A RECORD 30 international entries and 13 World Rally Cars (WRC) are included in a 95-car field assembled for Sol Rally Barbados which starts today at the Greenland Agricultural Station in St Andrew.
Also on the entry list are 61 international drivers and co-drivers, 22 of whom are new to the event, along with eight drivers or co-drivers, including two newcomers from the wider Caribbean.
As a result of last weekend’s Scotiabank King-Of-The-Hill, the Barbadian pair of Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward in the Monster/Sol/Chefette/Digicel/Virgin Atlantic/Gunk/Hankook Tyres/Redline Fuels/Simpson Finance/Simpson Motors Suzuki SX4 WRC are seeded No. 1.
They are followed by last year’s winner, Paul Bird and Welsh co-driver Aled Davies in the Frank Bird Poultry/Rapid Solicitors/Fuchs Titan Race Oils Ford Focus WRC08, while 12-time winner Roger “The Sheriff” Skeete and Louis Venezia are at No. 3 in the Sol/Michelin/Simpson Motors/DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Subaru Impreza WRC S12.
This year, most of the attention will be centred on the battle for two-wheel drive supremacy. Heading the list are the Mayers brothers, Roger and Barry, who are the top two-wheel seeds but start at No. 6 overall in the Chefette/Digicel/Pennzoil/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet. The pair of Josh Read and Mark Jordan, in the Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/SDRR/Weetabix/Royal Purple/EZone/Coffee Bean Toyota Starlet are at seven and Ian and Robert Warren in the Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Suzuki Swift are at ten.
In addition to the battle for overall and two-wheel drive supremacy, there will be 14 separate classes contested, with local competitors pitting their skills against overseas entries in all but the two historic classes and a “Power Stage” between Padmore Village and Golden Grove in St Philip to bring the curtain down on the two days of competition among participants from 11 nations.
From today’s opening stage at Luke Hill in St Lucy to the climax of day two, competitors will settle 22 closed-road tarmac special stages with a total stage distance of 115 kilometres.
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