TOTAL?DOMINATION?by World Rally Cars (WRC) was the highlight of last weekend’s Sol Rally Barbados.
They took seven of the top ten places with the remaining three filled by well-prepared two-wheel drive cars.
The Barbados Rally Club must be complimented for a well-organized event which attracted 61 drivers and co-drivers from 11 nations, including Barbados, along with a record 13 WRCs.
Apart from a few minor hitches, caused mostly by unruly spectators, the proverbial “gear-change away” separated the top six places, led by champion and former KU National Rally champion Paul Bird and Aled Davies in a Ford Focus WRC08. They were determined to make it two-in-a-row as they took an early lead in the 22-stage event and never looked back.
Their technical crew did an excellent job in making sure that the car was fast and reliable for the rigours of the rally of which the stages; mostly new in layout, which on the first day took competitors to the north of the island.
It also showed that the foreign competitors had come to Barbados prepared for a gruelling event for which local knowledge would play an important part in winning or losing.
With a total elapsed time of one hour, 00:31.75 seconds, Bird, who also won WRC1, said he was happy with the way things had gone for him and thanked his co-driver and crew for a job well done.
“It was a well-organized event and shows a high level of commitment by the organizers. This rally can rank with many on the international scene,” he said.
Bird added that he looked forward to defending the title next year.
Rally Jamaica 2012 and Caribbean champion Jeff Panton, a renowned gravel specialist, and co-driver Mike Fennell Jr said the rally was competitive. The second-placed team finished with a time of one hour, .00:56.29 seconds.
“Bird [Paul] was able to get ahead, had few problems and adapted well to the conditions, but I congratulate him on his achievement and wish he and his crew well,” Panton said.
But it was not all smooth-sailing for 12-time winner Roger ‘The Sheriff’ Skeete and Louis Venezia in a Subaru Impreza WRC S12.
After experiencing launch control problems, the pair, who had picked good lines throughout the day, had to settle for third place with a time of 1hr:01:28.15 seconds.
The WRC group continued to make its presence felt with another Barbadian pair, Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward, in a Suzuki SX4 WRC, grabbing fourth spot with a time of 1hr.02:11.88 seconds. They were followed by England’s Roger Duckworth and Alun Cook of Wales, in a Subaru Impreza WRC S6, who returned a time of 1hr:03:01.01 seconds, and Roger ‘The Ninja’ Hill and Graham Gittens in a Toyota Corolla WRC whose time was 1hr:03:27.50 seconds.
The pair of Kevin Procter and Dave Bellerby in a Subaru Impreza WRC S7 with a time of 1hr:03:35.85 seconds rounded out the top seven places.
The Warren brothers, Ian and Robert, in a Suzuki Swift, won SM10 and were eighth with a time of 1hr:03:35.92 seconds.
The Warrens were also the fastest and highest placed two-wheel-drive competitors, eclipsing favourites Josh Read and Mark Jordan, in a Toyota Starlet, who finished ninth with a time of 1hr:03:45.62 seconds. Tenth place went to Roger and Barry Mayers, in a Starlet, in a time of 1hr:04:01.84 seconds.
And as if to further strengthen the power and presence of the world rally, England’s Rob Swann and Welsh co-driver Darren Garrod accounted for 13th place with a time of 1hr:04:50.50 seconds ahead of 14th place Barbadians Dean Serrao and Josh Delmas in a Subaru Impreza WRC S9 who ended with a time of 1hr:06:11.54 seconds.
Another WRC pair, Ireland’s Eddie Power and Michael Morissey, finished 27th in a Toyota Corolla WRC with a time of 1hr:10:02.46 seconds.
