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Roger Mayers and Max Ferri defeated the opposition and the elements to win Saturday's (August 30) BRC Summer Nights Tarmac Stages, in association with LIME and Banks Beer. As changeable weather conditions presented drivers with almost impossible tyre choices, the day and night event presented one of the biggest challenges of the season.
Having won by nearly 35 seconds in his Chefette/Digicel/Illusion Graphics/Pennzoil WR Starlet, Mayers said: "This was a great rally. I drove my heart out and the car never let me down. The weather made it very challenging as it made the stages unpredictable, but we gambled with running the dry tyres in all but one stage and it paid off."
Trinidad's John Powell and Nick Telfer (Intercontinental Shipping/Trinidad Mooring & Launch Services Ford Focus WRC08) finished second, almost 40secs clear of Rhett Watson and James Hutchinson (Power King Batteries/Carter's Pitstop/Gliptone/Stihl/Packaging Centre/The Unknown Entity/In support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3), Watson's SuperModified 12 class win keeping him in the hunt for the BRC Champion Driver title.
For many competitors, it was a night of attrition and one which will have a significant bearing on the outcome of the 2014 BRC Driver’s and Class Championships. Seeded at number one, in recognition of his almost perfect season so far, Roger Skeete and regular co-driver Louis Venezia were in trouble early; 'The Sheriff' suffered a recurrence of the launch control issues which have affected the Sol/LIME/Simpson Motors/Williams Trading Inc Subaru Impreza WRC S12 in the past, struggling off the start-line, then calling it a day after four stages.
As the changing weather made for unpredictable conditions, stage wins were shared: Watson and Trinidad's David Coelho (Total/Zanzibar/Kaizan Sushi/www.machinerysalestrinidad.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) were joint fastest on the first uphill run from Hangman's Hill to Canefield, with Powell fastest on the first run from Haggatts to Springvale. Mayers claimed his first stage win on the second Canefield (and repeated it on the third), with Powell winning the second Haggatts run. The final daylight stage was cancelled to make up for a couple of earlier delays.
A consistent performance from Roger Hill and Graham Gittens (Esso/Pennzoil/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC) kept them in the hunt, third behind Powell and Mayers as crews took the dinner break at Hopewell.
In addition to Skeete's retirement, others to suffer in the daylight were his son Dane, who retired his Peugeot 306 Maxi when the oil cooler broke after four stages, Modified 6 joint leader Neil Corbin (Toyota Starlet) with a broken pulley on the engine, and both Group N runners, Andrew Mallalieu (Subaru Impreza N10 - broken axle) and Kurt Thompson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX - broken gearbox).
With a depleted field, the night-time stages ran smoothly, Mayers fastest on four of the six, Powell winning the other two. Hill looked set for a top three finish until he struck a steel pole near the Challenor School on the penultimate stage, with an apparent stuck throttle - driver and co-driver were uninjured, but the same cannot be said of the car.
Daryl Clarke (M7 Honda Civic), joint leader of the BRC Champion Driver title chase with Watson, broke a cv joint, losing the last two stages before the break; he reappeared after, however, to win his class and remain on a par with Watson.
BRC Summer Nights Tarmac Stages
in association with LIME and Banks Beer
Official results
1st Roger Mayers/Max Ferri (SM10 Chefette/Digicel/Illusion Graphics/Pennzoil WR Starlet), 30m 00.73s
2nd John Powell – TRI/Nick Telfer - TRI (WRC-1 Intercontinental Shipping/Trinidad Mooring & Launch Services Ford Focus WRC08), 30m 35.30s
3rd Rhett Watson/James Hutchinson (SM12 Power King Batteries/Carter's Pitstop/Gliptone/Stihl/Packaging Centre/The Unknown Entity/In support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3), 30m 40.25s
4th David Coelho – TRI/James Harris – ENG (WRC-1 Total/Zanzibar/Kaizan Sushi/www.machinerysalestrinidad.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 32m 52.46s
5th Brendon Mckenzie/Chris Hoad (M6 Mck Motorsport/Turbo Plus/PromoTech Computers/Do-It-Best/Colour XL Toyota Corolla), 33m 14.25s
6th Jeremy Gonsalves/Chris Corbin (M6 Sign Depot/Makita/Yamaha/Star Products/John Hardman Engineering/Valvoline Opel Corsa), 33m 36.62s
7th Edward Corbin/Rodney Clarke (M7 Valvoline/Prosales Toyota Corolla RunX), 34m 19.98s
8th Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M7 Platinum Motors/Valvoline/Automotive Art/RS Electrical/Chicken Pen Racing/JSB Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R), 34m 28.81s
9th Stuart McChlery/James Goddard (SM12 Lubriguard/Power King Batteries Ford Escort MkI), 36m 32.00s
10th Kurt Ward/Kirt King (SM12 Precision Automotive Ford Escort MkI), 37m 09.53s
etc
WRC-1 1st Powell/Telfer; 2nd Coelho/Harris
WRC-2 1st Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (WRC-2 Esso/Pennzoil/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC), 32m 27.10s
SuperModified 12 1st Watson/Hutchinson; 2nd McChlery/Goddard; 3rd Ward/King
SM11 1st Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (AP Jones Pharmacy/Southern Surf Hotel/Lucozade Ford Escort MkII), 31m 58.78s
SM10 1st Mayers/Ferri
Modified 7 1st Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (Roberts Manufacturing/P & N Hardware/Valvoline/Amir’s Chicken/MQI Collision Repair/Mum’s Pasta Honda Civic), 33m 42.95s; 2nd Corbin/Clarke; 3rd Brathwaite/Hoyte; etc
Modified 6 1st Mckenzie/Hoad; 2nd Gonsalves/Corbin
Historic 1st Stuart White/Sean Corbin (Hunikom Swim Wear/39 Steps Wine Bar/UpBeat Wholesale BMW 325), 34m 29.89s; 2nd Wayne Archer/Lucas Nicolao - ARG (Archers Hall Design Centre/Calvin Alkins Customs Services/Diamonds International BMW 325), 34m 37.38s; 3rd Greg Cozier/Jamie Marsh (Hyundai Lubricants/Sailun Tyres/Barbados Historic Rally Carnival Ford Escort RS2000), 35m 15.55s; etc
Group B 1st Harold Morley - ENG/Stephen Bell (Ontrac Telematics/Massy Shipping/Bajanloveshop.com Porsche GT3), 37m 00.55s
Clubman 1st Fabien Clarke/Paul Inniss (Bovell Auto Repair/RCR Tours/Barbados Business Listings Suzuki Ignis Sport), 41m 40.62s
Barbados Historic Rally
Official results
1st Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (AP Jones Pharmacy/Southern Surf Hotel/Lucozade Ford Escort MkII), 31m 58.78s
2nd Stuart White/Sean Corbin (Hunikom Swim Wear/39 Steps Wine Bar/UpBeat Wholesale BMW 325), 34m 29.89s
3rd Wayne Archer/Lucas Nicolao - ARG (Archers Hall Design Centre/Calvin Alkins Customs Services/Diamonds International BMW 325), 34m 37.38s
4th Greg Cozier/Jamie Marsh (Hyundai Lubricants/Sailun Tyres/Barbados Historic Rally Carnival Ford Escort RS2000), 35m 15.55s
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
Web site: www.barbadosrallyclub.com
