Two-wheel drive lap record holder Stuart Williams posted the fastest time, as drivers settled grid positions for today’s opening of the Barbados Auto Racing League’s (BARL) 2011 racing season at Bushy Park.
Racing is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
And with only four scheduled days for racing before the St Philip circuit is redeveloped for the sport, a total of 50 cars are entered for the day’s action.
A large crowd watched as Williams, driving the Williams Equipment/Hilti Power Tools Lotus Elise showed no ill-effects from the accident he suffered in Guyana last November as he booked his place for the pole position of 41.607 seconds, nosing out Barry Mayers in the Digicel/Chefette/Simpson Motors Suzuki SX4 who will occupy the second row on the grid after he returned a best time of 41.748 seconds.
It would be the first time Williams will be driving the Lotus since his outing at the Guyana International race meet last November, during which the car sustained extensive damage in a collision with Guyana’s Mark Viera.
The experienced Doug Maloney in the Paints Plus Audi Quatro is in third on the grid with a time of 42.655 seconds.
Cliff Roett in the Carters General Stores/Roett’s Garage Toyota Starlet gave notice of his intentions by taking pole position among Group 3B&C drivers when he posted the fastest time of 46.288 seconds, compared with 47.069 for Andre Waithe in the Twist Mitsubishi Mirage and 47.991 seconds for Jerry Leach in a Peugeot who will start from the third row of the grid.
Another driver, Vere Forde returned a time of 52.253 seconds and will start on the fourth row among Group 3B&C competitors.
Champion driver Edward Corbin in the Corbin’s Garage/Klar-O-Dio/Valvoline/Automotive Art Toyota Starlet, with a time of 48.988 seconds, is the pole-sitter for the first race for Group 2C, and will have Justin in a Nissan Pulsar on the second row after he returned a time of 49.110 seconds, while Mark Thompson in a Glassesco Toyota Starlet will start on the third row after he returned a time of 49.542 seconds.
Christopher Hinds in the Roxy Toyota Starlet will be next to him on Row 4 after posting a time of 49.656 seconds.
Former group champion, Kenrick “Snappa” Husbands in the Johnsen/Williams/Hilti Power Tools Toyota Starlet is on Row 5 after turning in a time of 49.814 seconds ahead of former BARL overall champion driver, Karl Waterman whose time was 50.602 seconds.
Defending Group 2B champion Jason Harewood at the wheel of the Do-it-Best/Castrol Toyota Starlet has the “pole” in the group after returning the fastest time of 49.584 seconds, but will have to keep a keen eye on Danny Croney in the SDRR Hoses and Hydraulics Starlet who will be next to him after posting a time of 49.812 seconds.
Shawn Boxill (49.915), Winston Grecia (50.669), Jason Johnson (50.726) and Roger Rowe (51.553) are third, four, fifth and sixth respectively in the same group.
