[1]Local crews chase points at Sol RB22 and First Citizens KotH
More than 40 registered drivers scored points in the first two rounds of the 2022 Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Driver’s and Class Championships - a record in recent years – and more are ready to join the chase for points. The two most important weekends of the year draw near with social media ‘countdowns’ every day reminding rally teams across the island that time is running out to make ready for First Citizens King of the Hill (May 29) and Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5).
With maximum points in both directions of the BRC Shakedown Double Header in April, there are currently four joint leaders of the Championship, tied on 30 points: former Champion Drivers Edward Corbin (Modified 1 Daihatsu Charmant) and Stuart Maloney (FIA R5 Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), Barry Mayers (SuperModified 2 Ford Fiesta) and Mark Thompson (M4 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX). Two points adrift are the joint leaders of Clubman 2 in their BimmaCup cars, Ian Warren and Ryan Wood, with a five drivers tied in seventh place a further two points behind.
Although he earns reduced class points as he has no opposition, so doesn’t feature high up in the Champion Driver title chase, Dane Skeete leads the 4wd Championship in his Subaru Impreza WRC S12, with Maloney second ahead of his brother Mark (Fabia R5), Jamaica’s Jeff Panton and the UK’s Rob Swann, both in R5 Fiestas, who are all tied for third place. Mayers leads the 2wd Championship from brother Roger (SM2 Toyota WR Starlet) and Logan Watson (M3 BMW M3).
At First Citizens KotH, the speed event points scale gives 15 for a class win, while Sol RB22 represents two Championship rounds, with 20 points on offer each day for a class win; that gives a maximum possible score of 55 points over the two weekends, which is a little over 40 per cent of the year’s total. And, with the former two-thirds rule which allowed championship points to be scored even if a driver failed to finish abandoned a few years ago, being at the top of your game is crucial.
Laying aside the undoubted pressures of these two weekends, the points standings are in for a major shake-up anyway. Neither Barry nor Roger Mayers will be contesting Sol RB22, although the latter will do KotH, while Ian Warren is switching from C2 to M3 and Rob Swann from FIA R5 to WRC, having confirmed he will be campaigning the Impreza S12B in which he has twice finished second to Panton. Add to that the 14 local drivers entered who are not yet among the 43 who scored points in April, those eligible for championship points are likely to number around 60.
The Provisional Entry List published last Wednesday (May 11) includes 57 local crews, a similar number to the pre-Covid Sol RB19. While some overseas competitors are registered for the BRC Championship – four are already in the points – those who are not registered are ignored as far as points are concerned, although local crews will still revel in the chance to gauge their competitiveness against the once-a-year visitors.
Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5) and First Citizens King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrates its 65th Anniversary in 2022; Sol RB22 marks the 15th year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.
BRC Class Championship
Positions after round 2:
WRC: 1st Dane Skeete (Sol/CO Williams Sand & Lime/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12), 22points
FIA R5: 1st Stuart Maloney (Rock Hard/VP Fuels/Chevron/Bushy Park/Sign Station Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo), 30pts; equal 2nd Mark Maloney (Rock Hard/VP Fuels/Chevron/Bushy Park/Sign Station Skoda Fabia R5) & Jeff Panton – JAM (Rubis/Sandals Resorts/KIG/Birds Nest Spice Blends/Sun Bum Ford Fiesta Rally2), 23pts; etc
Modified 4: 1st Mark Thompson (Glassesco/Automotive Art/NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty Day Spa Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 30pts; 2nd Avinash Chatrani (iShop Barbados/Axe Solutions Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV), 26pts; 3rd George Sherman - USA (Tide Cleaners/Subway Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 22pts
SuperModified 2: 1st Barry Mayers (Chefette/Rubis/Frosteez/Hankook/Sign Depot Ford Fiesta), 30pts; 2nd Roger Mayers (Chefette/Rubis/Frosteez/Hankook/Sign Depot Toyota WR Starlet), 26pts; 3rd Andrew Jones (Gales Agro products/Kepro Veterinarian Solutions/Southern Surf Beach Apartments/AP Jones Pharmacy/Weetabix/Quality Tyre Ford Escort MkII), 22pts; etc
SM1: 1st Darren Lashley (Hi-Speed Performance Parts/HEL Performance/Lashley’s Auto Garage/Starboy Performance/Shalom Management Services/High Maintenance Detailing Toyota Starlet), 22pts
Modified 3: 1st Logan Watson (Cargo BGI/Enermax Ltd/Luxe Caribbean Properties/It’s Barbados/Sign Depot/Bajan Pure Water/Stihl/Hankook Tires BMW M3), 26pts; 2nd Ahmed Esuf (Express imports Inc/SY Adam & Son/Cosmo Club/Prosales/Royal Chai Barbados/Branded/Saltwater Project BMW M3), 22pts
Modified 2: 1st Neil Corbin (Nassco/J Jason Jones/Stamina Energy/Auto Solutions/Colour XL/Hino Toyota GT86 CS-R3), 22pts
M1: 1st Edward Corbin (Valvoline/Hilti/Cargo BGI Daihatsu Charmant), 30pts; 2nd Jermin Pope (Glassesco/PEG Farms/Good Time Snacks/NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty Day Spa/Automotive Art/Industries Job/C & A Auto Body Repair Honda Civic), 26pts; 3rd Paul Inniss (JJ Racing Team/J's AC Service/Caribbean LED Lighting/Hunte's Auto Spares/Trident Insurance Ltd/Essco/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream/Illusion Graphics Team Honda Civic), 22pts; etc
Historic 2: 1st John Corbin (Valvoline/Hilti/Cargo BGI Toyota Corolla), 22pts; 2nd Harold Morley - ENG (Spectrum Antimicrobials Inc Porsche 911RS), 13pts
Clubman 2: equal 1st Ian Warren (Westlake BimmaCup) & Robert Ryan Wood (Carter’s Pitstop/C&A Autobody Repair/Guava Tech/Hilti/West Lake/Medical Massage Specialist BimmaCup), 28pts; 3rd Michael Worme(Katspraddle Sweet Potato Vodka/COT/NautiLime/Autoderm/Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Reno Flip BimmaCup), 22pts; etc
C1: 1st Jason Tull (Jay-T's Auto Services/SRG Engineering/Shallom Management Services/BG Products Peugeot 106 Rallye S2), 22pts
GpB: 1st Shawn Eversley (Suzuki Swift), 11pts
BRC 4wd Championship: 1st Skeete, 30pts; 2nd S Maloney, 26pts; equal 3rd M Maloney, Panton & Rob Swann - ENG (FIA R5 Blue Sky Luxury/Elegant Hotels/RA Swann Ltd Ford Fiesta R5), 20pts; 6th Hill, 16pts; etc
BRC 2wd Championship: 1st B Mayers, 30pts; 2nd R Mayers, 26pts; 3rd Watson, 22pts; 4th Jones, 20pts; 5th Linton, 17pts; 6th K Thompson, 15pts; etc
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information: e-mail - robin@bradfax.com [2]
web sites: www.rallybarbados.net [3]; www.barbadosrallyclub.com [4]
