenging, but this was not a typical Mork rally, not as intense as usual.” Hinds said: “The first route was challenging and very tricky, you really had to have your thinking cap on.”
In the Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship, Damien Johnson and Daniel Christie (Western Union Suzuki Samurai) emerged the winners for the second consecutive event; after placing second on route one, they were the comfortable winners of route two, consolidating their positions as runners-up respectively in the Novice Driver and Navigator Championships.
Navigating for second-placed Johnny Pinto (Amsoil/Paints Plus Suzuki Jimny), Nick Branson claimed the Novice Navigator title – they were an impressive sixth overall on route one - while third place for Dominic Straker and Matthew Ward (Hunte’s Auto Spares/Lucky Horsehoe/Sign Station Nissan Patrol) was sufficient to give Straker the Novice Driver title.
When crews arrived back at the finish at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House at Searles, Christ Church, late afternoon, there was one more trick to come. Gollop explains: “Mork caught out all the teams up to number 18 at the finish - when Alleyne and O’Neal arrived up the drive, they bypassed most of the other crews, who were parked up and regaling each other with tales of the event . . . until it dawned on the pack that the Safari was indeed not finished! Crews scrambled frantically, some had to call members to return to the club, to get back together and make the short dash down the cart road to arrive at the final control. What a fantastic end to the season!”
The MudDogs Championship winners will join with the BRC’s other disciplines for the Annual Prizegiving at Sugar Ultra Lounge, within the complex that was formerly the Ship Inn, St Lawrence Gap, at 7.00pm this Friday (November 16).
Gollop concluded by saying: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors and partners this year – Shelbury Construction, Nassco, Sol and Chefette Restaurants – the marshals, organisers, officials, route setters, competitors, supporters and MudDogs Sub-Committee for all of their assistance in making this year’s championship another rousing success!”
November 11 – Nassco November Safari
BRC MudDogs Safari Championship - Round 5
1st Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Valvoline Isuzu D-Max), 425 penalties
2nd Audley Croney/Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports/Arthurs Electrical Suzuki Vitara), 709pens
3rd Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store Nissan Patrol), 825pens
4th Aswad Bannister/Andre Murrell (Toyota Hilux), 1135pens
5th George Mendes/Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi Sportero L200), 1182pens
6th Sean Gibbs/Brett Barber (Toyota Hilux), 1350pens
7th Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc Mitsubishi Pajero), 1486pens
8th Gregory Dickenson/Rorie McConney (Toyota Hilux), 1575pens
9th Paul Marshall/Shane Marshall (Mitsubishi L200), 1801pens
10th Ben Norris/Darnley Rayside (Land Rover Tomcat), 1899pens
Route 1 – 1st Alleyne/O’Neal, 179pens; 2nd Western/Hinds, 340pens; 3rd Croney/Croney, 441pens
Route 2 – 1st Alleyne/O’Neal, 246pens; 2nd Croney/Croney, 268pens; 3rd Norris/Rayside, 290pens
Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship - Round 5
1st Damien Johnson/Daniel Christie (Western Union Suzuki Samurai), 2284pens – 13th overall
2nd Johnny Pinto/Nick Branson (Amsoil/Paints Plus Suzuki Jimny), 2446pens – 14th o/a
3rd Dominic Straker/Matthew Ward (Hunte’s Auto Spares/Lucky Horsehoe/Sign Station Nissan Patrol), 2738pens – 16th o/a
4th Joshua Plaza/Rashid Nakhuda (Ramshackle Bar/Renegade Auto Services Suzuki Samurai), 3203pens – 17th o/a
5th Dave Gibson/Andy Williams (Suzuki Samurai), 3294pens – 18th o/a
Route 1 – 1st Pinto/Branson, 703pens; 2nd Johnson/Christie, 1846pens; 3rd Straker/Ward, 1962pens
Route 2 – 1st Johnson/Christie, 438pens; 2nd Straker/Ward, 776pens; 3rd Plaza/Nakhuda, 1193pens
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com [3]
Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com [4], www.muddogsbarbados.com [5]
