Local, regional and international drivers gave the thumbs-up to the redeveloped Bushy Park racing facility as they completed final testing and tweaking for today’s opening day of the Top Gear Festival Barbados.
Among them was Formula 1 championship leader driver Lewis Hamilton as well as a number of the drivers due to contest the RedBull RallyCross series and local stars Geoff Ullyett and Andrew Jones.
Today’s proceedings will get started with the singing of the National Anthem by young karter Joshua Maloney, before a blessing on the day’s proceedings is said by the Rev Dr Von Watson of the St Mary’s Anglican Church.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport Richard Sealy and chairman of the Bushy Park Circuit Inc. (BPCI), Mark Maloney, are down to deliver addresses, while the Royal Barbados Police Force Band provides the morning’s musical entertainment.
On-track action will open with demonstrations from the Japspeed Drift Team, the first Powerlap of the day from “The Stig”, which should set the tone for the Group B Rally Showdown and the Le Mans Pursuit – a journey through motorsport with one of the all-time classic racing series to be seen in Barbados for the first time.
Three British super cars with the ultimate racing background will go head-to-head in a three-lap race – a Classic F Supercar Showdown featuring the Toleman once driven by late Formula I great Ayrton Senna and the iconic Camel Lotus 80s era F1 cars in a head-to-head challenge. This will be followed by the Cricket Challenge.
Activities move into high gear with the Red Bull Global Rallycross practice session, a Drift Challenge, featuring the presenters, before the Engine Orchestra showdown.
At noon, Hamilton is set for a practice run in his Mercedes AMG Petronas FI before he meets Richard Hammond in a road-going Mercedes AMG car.
The awe-inspiring drift team will return to the track and all eyes will be on local boys Geoff Ullyett and Andrew Jones. It will then be an Italian affair when three of the fastest and most iconic Ferraris of all time go head-to-head in a super car showdown before the dragsters show their might ahead of the presenters’ race featuring Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Hammond.
At the end of the day’s action it will be party time with Bunji Garlin, Biggie Irie and Edwin Yearwood.
Tomorrow, Nexcyx, NJ30 and Mikey will bring the curtain down on the two days of racing.