SUNDAY’S Barbados Auto Racing League’s (BARL) race meet at Bushy Park is being used by drivers as a dress rehearsal for the Digicel/Williams International Race meet later this year.And BARL chairman Adrian Mayers told WEEKENDSPORT that this Sunday’s meet has all the ingredients of being a keenly contested affair.“Two new groups, 4A and 4B, have been added and 60 entries have been received so far – which could rise – and 16 races will be on the day’s card,” he said.New groupsMayers said that the addition of the two new groups would make it easier for the running of the Barbados leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC), for officials and drivers, because two-drive and four-wheel drive cars would not be run together.It is also felt that the two-wheel drive lap record will be under pressure.Record holder Stuart Williams, in the Williams Equipment/ Hilti Lotus Elise, will be looking to hold off any challenges, while two former speed kings of Bushy Park – Mark Maloney, in the Rockstar/Digicel/ Automotive Art Mazda RX3, and Barry Mayers, in the Chefette/M&M Racing Suzuki SX4 – have both said they would be going after the coveted title.ReadyMayers missed the previous meetings and word out of his camp is that he will be fast and ready for the day’s action. Maloney is fresh from the opening round of the CMRC and is looking to continue his form.Roger “His Hotness” Mayers, who holds the four-wheel drive lap record, is sitting out the day’s action, for which qualifying will take place tomorrow.Steve King, in the King’s Auto/Castrol Nissan GTR, and Sammy Cumberbatch, in a Digicel/Williams Industries BMW M3, are entered in Group 3C, while Dave Hinds, who will be at the wheel of the Roxy Supermarket Toyota Starlet, and Cliff Roett, in the Carter’s and Co. Starlet, are entered in Group 3B.Severely testedDefending champion driver Karl Waterman, in a Catch Life/AquaPur Starlet, is expected to be severely tested by Kurt Thompson in the BioBeauty Day Spa Honda Civic CRX.In Group 2A, Sean “Doc” Russell, in the McCarthy’s Garage Honda Civic, will be looking to add to his points amidst challenges from drivers such as William Jones, Kurt Hamblin and Mark Thompson, while Jason Parkinson and Shawn Boxill are expected to make winning difficult for drivers in Group 2B.ChallengesA rivalry with renewed vigour is anticipated between Kenrick “Snappa” Husbands, in the Hilti Power Tools Toyota Starlet, and Edward Corbin, in a similar machine, with challenges from Christopher Hinds and Kevin Griffith.Among ReZult Group 1, female drivers Natasha Farnum and Shannan Kirton will be out to whip their more illustrious male counterparts in a group that includes former champion driver Orville “Sluggie” Blackman, Jermaine Pope, and Hanief Gooding.
