Read returns to Rally Club action; Esuf makes his rallying debut
While those drivers who have their eye on the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2019 Champion Driver title will be concentrating on maximising their points score in Sunday’s (September 29) double-header BRC Winter Sprint, there is little doubt that the focus of the island’s fan base will be on the return of Josh Read in his Toyota Starlet. The running order published today (Friday) lists 33 drivers, headed by Sol Rally Barbados 2019 winner Dane Skeete in his Subaru Impreza WRC S12B.
Modified 1 leader Edward Corbin (Daihatsu Charmant) currently tops the leader board, with a maximum points haul of 75 from the first four rounds, three ahead of Clubman 2 leader Ian Warren, whose 100 per cent record was ended by fellow BimmaCup driver Allan Kinch on the Sunday of Sol Rally Barbados 2019; both classes are fully-subscribed on Sunday, so Corbin and Warren can continue their fight unhindered.
Read has not been seen in a Rally Club event since a major accident on the Saturday Canefield stage of Sol Rally Barbados in 2017, although he was one of the star turns in the rally car events at the recent Williams Industries International Race Meet at Bushy Park, the first of which he won in a comprehensive fashion. Read’s return will not be the only point of interest for fans, however, as the entry also includes Suleman Esuf in a BMW M3, which was also seen briefly at Bushy Park. With a solid record of success behind him in drag racing and the Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup at Bushy Park, all eyes will be on his Rally Club debut.
Sunday’s double-header represents rounds five and six of the BRC Driver’s and Class Championships, with 15 points on offer for a class win in each direction; slated for a 10.30am start, the Winter Sprint runs over a 3.95-kilometre course between Lamberts and Pickerings; there will be four timed runs in each direction. The Start, Service Park and Finish will be at the MTW Chance Hall Depot in St Lucy.
Early details of the final round, the BRC Winter Rally on Sunday, October 27, were published this week: there will be 10 special stages at three venues in the north of the island for a total mileage of around 50 kilometres. With an enhanced points system - 28 for a class win - and no ‘dropped score’ rule in force any more, every stage mile counts in the remaining rounds of the championship.
BRC Winter Sprint - Sunday, September 29
Provisional running order at September 27:
1 Dane Skeete (WRC Sol/CO Williams Sand & Lime/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)
2 Roger Hill (M4 Esso/Nassco/Pennzoil/MaxMeyer Paints/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC)
3 Rhett Watson (SM2 Chefette/Gliptone/Stihl/Leafy Organics/Gunk/Power King Batteries/Bajan Pure Water/Its Barbados BMW M3)
4 David Coelho – T&T (GpA Subway Ford Fiesta R5)
5 Mark Thompson (M4 Glassesco/Automotive Art /NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty Day Spa/SLAM 101.1FM Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
6 Andrew Jones (GpB Lucozade/Herr’s Chips/AP Jones Pharmacy Ford Escort MkII)
7 Josh Read (SM2 Weetabix Toyota Starlet)
8 Justin Campbell (M3 Republic Bank/Automotive Art/Sign Station/Dream Solutions/Hilti/Comps Auto Services/ZION BMW M3)
9 Logan Watson (M3 Leafy Organics/Cargo BGI/Luxe Caribbean Properties/Stihl/It’s Barbados/Sign Depot/Bajan Pure Water BMW M3)
10 Roger Skeete (SM2 Sol/Automotive Art Peugeot 306 Maxi)
11 David St Hill (M3 St Hill & Sons Garage/Tropical Touch/Charles Doc Inc/Solar & Wind Energy Solutions BMW M3)
12 Paul Horton - TCI (M2 Java Island Citroen DS 3 R3 MAX)
14 Stan Hartling – TCI (M3 Bambarra Rum BMW M3)
15 Suleman Esuf (M3 Express Imports/SY Adams BMW M3)
16 Edward Corbin (M1 Valvoline/Hilti/Cargo BGI/Co-Operators General Insurance Daihatsu Charmant)
17 Jamal Brathwaite (M2 Valvoline/Automotive Art/Consumers Guarantee Insurance/Caribbean Auto Glass/TEC Barbados/Stylz Auto Spa/Chicken Pen Racing/JSB Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R)
18 Wayne Archer (H2 Arrow Construction/Arrow Woodworking/RW Water/Archers Hall Design Centre/D & A Air Conditioning/CA Autobody Repairs/Seven Creative Media BMW 325)
19 Jonathan Still (GpB Seawell Automotive/Sharkey’s Bar/Pelican Produce/Total Oils BMW M3)
20 Shareef Walcott (M1 Melwani’s/Reef Motorsport Toyota Corolla)
21 Pierre Beswick – TCI (M1 Grace Bay Car Rentals/Hartling Luxury Resorts/Caicos Dream Tours Citroen C2 R2 MAX)
22 Peter Thompson (M3 Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty BMW M3 Compact)
23 Shawn Eversley (GpB CA Autobody/SE Performance/Track Batteries/Big Gases Suzuki Swift)
24 Ben Hartling – CDN (M1 Hartling Group Citroen C2 R2 MAX)
25 Calvin Briggs (GpB Ford Sierra)
26 Jermin Pope (M1 Glassesco/Good Time Snacks/PEG Farms Honda Civic)
27 Ryan O Wood (SM1 Shonny’s Kitchen/Lucas Oil/Biz Needz Racing/MB Auto City/Bajan Bully/Axalta Paints/Island Guild/LITT Marketing & Events/Exceptional Plumbing Services Toyota Starlet)
28 Ian Warren (C2 West Lake Performance Tyres/Benthams Farm & Garden/Guava Tech BimmaCup)
29 Stuart Garcia (C2 Intelligent Defence Systems/Zaccios/Four & Twenty Bakery/ Smith’s Engineering Works/Kirba Inc BimmaCup)
30 Chris Hoad (C2 Subway/Dasani Water BimmaCup)
31 Jason Tull (C1 CA Autobody Repairs/Computech Solutions/Jay-T’s Auto Services/Dominus PHD/CST Tyres/Redline Performance Imports/Devon Star Auto Parts Peugeot 106 Rallye S2)
32 John Corbin (H2 Valvoline/Hilti/Cargo BGI/Co-Operators General Insurance Toyota Corolla)
33 Jason Downey (C2 MQI/Subzero/mMoney BimmaCup)
34 Shon Cummins (M3 BMW 328)
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
Web site: www.barbadosrallyclub.com
