Roger?Skeete, the most decorated rally driver in this country, is quietly confident he can make it lucky number 13, and rediscover his dominance of the prized Sol Rally Barbados, which starts tonight with a special stage, using the spanking and enhanced Bushy Park circuit.
Skeete, who has a record 12 titles, the first of them dating back to 1990, told WEEKEND?SPORT, he was as ready as ever to make his mark over the weekend in the gruelling 23-stage test of strategy and skill.
“A lot of hard work has been put in the car and we are good to go. We are looking looking good and in a good position at this stage. There will be more focus on quicker stage times, as opposed to just staying with the leaders,” said Skeete, who will be behind the wheel of a Sol/LIME/Simpson Motors/Michelin/Williams Trading Inc. Subaru Impreza WRC S12 with co-driver Louis Venezia.
After their dismal showing last year when they suffered six stalls on the start-line, the pair will be eager to erase the memories of that event, and return to the results of 2010 and 2011 when they found winner’s row.
The 59-year-old Skeete has an enviable record in the Barbados Rally Club’s international event, having 12 victories, including hat-tricks in the event’s first three years, 1990, 1991 an 1992, then a decade later in 2000, 2001 and 2002 . . . and he is one of only two drivers, the other being Roger Hill, to have contested all 24 previous events.
Skeete acknowledged that England’s Paul Bird and Welshman Aled Davies, the two-time defending champions, are the ones to beat in the event that is attracting 84 crews.
“He is the main challenger, he is the man to beat, but I have to do what I have to do to make sure I am doing it right. The thing is to keep the car on the road and keep it driven well. I try not to focus on my opponents. It is really counterproductive. This is a tough event and everyone is seeking to give it their best shot,” he said.
Three venues in the north of the island will each be used four times tomorrow, with the final loop of three to be run after nightfall, another change to the format encouraged by competitors. Sunday is a much shorter day, with ten stages at three venues in the island’s south-east corner, four of them ending inside Bushy Park Racing Track, including the weekend’s final stage, which will include the rallycross jump. The total stage distance is 128 kilometres, an increase of more than ten per cent over Sol Rally Barbados 2013.