Barbados will?have to fight hard to retain the Driver’s and Country titles in the upcoming Barbados Auto Racing League’s (BARL) Digicel Williams Seaboard Marine International Race Meet at Bushy Park on September 1 and 2.
Jamaica, winners in 2008, have taken an early lead in the country standings with 50 points. They had an impressive performance in Round 1 in Jamaica from drivers such as multiple champion, David “King David” Summerbell Jr., Peter Rae and Andre Anderson.
Driving the Total/Stewarts Auto Sales/PPG/Motorcraft Batteries/JMMB/Stack Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, Summerbell grabbed a hat-trick of wins in the opening CMRC round in May. He will arrive in Barbados with a perfect score of 30 points.
After failing to score any points in 2008, Summerbell Jr. is the only driver of the current crop to have won CMRC races at all three host circuits.
He had one win in 2009 and followed it with two seconds and three third places over the past two years. He has never qualified lower than fifth in Barbados, with his best grid position third in 2009.
Veteran racer Rae finished second to Summerbell in all three races at Dover in his Peter Rae Motorsports Mazda RX-7 to sit six points adrift in the standings.
With ninth last year his best grid position in his two visits to Barbados, he enjoys a 100 per cent finishing record at Bushy Park, with seventh each year his best result.
Anderson, a former karter, who registered a hat-trick of third places in the opening round in May in his Total/Anderson’s Auto Parts/Seaboard Marine Mitsubishi Mivec will be on his second visit to Bushy Park.
George Bayley, who was originally listed in a four-car team from Jamaica, was forced to withdraw after parts for his Evo VI failed to arrive in time for his car to be ready for shipping.
Last year, Barbados became the first territory to win both the driver and country titles in the same year since joining Guyana and Jamaica in the competition in 2008.
Barbados was also the first to win the country title twice. After Jamaica’s triumph in 2008, Barbados claimed the title in 2009, then Guyana in 2010.
Looking ahead to next month’s face-off, Jamaica Race Drivers’ Club president Mark Carey said they were hoping to extend the championship lead, but expect stiff competition from the Barbadian and Guyanese rivals.
