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The first two weekends of June are crucial for competitors seeking to win the coveted Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Champion Driver trophy. The points to be scored at First Citizens King of the Hill (June 4) and Sol Rally Barbados 2023 (June 9-11) represent just over one-third of the total for the year, so nothing can be left to chance in the two marquee events in the Club’s seven-round championship.
And this applies to everyone, not just those in the WRC or FIA R5 classes fighting for outright victory. Only two drivers from the four-wheel-drive classes have claimed the Champion Driver title in the past decade, Stuart Maloney (2021) and Jamaica’s Jeff Panton (2017 & ’18) and only Panton has won the Club’s premier event as a driver. The title is decided on the points scored against your peers in classes based on engine capacity and level of modification – there are 14 classes in Sol RB23 - and the points earned are reduced if there are fewer than three starters.
Maloney and Panton will go head-to-head in the FIA R5 class, and likely for outright victory too, each now driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo, but two other recent title-winners can be found further down the order. Reigning Champion Driver Edward Corbin, who also won the crown in 2019, competes in Modified 1 in a Daihatsu Charmant, where Jermin Pope (Honda Civic) will be his main opposition, although Civic regulars Pierre Clarke and Paul Inniss and Rally Barbados debutant Horatio Brown of Jamaica (Citroen C2R2) will be hoping to make their mark.
Double champion Neil Corbin (2012 & ‘20) gave his Toyota GT86 CS-R3 a winning M2 debut in RB22, but long-term rival Jamal Brathwaite (Honda Civic Type-R) was absent and Chris Ullyett (Ford Escort RS2000) retired. Sean Corbin and Michael Worme have upgraded their BimmaCup cars, so will also likely be in the M2 mix.
There’s been a huge explosion of interest in SuperModified 1, up from three to nine local drivers. Last year’s class champion and BRC Rookie of the Year Darren Lashley (Toyota Starlet) finished fifth in the overall title chase but may face tougher opposition this year from fellow circuit racers Ross Callender and Tremaine Forde-Catwell in Daihatsu Charmants and returnee Jason Cozier in his recently-acquired Ford Escort MkI.
With only one round of the 2023 BRC Driver’s and Class Championships run so far, the Shakedown Stages last month (April 23), there are currently six drivers jointly leading the Champion Driver title chase. Edward Corbin, Neil Corbin and Stuart Maloney all have 20 points, along with class-leaders Roger Mayers (SM2 Toyota WR Starlet), Logan Watson (M3 BMW M3) and Ian Warren (Clubman 2 BimmaCup).
Maloney leads the separate 4wd Championship, based on overall results, with Roger Hill second (Skoda Fabia R5) and Panton third; the 2wd Championship is led by Mayers from his brother Barry (Ford Fiesta), with Watson third.
Crews can score a maximum of 45 points over KotH and RB23, which count as rounds two to four of the championship, with 128 points on offer across the seven-round season; the winner of KotH earns 15 points on the scale for a Sprint event, while Friday’s opening stage of RB23 and Saturday’s action represent round three, with 20 points on offer, then Sunday’s third day scores the same. Overseas visitors do not deprive local drivers of points but everyone is naturally keen to uphold national honour.
