Campbell savours success

Justin Campbell regards his victory in the second race for Group 3A during the rain-affected day/night race meet of the Barbados Auto Racing League last weekend as his best race yet.Campbell – who had finished second to group leader Kurt Thompson (in the Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty Day Spa Honda Civic) in the group’s first race – overcame a brake problem with his Leeson Moe-prepared C&C Auto Services/Cumberbatch Nurseries/Target Design Studio BMW M3 during qualifying. Indeed, mechanical problems of varying kinds forced out some of the other drivers from the merged race.In the race itself, he won one of the biggest tussles of his driving career with Sammy Cumberbatch, who was also in a BMW M3.“Although he is a Group 3C driver, I was not daunted and I wanted to take him on, although knowing that he is more experienced than I. But it was a great learning experience for me at the circuit ,” Campbell said.He also remembered the pressure he was under from Daryl Clarke early in the race.“Clarke is a very good driver and I expected him to be tough, but I was also expecting some competition from my brother Russell, but I am happy with the way things are going and the progress I have made along with the development of the car.”Campbell said it was his best meet to date. However, as he begins preparation for the upcoming Digicel/Williams International race meet on August 29, he said shedding weight would be his main concern.He stressed that reliability was not an issue, neither was the handling, only the weight: the car is 2218 pounds.“We are looking at shedding some weight and doing some fine-tuning, but I am still on a learning curve at Bushy Park, want more seat time, but I think he would be ready by the time the international race meet gets here,” he said.He credited the advice and expertise he has gained from Leeson Moe as being responsible for all his success so far.Campbell finished 18th overall in this year’s Sol Rally Barbados and third in Supermodified 11.