Guts and guile could be the difference between winning and losing in today’s Redlinefuels.com September Safari, round four of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship.
Scrutineering at Simpson Motors, Warrens, St Michael, will begin at 7 a.m., with the first crew scheduled to leave an hour later.
Fresh from a good showing in the recently-held Summer Mudfest at Three Houses Plantation, St Philip, driver Mark Western has strengthened his hand in the race for the honours by teaming up with Sean Gibbs in a Nissan Patrol.
Western, with 158 points, is just four points off leader Leslie Alleyne in the driver’s standings. He could be spring a surprise under the prevailing conditions with the set-up of his vehicle, affectionately called “the Green Giant”, in a championship where there are close battles in the race for the champion driver and champion navigator titles.
The skills of route setters Richard “RC” Daniel and Kreigg Yearwood are expected to severely test the crews under the conditions after they leave the start for route one which will be contested in the northern parishes before the lunch stop at the Sand Dunes Restaurant on the Ermy Bourne Highway. Route two takes crews to the eastern parishes before finishing at Three Houses.
Aswad Bannister and Andre Murrell, in a Toyota Hilux, and Warrick Eastmond and lone female in the day’s action, Trina Griffith, in a Daihatsu Feroza, will provide competition. They will keep their eyes on the father-and-son combination of Audley and Jeremy Croney in a Suzuki Vitara; Nicholas Lorde and Brett Barber in a Land Rover Discovery and Derek Gill and Andrew Croney in a Mitsubishi Pajero.
The fancied pair of championship leaders Chris O’Neal and Leslie Alleyne in an Isuzu D-Max will start at No.4 in the today’s running order. They could find things to their liking with that draw on a day in which mud and water are expected to provide additional challenges in the race for group honours.
The seat changes between Julian Kirton and Dominic Straker in a Jeep Wrangler will make predicting the results even more difficult.
The low turnout in the Chefette Novice Championship could also work in favour of drivers Dave Gibson and Richard Hinkson and navigators such as Rasheed Mapp, Jamal Brathwaite, and Andy Williams.
The awards ceremony is slated for the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association’s clubhouse at Searles, Christ Church tomorrow.
