[1]“Amazing Class B win” applauded by multiple Champion
Stephen Moore and son Ben won Saturday’s (March 11) Super-S MudDogs March Safari, the opening round of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship. The family’s victory was the first by a crew from Class B since the classification for less experienced competitors was introduced in 2018, earning fulsome praise from multiple MudDogs Champion Leslie Alleyne, who said: “It is amazing to have Class B winning the event!”
Alleyne and his regular navigator Chris O’Neal, who have respectively won 11 and seven MudDogs titles since the Championship launched in 2004, were the route-setters for Saturday’s event, the first of a new format aimed at broadening the appeal of the navigational discipline on which the Rally Club was founded in the 1950s. Centred on the Vaucluse Raceway (VRW) in St Thomas, it attracted a good turnout of spectators, rewarding the sponsorship of KG Enterprises through its Super-S lubricants brand, and the strong showing by less experienced crews confirmed the organisers are moving in the right direction.
Alleyne said: “We had nine Class B entries, which is great for the development of the sport and it was especially pleasing to see a Class B crew win overall, because this will hopefully provide encouragement for others. We also tried hard to provide an enabling and encouraging environment to keep the interest of the newer competitors.”
Campaigning an Isuzu DMax, the Moores were pressed hard throughout the event, which ran from day into night, by the Jeep Wrangler of Simon Parravicino and former Champion Navigator Andrew Croney. Before the sun set on the first half of the day’s activities, Parravicino and Croney had the edge, with 24 penalties less than the Moores, but the father and son crew turned the tables once night had fallen to win overall by a margin of 48 penalties, while Parravicino and Croney were the Class A winners.
Third, after lying sixth in daylight, were Gary Mendes and Johnathan King (Daihatsu Rocky), with Christopher King and Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny) fourth and the only other Class A crew to finish. A number of fancied runners in that class fell by the wayside: Ben Norris and Ryan Corbin (Jeep Rubicon) suffered a burst brake line while leading; Stephen Mayers and David Reece (Toyota Hilux) fell off the road in St Andrew, with some frontal damage to the vehicle but none to the occupants; Willie Hinds and Wayne Manning hit a tyre, which bent a Panhard rod and affected the steering of their Suzuki Samurai.
Key to the spectator enjoyment of Saturday’s event were the Challenges, all within the confines of VRW, the first of which started the event; crews returned late afternoon for two further Challenges run with two vehicles starting at the same time, all three scored separately for a Challenge Trophy at the end of the MudDogs season.
The Moores scored well here, too, winning the first two Challenges, but losing out third time round to penalties applied for knocking down a marker pole. The third Challenge was won by Gary Mendes and Johnathan King (Daihatsu Rocky), but Parravicino and Croney were consistent, finishing second, third and fourth, keeping everyone else on their toes.
As for the event’s impact on the future of MudDogs, Alleyne said: “We were over the moon at the turnout for this event and I would like to express a huge thank-you to our sponsors, Super-S Lubricants, for being part of this new experience with us. The large crowd that gathered at Vaucluse for the Challenges was a very encouraging sign and by all accounts the RallyCross concept was a big hit! I think all parties were very happy with the turn out and the vibe created, definitely a great platform to build on. And a big thank you to the marshals and the Challenge crew who helped put together a super event.”
The Prizegiving was held on Tuesday evening (March 14) at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House at Searles, Christ Church, where awards were presented to the top three crews overall and highest-placed Class B; the highest-placed female competitor was Samantha Gibbs, navigator for sixth-placed Adam Hunte, while there were also awards for the first in each of the three Challenges. In addition, Alleyne and O’Neal gave a Route Setters Encouragement Award to the lowest placed Class B crew, Tyrone Chase and Sameisha Williams, who won a paid entry and insurance for the Chefette April Safari.
Super S MudDogs March Safari – March 11
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship, round 1
Results
1st Stephen Moore/Ben Moore (Moore & Moore Services/Maxxis Isuzu DMax), 1230 penalties
2nd Simon Parravicino/Andrew Croney (Realtors Ltd Jeep Wrangler), 1278pens
3rd Gary Mendes/Johnathan King (G&G Sales and Service/Lunatics Inc Daihatsu Rocky), 1982pens
4th Christopher King/Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny), 2362pens
5th Robert Warren/Tye Warren (Suzuki Samurai), 2620pens
6th Adam Hunte/Samantha Gibbs (F) (Doverwood Projects Nissan Patrol), 2764pens
7th George Mendes/Leslie Evanson (F) (Suzuki Vitara), 3022pens
8th Jabarry Knight/Kyle Hinkson (Odol’s Aluminium & Glass Jeel Cherokee), 3704pens
9th Robyn Clarke (F)/Charles Clarke (Mitsubishi Pajero iO), 3803pens
10th Tyrone Chase/Sameisha Williams (F) (Suzuki Vitara), 4678pens
Class A
1st Parravicino/Croney, 1278pens; 2nd Mendes/King, 1982pens; 3rd King/Eastmond, 2362pens; no other finishers
Class B
1st Moore/Moore, 1230pens; 2nd Warren/Warren, 2620pens; 3rd Hunte/Gibbs (F), 2764pens; 4th Mendes/Evanson (F), 3022pens; 5th Knight/Hinkson, 3704pens; 6th Clarke (F)/Clarke, 3803pens; 7th Chase/Williams (F), 4678pens
Challenge #1
1st Moore/Moore, 1m 02s; 2nd Knight/Hinkson, 1:04; 3rd Ben Norris/Ryan Corbin (Jeep Rubicon), 1:05; equal 4th Parravicino/Croney & Warren/Warren, 1:08; 6th King/Eastmond, 1:09; 7th Mendes/Evanson (F), 1:13; 8th Mendes/King, 1:14; 9th Hunte/Gibbs (F), 1:19; 10th Clarke (F)/Clarke, 1:27; etc
Challenge #2
1st Moore/Moore, 1m 56s; 2nd Mendes/King, 1:57; 3rd Parravicino/Croney, 2:08; 4th Knight/Hinkson, 2:12; 5th Warren/Warren, 2:14; 6th Hunte/Gibbs (F), 2:26; 7th Chase/Williams (F), 2:28; 8th 9th Clarke (F)/Clarke, 2:33; 10th Jamaal Walkes/Maya Ramsey (F) (Mitsubishi L200), 3:10; etc
Challenge #3
1st Mendes/King, 1m 46s; 2nd Parravicino/Croney, 1:49; 3rd Warren/Warren, 1:50; 4th Knight/Hinkson, 1:53; 5th King/Eastmond, 1:57; 6th Hunte/Gibbs (F), 2:02; 7th Chase/Williams (F), 2:04; 8th Mendes/Evanson (F), 2:06; 9th Moore/Moore, 2:08; 10th Clarke (F)/Clarke, 2:19; etc
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship: Round 1 – Mar 11, Super-S MudDogs March Safari; Round 2 - Apr 15, Chefette MudDogs April Safari; Round 3 - Jun 24/25, Shelbury Construction MudDogs June Safari; Round 4 - Sep 17, BRC MudDogs September Safari; Round 5 – Nov 19, BRC MudDogs November Safari
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com [3]
Web site: www.barbadosrallyclub.com [4] Facebook: /246Muddogs
