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The Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship is heading for an exciting conclusion, with points close in the battles for both the Champion Navigator and Champion Driver titles. Crews return to action on Sunday (September 15) in the Redlinefuels.com September Safari, round four of five in the 2013 Championship.
Chris O’Neal and Leslie Alleyne (Simpson Motors/Shell Rimula/Shell Spirax/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max) are the current leaders of the Navigator and Driver tables, returning to competitive action this weekend, having being route-setters for the previous round, the Sol Go Further June Safari.
O’Neal’s closest rival is Jeremy Croney, who finished second in March and April in the family’s CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara, then 10th in June with Mark Western (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store/Esso Barbarees Hill Nissan Patrol); Croney is back in the Vitara on Sunday, with Sean Gibbs now navigating for Western.
The top five in the Navigator standings is completed by Andre Murrell, Gary Mendes and Rorie McConney, who is 20 points behind O’Neal. Once dropped scores are taken into account, however, all three slip down the order, while Robin Hinds and Andrew Croney come into the mix and the spread of 20 points stretches down to eighth place.
A similar situation prevails in the Drivers’ title chase, Alleyne leading Western by four points, with Dominic Straker, George Mendes and Gregory Dickenson completing the top five, Dickenson 20 points behind Alleyne. In the ‘dropped-score shuffle’, Mendes holds on to his fourth place, but the others drop down, Audley Croney and Simon Bayley climbing the order and 20 points again stretching down to eighth.
Straker is switching seats to be Navigator to Julian Kirton on Sunday, which adds yet another variable, while Rorie McConney’s absence will further shake up the Navigator position. An unusually low entry in the Chefette Novice Championship looks set to allow Navigators Jamal Brathwaite, Rasheed Mapp and Andy Williams and Drivers Dave Gibson and Richard Hinkson to build on their earlier results.
MudDogs Chairman Darnley Rayside, said: “The entry and the absence of some of our regulars is making the points race very exciting. I am looking forward to seeing everyone out this weekend and at the Prizegiving on Monday. I must also say thanks to Barry Gale and RedlineFuels.com for coming forward and sponsoring the event with some very practical awards.”
Route-setters for the Redlinefuels.com September Safari are Richard ‘RC’ Daniel and Kreigg Yearwood. Crews are expected to arrive for Scrutineering at Simpson Motors in Warrens, St Michael, by 7.00am on Sunday, with the first crew scheduled to leave the start at 8.00am. Route one will take competitors through the island’s northern parishes to lunch at the Sand Dunes Restaurant on the Ermy Bourne Highway. Route two, through the eastern parishes, will finish at the Three Houses Plantation.
After last night’s (Tuesday) briefing meeting, Rayside said: “I talked to RC and he has promised a great scenic rally, that no-one should get lost on. However, I feel with Pete Bradshaw as route-checker, there will be a few challenging and entertaining tricks in it as well. Thanks to all of them for the time they have put in to set this event.”
The Prizegiving for the Redlinefuels.com September Safari will be held at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association Clubhouse at Searles, Christ Church, next Monday (September 16), once results are made final.
Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship
& Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship
Round 4 – September 15 – Redlinefuels.com September Safari
Pro Class
1 Gregory Dickenson/Dane McConney (Toyota Hilux)
2 George Mendes/Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi L200 Sportero)
4 Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Shell Rimula/Shell Spirax/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max)
5 John Pinto/Nicholas Branson (Paints Plus/Amsoil Suzuki Jimny)
6 Mark Western/Sean Gibbs (Gomez & Western Services/Kar Parts Store/Esso Barbarees Hill Nissan Patrol)
7 Nicolas Lorde/Brett Barber (Comfeet/Britpart/NL Engineering Inc Land Rover Discovery)
9 Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Insurance Solutions Inc/Sweet Temptations Mitsubishi Pajero)
10 Julian Kirton/Dominic Straker (Jeep Wrangler)
11 Aswad Bannister/Andre Murrell (Toyota Hilux)
12 Warrick Eastmond/Trina Griffith (Daihatsu Feroza)
13 Noel Edwards/Jason Downey (Esso Barbarees Hill/Gomez & Western Services Nissan
Patrol)
14 Audley Croney/Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara)
16 Wayne Manning/Willie Hinds (Zephirin’s Bakeries/Quality Tyre Suzuki Samurai)
Novice Class
3 Derek Pinto/Jamal Brathwaite (Isuzu D-Max)
8 Dave Gibson/Andy Williams (Suzuki Toyota Hilux)
15 Richard Hinkson/Rasheed Mapp (Suzuki Samurai)
Forthcoming events
Round 4 - September 15 – Redlinefuels.com September Safari
October MudFest - October 20
Round 5 - November 10 - Nassco November Safari
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com [2], www.muddogsbarbados.com