BRC Class Championship
Positions after round 1:
FIA R5: 1st Stuart Maloney (Rock Hard Cement/VP Fuels/Chevron/Bushy Park Barbados/Sign Station Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), 20pts; 2nd Roger Hill (Esso/MaxMeyer Paints/MotorMac Skoda Fabia R5), 17pts; 3rd Jeff Panton – JAM (KIG/Sandals Resorts/Bushy Park Barbados Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), 15pts; etc
Modified 4: 1st George Sherman - USA (Tide Cleaners/Subway/GS InMotion Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 15pts
SuperModified 2: 1st Roger Mayers (Chefette/Frosteez/Hankook/Sign Depot Toyota WR Starlet), 20pts; 2nd Barry Mayers (Chefette/Frosteez/Hankook/Sign Depot Ford Fiesta), 17pts; 3rd Jonathan Still (Silver Technetium Group/Ino-Gro Hydroponics/Suga Apple Swim/Bajan Pure Water/Quality Tyre BMW M3), 15pts; etc
SM1: 1st Darren Lashley (Hi-Speed Performance Parts/HEL Performance/Lashley’s Auto Garage/Starboy Performance/Shalom Management Services/High Maintenance Detailing Toyota Starlet), 15pts
Modified 3: 1st Logan Watson (Cargo BGI/Packaging Center/Enermax/Luxe Caribbean Properties/Sthil/Jack Daniels/Fete Patch/It’s Barbados/Bajan Pure Water/Quality Tyre BMW M3), 20pts; 2nd Ahmed Esuf (Express imports Inc/Prosales/SY Adam & Son/Cosmo Club/Y Esuf Auto Clinic BMW M3), 17pts; 3rd Justin Campbell (Republic Bank/Automotive Art/Camps Auto Services/Expressionism/Dream Freighting/New York Pizza/Premier Diamonds/COT/AEC/HEL Performance/#livealittle/#RAY BMW M3), 15pts
Modified 2: 1st Neil Corbin (Nassco/Auto Solutions/Stamina Energy/Pressout Performance Toyota GT86 CS-R3), 20pts; 2nd Sean Corbin (Super-S Premium Lubricants/Carter's Pitstop/Kikks Slippas/West Lake Tires/Gunk/Fabblast Barbados/Guava Tech/M&M Racing BMW 318ti), 17pts
M1: 1st Edward Corbin (Automotive Art/Pro Sales/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant), 20pts; 2nd Horatio Brown – JAM (Fast Parts Barbados/Garage 61/Esuf Racing/RAW Power Motorsports/AdON Racing/RichTune Performance Citroen C2R2), 17pts; 3rd Paul Inniss (Caribbean LED Lighting/Trident Insurance/Huntes Auo Spares/Essco/JJ Racing Team/J’s AC Services/Deodat Customz/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Camps Auto Services Honda Civic), 15pts; etc
Clubman 2: 1st Ian Warren (West Lake Tires/Guava Tech/Benthams Farm and Garden/Formula 1/Motor Medic BimmaCup), 20pts; 2nd Chris Hoad (Subway/Dasani Water/Shell Helix/Colour XL/Guava Tech BimmaCup), 17pts; 3rd Allan Kinch (Savvy on the Bay/Yorkshire Agricultural/Guava Tech/Colour XL BimmaCup), 15pts; etc
GpB: 1st Mark Huggins (General Distributors Daihatsu Charmant), 15pts
BRC 4wd Championship: 1st S Maloney, 20pts; 2nd Hill, 17pts; 3rd Panton - JAM, 15pts; 4th Kyle Gregg – JAM (BD Gregg Ford Fiesta Rally2), 14pts; 5th Mark Maloney (Rock Hard Cement/M-Jet/Bushy Park Barbados/Sign Station Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), 13pts; 6th Paul Horton - TCI (Java Island/HO2 Construction/Sky Motorsports Citroen C3 Rally2), 12pts; etc
BRC 2wd Championship: 1st R Mayers, 20pts; 2nd B Mayers, 17pts; 3rd Watson, 15pts; 4th E Corbin, 14pts; 5th N Corbin, 13pts; 6th Warren, 12pts; etc
Sol Rally Barbados (June 9-11) is a tarmac rally, with 20 special stages run on the island’s intricate network of public roads, under road closure orders granted by the Ministry of Transport, Works & Water Resources; First Citizens King of the Hill (June 4) runs under a similar arrangement and features four timed runs on a four-kilometre stage, the results of which are used to seed the running order for Sol RB23.
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com [2]
www.rallybarbados.net [3]; www.barbadosrallyclub.com [4]
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