FABIAN “TRIPPA” CUMBERBATCH walked away with the Crowd Favourite’s trophy in his first major mudfest event at October Fest of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari and Safari Novice Championships at Three House Plantation last Sunday.
Cumberbatch, in a daredevil approach, left the crowd spellbound as he flipped his Suzuki Samurai no less than four times during the day’s action on the challenges.
He lost his front windscreen in the process, but emerged unhurt.
As spectators battled with showers for the best vantage points on the muddy river banks, competitors were severely tested by the intricacies of the challenges set by the route setters.
Newcomer Cumberbatch was still good enough to grab four points and share fifth place with Richard Hinkson in a similar machine.
At the top of standings was Adrian Sinckler, who got the better of the challenges in his Suzuki Samurai and ended with 11 points.
Speaking after the event, Sinckler, who has not been very active in recent years, admitted that October Fest was challenging and exciting and said he had enjoyed himself.
“It was very well put together and coupled with the conditions brought out the best in the competitors… it was a good day’s action,” he said.
So close was the competition in the Small Tyre Category that one point separated Sinckler from second place Damien ‘Ping’ Johnson, who scored ten points.
Johnson, who was also at the wheel of a Suzuki Samurai, was the overall winner last time out at August Fest at the same venue.
Bryan ‘Banker’ Collymore, who also flipped his Suzuki Samurai in the closing stages of the event, was still able to finish third with eight points. He placed ahead of the experienced Chris Armstrong, who also drove a Suzuki Samurai.
Shane Brathwaite collected three points and finished seventh while Omar Maynard and Akeen Harewood ended with two points, just ahead of John Pinto in a Sunoma and Nick Pinto in a Nissan.
In the Large Tyre category it was all Edson Arthur, who showed he had lost none of his form, snapping up 15 points. Dave Lowe, in a specially-prepared Suzuki Samurai and Nicholas Yard, in a Land Rover, both earned seven points.
The drivers will meet again in the November Safari on November 9.
