DRIVER CHALLENGES on each route should keep crews busy in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette April Safari tomorrow.
The first challenge of the safari, which has attracted 18 crews, will be at Edgecombe, St Philip around 3 p.m, and the second at Maynards, St Peter at about 9 p.m.
The safari will be without last year’s champions Chris Armstong and Wayne Clarke for the second event running. They missed the March Safari after Armstrong suffered a back injury.
The April Safari will begin in earnest at Chefette Wildey at 2 p.m for route one before the dinner stop at Sand Dunes, St Andrew.
After the re-start, crews then head back west towards the finish at Chefette Warrens at approximately 11 p.m.
New MudDogs 4×4 motorsport chairman Darnley Rayside said he was again impressed with the numbers who turned out for the briefing meeting and drew attention to the 18 entries, as well as those returning for the first time this year.
“We have one completely new competitor in the novice class who will be facing even more of a challenge, having been unfortunate enough to pull car No. 1, and so will be the first to tackle the routes,” he said.
Points leader Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal in the Isuzu D-Max, the father and son combination of Audley and Jeremy Croney in the Suzuki Vitara and Mark Western, and Robin Hinds in the Nissan Patrol are all entered among an 18-crew field for the event, seven of which are making their first appearance in the championship this season.
The novice championship is led by Damien Johnson and Corey Williams in the Suzuki Samurai, but Johnson is swapping seats this weekend, joining his closest rival Plaza, as navigator.
They then can expect good competition to come from Dave Gibson and Andy Williams in a Suzuki Samurai, who finished fourth and third respectively in the novice driver and navigator standings last year.
The prize-giving will be held at the BCTSA Club house on Monday once results are made final.
