Competitors in the R5 Rally Championship presented by First Citizens kick off the second half of the new-for-2022 series this weekend (August 20/21) with an action-packed programme of back-to-back events at opposite ends of the island. Saturday’s Motoring Club Barbados Inc (MCBI) Full Throttle in St Philip will be followed by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Autumn Double-Header Sprint in St Peter on Sunday.
 There is still all to play for in the island’s first-ever national motor sport series, which is administered by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF). With eight of the 15 rounds remaining and a maximum of 190 points still on the table between now and the finale in November, the front-runners will be aiming to hit the ground running after the more than two-month summer break.
 Stuart Maloney (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) and Jamaica’s Jeff Panton (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were first and second in the standings after First Citizens King of the Hill (May 29), but both failed to finish Sol Rally Barbados 2022 (June 3/4). While Maloney is still ahead, his advantage has been slashed from 49 points to just 20, ahead of new second-place driver Roger Hill (Fabia R5), with Britain’s Rob Swann (Fiesta Rally2) Mark Maloney (Skoda Fabia R5/Rally2 evo) also within 30 points of the leader. Panton has slipped to sixth, a situation prompting a switch of manufacturers, albeit now delayed.
 Apart from one outing in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X in Rally Jamaica 2011, Panton has campaigned Fords since his first Focus WRC in 2008, so a Skoda will come as a surprise to many: “It was a very difficult choice to make after being associated with the Ford brand in motor sport for so many years and as a representative of the brand in Jamaica. But, after very careful analysis, it would seem there are some advantages with the Skoda at the moment. I am sure a lot has to do with my headspace and driving, however we can’t ignore fundamental basics that surround the straight-line acceleration of the Skodas. It remains to be seen if this will improve our chances in the Championship, but you gotta try! Unfortunately there have been some delays and delivery is not expected till the end of August, which leaves the Fiesta as the only choice for these two events.” 
 The winner of the FIA R5 class on Sol RB22 was newcomer Josh Read (Fiesta R5), who only joined the series ahead of KotH. His impressive performance on those two debut events launched him straight up to fifth in the standings of the 12 points-scorers so far, one point clear of Panton. He will certainly be one to watch this weekend.
 Saturday’s MCBI’s Full Throttle will run over a roughly 5.4-kilometre stage from Golden Grove to Harrow in St Philip, with the Service Park in The Quarry at Bushy Park. The first direction, south from Golden Grove, is scheduled for a 1.00pm start, which should be complete by 3.00pm before running the same course in reverse. A maximum score of 20 points is on offer to R5 contenders in each direction.
 The following day’s BRC event shifts the action to the north of the island, based at the Service Park in Hayman’s Factory Yard. Run on the Sailor Gully stage in St Peter, the first event, slated to start at 11.15am, will run northbound from the Sailor Gully hairpin to French Village, with the second event in the afternoon over a longer course from Mt Brevitor through French Village to Sailor Gully, finishing where the morning event had started. There will be four runs in each direction, creating an eight-stage rally for the R5 runners, which will be timed cumulatively with 30 points for the win.

R5 Rally Championship presented by First Citizens
Remaining rounds:
Rounds 8 & 9, Aug 20 – MCBI Full Throttle Double-Header Sprint
Round 10, Aug 21 – * BRC Autumn Double-Header Sprint
Round 11, Sep 10 – MCBI Rally of the Sun & Stars
Rounds 12 & 13, Oct 15 – MCBI Hammer Time Double-Header Sprint
Round 14, Oct 16 – BRC Winter Rally
Round 15, Nov 19 – BPMSI ‘ROC’ Final
* scored cumulatively as a rally for the R5 Rally Championship
BPMSI – Bushy Park Motorsports Inc; BRC – Barbados Rally Club; MCBI – Motoring Club Barbados Inc