[1]Final preparations are being made island-wide for the longest event in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship, the Sol Go Further June Safari. The first of 25 crews will depart Sol Redman's Village at 3.01pm on Saturday (June 29) for an 18-hour test of endurance, which will take competitors to some of the island’s most scenic locations.
Title sponsor of the BRC’s blue riband event, Rally Barbados, for the past six years, Sol first supported the June Safari in 2012, and has stepped up it’s commitment this year. Each crew receives a $100 fuel voucher, while the Redman’s Village start will be the focal point of a major promotion for customers and motor sport fans, who will enjoy a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with some very specialized machinery from 1.30 to 3.30pm.
The successful running of the first June Rally in 1957 was the catalyst for the BRC’s formation in the following months; run annually ever since – this is the 57th edition - the ‘June’ is the Caribbean’s oldest motor sport event with a continuous history. Route-setters for this year are the 2012 winners, Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal; while that victory was O’Neal’s first – his was the 69th name added to the roll of honour of the BRC’s oldest event – Alleyne racked up his fifth.
Fresh from its key role in results gathering for Sol Rally Barbados, Alleyne and O’Neal put the Simpson Motors/Shell Rimula/Shell Spirax/Isuzu D-Max to good use in the final preparations for the ‘June’ last weekend. Alleyne says: “Despite a dry week, there is still mud out there – we managed to get stuck up, but not for long. On behalf of the MudDogs, I must say thank-you to our very generous sponsor, Sol; as well as the fuel vouchers for each competitor, a marvellous incentive, they have pulled out all the stops and planned a Start at Sol Redman’s Village like none we’ve had before!”
Kirk King, sales and marketing manager of Sol (Barbados) Ltd, noted: “Sol is proud to reinforce the link between vehicle performance, as well as fuel economy, to its performance fuel offering, Sol Go Further. We are looking forward to hosting the MudDogs, whose larger-than-life vehicles represent the pinnacle of innovation, engineering and tenacity to overcome any obstacle.
“Sol reiterates its support of all forms of motor sport and excellence by its continued relationship with the Barbados Rally Club, not only with the immensely popular Sol Rally Barbados but also with the Club’s oldest event, a true test of endurance.”
The Safari is divided into four routes, with rest stops between each, to allow competitors to refresh themselves for the challenges ahead. The dinner stop will be at Chefette and Sol Speightstown, with two further breaks at around 11.00pm and 4.00am, before the finish at the Tikki Bar at Rockley, Christ Church; complimentary breakfast will be available for all competitors as has become customary in recent years.
Sixteen competitors will enjoy their first outing of the 2013 season, among them some of the island’s most experienced practitioners in the art of navigation: reigning MudDogs Champions Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux) return after a lay-off while Driver Armstrong was recovering from a back injury – Clarke’s five wins as Navigator between 1991 and 2010 place him at the head of the roll of honour, jointly with Alleyne, who has won twice as Driver, three times as Navigator. Armstrong has three victories to his credit, all claimed with Clarke alongside.
In addition to those crews which have seen action in the season’s first two Safaris, Armstrong and Clarke will face strong competition from Ryan Corbin and Dustin Edwards (Toyota Hilux), who won the Championship in 2010, Edwards as Driver, Corbin as Navigator. They switched roles thereafter, beaten to last year’s title by just 10 points
Peter Bradshaw, winning driver in a tied result with brothers Ian and Robert Warren in the 2002 ‘June’, navigates for Richard Whitehead (Suzuki Vitara), while his navigator of 11 years ago, Derek Gill, drives his Mitsubishi Pajero with Andrew Croney as navigator.
The Prizegiving for the Sol Go Further June Safari will be held at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association Clubhouse at Searles, Christ Church, next Monday (July 1), once results are made final.
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship
& Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship
Round 3 - June 29/30 – Sol Go Further June Safari
Novice Class
1 Jamal McCollin/Dermont King (Suzuki Samurai)
10 Michael St Hill/tba (Mitsubishi Pajero)
12 Nicholas Pinto/Jamal Brathwaite (Jeep Grand Cherokee)
13 Richard Hinkson/Rasheed Mapp (Suzuki Samurai)
14 Joshua Plaza/Rashid Nakhuda (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai)
15 Damien Johnson/Corey Williams (Western Union Suzuki Samurai)
16 Philip Waight/Gerald Wallcot (Suzuki Samurai)
17 Dave Gibson/Andy Williams (Suzuki Samurai)
19 Chris Thornhill/Michael Rodriguez (OKAERI Land Rover Defender)
Pro Class
2 Warrick Eastmond/Trina Griffith (Daihatsu Feroza)
3 George Mendes/Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi L200 Sportero)
4 Mark Western/Jeremy Croney (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store/Esso Barbarees Hill Nissan Patrol)
5 Noel Edwards/Jason Downey (Esso Barbarees Hill/Gomez & Western Services Nissan Patrol)
6 Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbin’s Catering/Mahogany Ridge/SDRR/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux)
7 Nicolas Lorde/Brett Barber (Comfeet/Britpart/NL Engineering Inc/Sam Lorde’s Enterprizes Land Rover Discovery)
8 Simon Bayley/Paul Marshall (Isuzu D-Max)
9 Wayne Manning/Willie Hinds (Zephrin’s Bakeries/AMAT Trading/Quality Tyre Suzuki Samurai)
11 Aswad Bannister/Andre Murrell (Toyota Hilux)
18 Richard Whitehead/Peter Bradshaw (Suzuki Vitara)
20 Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc/Sweet Temptations Mitsubishi Pajero)
21 Gregory Dickenson/Rorie McConney (Toyota Hilux)
22 Adrian Sinckler/tba (Sunshine Optimists Suzuki Samurai)
23 Dominic Straker/Adam Hunte (Sign Station/The Ranch Land Rover Discovery)
24 Chris Armstrong/Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux)
25 John Pinto/Nicholas Branson (Paints Plus/Amsoil/Structural Systems Suzuki Jimny)
Forthcoming events
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]
