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Mark Western and Robin Hinds won Saturday’s (April 13) Chefette April Safari by the smallest possible margin - one penalty point. The result was the closest finish in a navigational event since the Toyota November Safari of 2005, when they were also involved . . . but as the losers, by two points, to Lindsay Farmer and Megan Blades.
Aboard the Kar Parts Store/GWS/Esso Barbarees Hill/Yardman Nissan Patrol, Western/Hinds were trailing at the end of route 1, 69 penalty points behind Audley and Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara). Despite a detour after the first Driver Challenge at Edgecombe to repair a broken steering arm, they made back the time, then won route two by 70 points and the event overall by just one.
Western said: “The route-setter did a great job. In route 1, we were 45 minutes late due to steering issues, and the most challenging part was getting to the controls before they closed.” The repair lasted almost until the end of route 2, the 2007 Champion Driver and Navigator having to nurse the Nissan to the finish.
Route-setter Jason Downey also earned praise from others at Monday’s (April 15) Prizegiving at the BCTSA Club House, even from Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Rimula Lubricants/Spirax Lubricants/Sol Isuzu D-Max), who had won the opening round of the 2013 Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship last month.
Along with the first and second finishers, Alleyne and O’Neal are among the island’s most experienced navigational crews, but they have now adopted new nicknames . . . ‘Dumb and Dumber’. As Downey explains: “Route 1 used both Tulip and BRC navigation, switching after the first Driver Challenge. Everyone found the route easy and enjoyable up to around 4.30pm when a trick at Andromeda Gardens caught almost everyone out. If the crews did not get it right, they would drive 10kms less route than they should, miss two Direction Checks and arrive almost 20 minutes early for two Check Points.”
Alleyne and O’Neal did not even realise they had been tricked until the end of the route. Alleyne said: “There was a brilliant trick on the BRC, and we just didn’t pick it up. At first, we plotted wrong then changed, but in a true ‘Dumb and Dumber’ moment, we overlooked the obvious and as a result we lost time.” Despite finishing second in route 2, just 13 penalties behind Western/Hinds, all was lost, and they finished 10th overall.
One of the most impressive performances of the day came from Simon Bayley (Isuzu D-Max), who finished third driving in his first-ever Safari, with the experienced Andrew Croney, 2006 Champion Navigator, alongside. Third on route 1, eighth on route 2, Bayley has been bitten by the Safari bug and says he will be the first to sign up for the Sol Go Further June Safari.
The Chefette April Safari was 170kms long and touched 10 of the island’s 11 parishes, with St Philip missed by just 20 metres. MudDogs Chairman Darnley Rayside said: “Jason has set the bar very high for Safaris this year, and I hope he does not wait another nine years before setting the next one. Winning margins of less than 100 are rare, those in single figures even more so, just two in recent years. As Chairman and competitor, thanks for setting a very entertaining and challenging Safari.”
In the Chefette Novice Championship, rivals Joshua Plaza and Damien Johnson (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai) prevailed, having trailed Dean Springer/Steve Singh (Eastern Veterinary Clinic Suzuki Sidekick) after route 1, while the highest-placed female competitor was Renata Roett, eighth overall with Aswad Bannister.
Chefette April Safari, April 13
Results
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship – round 2
1st Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Kar Parts Store/GWS/Esso Barbarees Hill/Yardman Nissan Patrol), 406 penalties
2nd Audley Croney/Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara), 407pens
3rd Simon Bayley/Andrew Croney (Isuzu D-Max), 517pens
4th Dominic Straker/Ben Norris (Land Rover Discovery), 589pens
5th Wayne Manning/Willie Hinds (AMAT Trading/Zephrin’s Bakeries/Quality Tyre Suzuki Samurai), 728pens
6th Noel Edwards/Darnley Rayside (Esso Barbarees Hill Nissan Patrol), 800pens
7th Adrian Sinckler/Andre Murrell (Sunshine Optimists Suzuki Samurai), 876pens
8th Aswad Bannister/Renata Roett (Toyota Hilux), 922pens
9th Gregory Dickenson/Rorie McConney (Toyota Hilux), 986pens
10th Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Rimula Lubricants/Spirax Lubricants/Sol Isuzu D-Max), 1037pens
etc
Route 1 – 1st Croney/Croney, 200pens; 2nd Western/Hinds, 269pens; 3rd Bayley/Croney, 270pens; etc
Route 2 – 1st Western/Hinds, 137pens; 2nd Alleyne/O’Neal, 150pens; 3rd Dickenson/McConney, 161pens; etc
Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship – round 2
1st Joshua Plaza/Damien Johnson (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai), 1184pens – 12th overall
2nd Dean Springer/Steve Singh (Eastern Veterinary Clinic Suzuki Sidekick), 1635pens – 13th o/a
3rd Jamal McCollin/Dermont King (K & G Service Suzuki Samurai), 3267pens – 16th o/a
4th Dave Gibson/Andy Williams (Suzuki Samurai), 3564pens – 17th o/a
Route 1 – 1st Springer/Singh, 772pens; 2nd Plaza/Johnson, 843pens; 3rd Gibson/Williams, 1029pens; etc
Route 2 – 1st Plaza/Johnson, 341pens; 2nd Springer/Singh, 863pens; 3rd McCollin/King, 1620pens; etc
Forthcoming events
May Day MudFest - May 1
Round 3 - June 29/30 – Sol Go Further June Safari
Round 4 - September 15 - BRC MudDogs September Safari
Round 5 - November 10 - Nassco November Safari
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com [2]
Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com [3], www.muddogsbarbados.com [4]
