A two-wheel-drive battle appears to be brewing in today’s Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Valvoline Stages Rally.
Roger “His Hotness” Mayers and co-driver Max Ferri, in the WR Starlet, are drawn in SM10 with fast men such as Josh Read and Mark Jordan in a Toyota Starlet, Ian and Robert Warren in a Suzuki Swift, Brett Clarke and Chris Hoad in a Citroen C2, Ralph White and Tony Pile in a Toyota Starlet and Cliff Roett and Joshua Plaza in a Toyota Starlet.
Read has left all in his wake so far this year, but he is expected to be severely tested today as a result of the pairs entered for the event, which is the only rally competitors will have before the Sol Rally Barbados on June 1 and 2.
Trevor “Electric Micey” Manning should attract much attention on his return to active competition, in the company of Derek Edwards.
Among the top-class group, the in-form Paul Bourne, who is unbeaten so far this year, has a new co-driver, Jermin Pope, in a Ford Focus WRC07, and is seeded at No. 1 in the running order. Arch-rival and last year’s winner Roger “The Sheriff” Skeete and Louis Venezia are seeded two in a Subaru Impreza WRC S12.
Neil Armstrong and Barry Ward, who are making their first appearance in a BRC championship event this year in a Suzuki SX4 WRC, are seeded three, ahead of Read and Jordan, the top two-wheel drive pair this year.
Thirty-nine cars were entered at last Thursday’s briefing meeting and scrutineering was completed yesterday.
After the 9 a.m. start at Automotive Art, Welches, St Thomas, competitors will settle three runs of Hangman’s Hill, St Thomas, and two of Dark Hole, St Joseph in the morning session, and take on Dark Hole over three runs and two at Hangman’s Hill in the afternoon.
The Greenland Agricultural Station, St Andrew, is the service park and the venue for the finish, slated for 5 p.m, followed by the prize-giving and post-event lime, starting around 6 p.m.
