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Giant-killer Neil Armstrong, the highest-placed two-wheel-drive finisher in Sol Rally Barbados for the past two years, faces a new challenge in the 2013 running of the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International on June 1/2. It was confirmed this week that he will drive the Simpson Motors/MML Suzuki SX4 WRC in 2013.
Armstrong, one of the rising stars of island rallying, has just returned from the UK, where he worked with triple British Rally Champion Mark Higgins on an intensive test programme, including two days on gravel at Walter’s Arena, one of the most popular venues at Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB.
Speaking from the UK, Armstrong said: “The test was an eye-opening experience. The stages were proper Wales Rally GB stuff, with everything you could imagine – some fast and flowing, then tight hairpins, up and down, and all on a perfect manicured surface.
“The Suzuki SX4 WRC is absolutely amazing. The turn-in is unbelievable, how it stops, how it reacts, how you can just lob it into a corner, get on the brakes and then just power out, with minimal steering input. I have driven a four-wheel-drive car before - an Evo VI - and the only similarities between the SX4 and the Evo are that they are both four-wheel-drive and they both have a steering wheel. Every aspect of the SX4 is just better and improved to a level that I am only beginning to comprehend. I am so looking forward to driving it in Trinidad and then in Barbados.”
Higgins was equally enthusiastic: “The first time I drove the car on gravel I felt totally at home with it - the balance was incredible, it really hangs on to the corners well and I am very impressed. It was hard for the guys to get me out of it!
“I have driven a lot of World Cars over the last 10 years - they all feel pretty similar, but this engine has got great torque and the driveability is very, very good. The car also feels light and nimble, probably because of the short wheelbase. It has a great overall feel and I am confident the car and Neil will be very competitive."
“Base setup is important, but we have been doing quite a bit of testing with braking. You have to brake hard, even on gravel, get the weight transferred to the front and, because the car stops so well, you have to be a bit harder on the brakes. It’s all about building confidence; everything is coming at you faster with this type of car and it really is a different world. Your normal braking points, which you think are OK, aren’t, because you can go much further into a corner. It may only be a second or two a kilometre faster, but it makes all the difference in the heat of competition."
On Armstrong, he added: “Neil has been doing a great job in testing. There is a lot going on with a World Rally Car, the diffs, the suspension, and what will be important for Neil is to develop his confidence in the car. He is very comfortable with the SX4 already, so he needs to keep developing his technique and style, as the talent is already there. He listens well, his speed is good and he’s improving all the time. Watch this space, as I believe Neil could be the new star out in the Caribbean."
With regular co-driver Barry Ward, Armstrong will make his SX4 debut in Rally Trinidad (March 23/24). The Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Rookie of the Year in 2002, he has since won five BRC Class Championships, two each in Group N and Group A, then last year in the SuperModified 10 Toyota Starlet in which he finished fifth in Sol RB12.
Armstrong replaces Sean Gill in the SX4, after Gill’s decision to step down from the top level of island motor sport. Gill said: "The commitment to a full time programme with the SX4 has taken its toll and, to be honest, I need to concentrate on my family at the moment, so I am taking a break from the sport. I will be back, though, and I am looking forward to competing again in the future."
Shipping date confirmed for European entries
One more piece of the Sol Rally Barbados 2013 jigsaw puzzle dropped into place this week, with confirmation of shipping arrangements from the UK. Once again, the Official Shipping Partner is the Geest Line, with up to 30 cars booked to set sail from Portsmouth on Tuesday, April 30, aboard the freighter Agulhas Stream. The trans-Atlantic voyage to the Bridgetown Port in Barbados takes 10 days, allowing ample time for Barbados Rally Club (BRC) officials to clear cars through Customs and arrange their transportation to secure storage to await the arrival of their owners. The return trip is scheduled for June 7, the Friday following Sol RB13.
Sol Rally Barbados (June 1/2) and Scotiabank King of the Hill (May 26) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB13 is the 24th running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the sixth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.
For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com [4]
web sites: www.rallybarbados.net; [5] www.barbadosrallyclub.com [6]
