[1]Photo: Mud Dogs are happy when they're muddy
The season-long battle for supremacy in the 2011 WTI MudDogs Safari Championship and the Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship reaches its conclusion on Sunday, October 16, with the Nassco October Safari, the fifth and final event of the year.
In calculating the final positions, crews will drop their worst score, if they have participated in all five events, which makes for interesting reading coming into the final showdown. Winners of the Regional Fire & Security Setpember Safari, Wayne Clarke and Chris Armstrong, respectively lead the WTI Navigator and Driver title chases before dropped scores are taken into account, with Dane McConney and Hadley Green, twice the first Novice crew home, atop the Chefette Novice Navigator and Driver tables.
Once dropped scores come into play, however, there is a major reshuffle of the top 10 drivers and navigators - Armstrong (now on 174 points) slips to second, four points behind Leslie Alleyne, who has won two of his three Safaris as a driver and has no score to drop, while Ryan Corbin (another with no score to drop) has 170 and Audley Croney 166. Even with his lowest score subtracted, Clarke still leads the Navigator standings on 174, with Corbin’s navigator Dustin Edwards next up on 170, Jeremy Croney third (166) and Darnley Rayside fourth (164).
Things are more straightforward in the Novice stakes, with no change of order among the leading crews, and with only McConney and Green having a score to drop: once that is done, they lead with 178, from Gary Mendes/Alexander Kellman on 172 and Trina Griffith/Matthew Durant third on 166.
The first crew is scheduled to leave the pits at Bushy Park, St Philip for the Nassco October Safari, at 8.01am; the lunch stop-over will be at noon at Chefette, Charles Rowe Bridge, St George and the finish at approximately 4.00pm at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Clubhouse, Searles, Christ Church.
The route has been set by Barry Gale and rechecked by Neil Barnard. This formidable pairing were respectively Champion Driver and Navigator in the 2005 BRC Navigational Championship, also winners of the Shelbury Construction June Safari in 2008.
Chairman of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) MudDogs Warren Gollop says: “Well, this is it! Some competitors will be doing the permutations and combinations all day long to see where they will end up in the Championship, while many will be just having too much fun trying to beat Barry Gale and the elements.
“Whatever the case, I am certain it will be challenging and fun for all, and I look forward to a terrific entry for our Safari series finale. Thank you to Nassco for again sponsoring our final Safari of the season. There will be food and drinks on sale at the finish – the BBQ will be cranked up for the battle weary!”
Entries are now open at Motorsport Services in Haggatt Hall and will close next Tuesday (October 11) at noon – competitors are reminded that Motorsport Services currently closes at 2.00pm Monday to Friday; the Briefing Meeting will be at 7.00pm the same evening at the BCTSA Club House, after which the entry list will be released. The Prizegiving for the Nassco October Safari will be held at the same venue on Monday, October 17.
Practice Safari on Sunday
There will be a Practice Safari this Sunday (October 9), starting and finishing at Country View Bar in Market Hill, St George, where lunch will be on sale for those interested. The all-tarmac route, which will last around three hours, has been set by Jason Downey and Noel Edwards.
Mud Dogs Chairman Warren Gollop said: “It was decided to keep this on tarmac given the recent weather, particularly as it is specifically for ‘navigational practice’, rather than off-road driving practice. We don't want people getting stuck, nor do we want to encroach on anyone's property, causing unnecessary damage, and perhaps inadvertently driving on tracks that will be used in the Nassco October Safari.
“Having said that, if crews would like to use a car, they are recommended to use one with good ground clearance. The route will be BRC, tulip . . . and a lot of straight line.”
2011 WTI MudDogs Safari Championship
Positions after round 4 (positions based on dropped scores in brackets)
WTI Navigators
1st Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux), 228 points (174pts)
2nd Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Samurai), 218pts (3rd – 166pts)
3rd Darnley Rayside (Electric Avenue/Pitbull Energy Drink Land Rover Discovery), 208pts (4th - 164pts)
4th Brett Barber (JE Security/Biddy's Visitor Information Mitsubishi Pajero), 192pts (5th – 156pts)
5th Dustin Edwards (Corbin's Catering Services/Sweet Temptations/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux), 170pts (2nd)
6th Dane McConney (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 162pts (8th equal – 132pts)
7th Peter Bradshaw (Toyota Hilux), 160pts (8th equal – 132pts)
8th Willie Hinds (Suzuki Samurai), 154pts (6th – 138pts)
9th equal Andre Murrell (Suzuki Samurai) & Renata Roett (Toyota Hilux), 152pts (Murrell 14th – 122pts, Roett 7th – 136pts)
etc
WTI Drivers
1st Chris Armstrong (Toyota Hilux), 228pts (2nd – 174pts)
2nd Audley Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Samurai), 218pts (4th – 166pts)
3rd Ben Norris (Electric Avenue/Pitbull Energy Drink Land Rover Discovery), 208pts (5th – 164pts)
4th Biddy Barber (JE Security/Biddy's Visitor Information Mitsubishi Pajero), 192pts (6th – 156pts)
5th Leslie Alleyne (Valvoline Mitsubishi Pajero), 178pts (1st)
6th Gregory Dickenson (Toyota Hilux), 172pts (7th – 144pts)
7th Ryan Corbin (Corbin's Catering Services/Sweet Temptations/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux), 170pts (3rd)
8th Hadley Green (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 162pts (10th – 132pts)
9th Michael Ward (Suzuki Samurai), 154pts (8th – 138pts)
10th Edson Arthur (Toyota Hilux), 152pts (9th – 136pts)
Chefette Novice Navigators
1st Dane McConney (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 234pts (178pts)
2nd Gary Mendes (Lex Fitness/MK Rentals Suzuki Samurai), 172pts
3rd Trina Griffith (Suzuki Jimny), 166pts
4th Nyere Jones (Toyota Hilux), 156pts
5th Jamal Brathwaite (Toyota Surf & Suzuki Samurai), 110pts
Chefette Novice Drivers
1st Hadley Green (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 234pts (178pts)
2nd Alexander Kellman (Lex Fitness/MK Rentals Suzuki Samurai), 172pts
3rd Matthew Durant (Suzuki Jimny), 166pts
4th Aswad Bannister (Toyota Hilux), 154pts
5th Simon Parravicino (Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 152pts
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com [2], www.muddogsbarbados.com
