by Trevor ThorpeTrevor “Electric Micey” Manning is a surprise entry among the 30 starters in this year’s Barbados Rally Club (BRC) Shelbury Construction June Safari which starts at Maynards Plantation, St Peter, today at 3:01 p.m.It is the 54th running of the oldest motor sport event in the Caribbean with a continuous history.Manning is paired with a former winning driver of the event, Leslie Alleyne, and drawn No. 1, in the Garbage Master/Autozone Ford Ranger, for Barbados’ prestigious Safari.In fact, no fewer than eight former winners, including last year’s winners and reigning Mud Dogs champion driver and navigator, Darrin White and Robert Warren in the Lucky Locks/Rockstar Nissan Frontier, and the 2005 champions, Neil Barnard and Barry Gale who will be taking on the opposition in a Huzier/Mahindra Motorsports/redlinefuels.com Mahindra Pik-U. They also who won Safari in 2008.Barnard’s victory created an even more significant slice of local motor sport history, as he became the first third-generation winner, joining father David, and grandfather, Trevor “Bookie” Gale, on The June honour roll.The most successful crew entered in terms of The June is Chris Armstrong and Wayne Mort Clarke in a Toyota Hilux. As well as winning the event twice together (2000 and 2001), Clarke had already claimed two earlier wins, as navigator to Don Hunte (1991 and 1993).The list of former winners is completed by John Sealy, who share the rare distinction along with David Barnard, Derek Driller Gill, Bill Mallalieu and Leslie Alleyne of having won the event as both navigator and driver. Sealy won as navigator in 1967 and driver in 1978, and will have Melissa Hutchinson as navigator, while Alleyne navigated for brother-in-law Geoff Noel in 1996, then drove to victory with wife Annalee in 2003 and three years later.Meanwhile, the third round of the Mud Dogs Safari Championship will start from Maynards at 3:01 p.m. The dinner stop is slated for 8 p.m. at Andrews Factory, St Joseph, with a further rest stop in Maynards, St Peter at 2 a.m. tomorrow.The finish is scheduled for seven hours later at Mahogany Ridge, Plum Tree Hill, St Thomas.The Shelbury Construction June Safari has been set by Ryan Corbin and Dustin Edwards, joint leaders respectively of the navigator and driver standings in the Mud Dogs Championship, and Derek Edwards/Damien Brooker, who currently lie in fourth position.
