The English businessman is the only driver to have competed in the Barbados Rally Carnival every year since its inception in 2001 and has also been one of the most successful.

"We've carried a trophy home with us every year, and I'm hoping that we can do the same again," he said when contacted in England on Sunday.

Clutch problem

He added that his team had encountered a problem with the clutch on the BMW while loading the cars at Portsmouth.

"A new unit will be fitted upon arrival [in Barbados], so, hopefully, we have already had our problems and can put them behind us," he said.

Stockdale and his party are arriving in time to attend the club's 50th anniversary gala dinner at the Sherbourne Conference Centre on Saturday.

From 2001 to 2003, Stockdale campaigned in a BMW M3 co-driven by Anders Howard. On his first visit he finished second to Nathan Naime (Peugeot 306) in the Modified Open Group in the Texaco Havoline International Stages Rally.

He then won the Group in 2002, when he also finished seventh overall and was the highest-placed overseas crew.

A Group B class win followed in 2003 in the re-named Rally Barbados, by which time the M3's engine had grown from 2.5 to 3 litres.

In 2004, Stockdale came with a new co-driver, Mark Swallow, but a variety of engine problems and oil leaks caused them to miss much of the action. However, they won the DMS Distributors.com Sunday Cup.

The pair returned to Barbados in 2005 and captured a second Group B win. Last year, they finished third in the new SuperModified 13 class.

The rumbling "Beemer" has always been a popular attraction at the International Rally Sprint, although Stockdale has not enjoyed a group win at the St Thomas facility since 2002. (PR)