Motorsport is about to step up a gear for the upcoming season.
At least 30 senior officials are currently undergoing a major pre-season training programme under the tutelage of two British Motor Sports Association (MSA) trainers as part of the Barbados Motoring Federation’s (BMF’s) continual development of the sport.
It’s the first time that the sport’s senior officials have received such high-level training, which was being conducted by MSA training manager Sue Sanders and MSA international trainer Nigel Drayton at the Accra Beach Resort over the weekend.
“Two people came in March last year for a training assessment visit talking to the clubs to find out what sort of training would be appropriate, so we applied for funding to bring international trainers into the country,” explained BMF media consultant Robin Bradford.
“We have a training committee that has been training our marshals over the last ten years but there is nothing like that for our senior officials. So out of this there is also a train-the-trainer initiative that will see two Barbadian senior officials fly to Britain in November to undergo a programme so we can start having our own trainers in Barbados.”
Funded by the sport’s world governing body, the Federation Internationale d’Automobile, the programme is slated to deal with topics ranging from roles and responsibilities to event planning and incident management.
The event also serves as the unofficial opening of the new motorsport season with a total of 47 events between February and November being organized by the BMF’s six member clubs – the Barbados Association of Dragsters and Drifters, Barbados Auto Racing League, Barbados Karting Association, Barbados Rally Club, Motoring Club of Barbados Inc., and the Vaucluse Raceway Motorsport Club.
“I am delighted that the international governing body continues to be supportive of our development as a motorsporting nation,” said National Sports Council chairman Seibert Straughn during Saturday’s opening session.
“If you have an international body that is willing to put forward funds [for] a course, then it shows the type of respect they have for how you are organizing things and how professional you are as a group.”
Around 400 local competitors took part in BMF-sanctioned events last season, which also saw a record 88 overseas participants contesting various meets. (JM/PR)
