RAIN, MUD and wet conditions severely tested drivers in the Motoring Club Barbados Inc.’s (MCBI) speed event from Mapps, St Philip, to Stewart’s Hill, St John, on Sunday.
The final event of the season attracted 24 drivers, including championship leader Roger “The Sheriff” Skeete in his Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre/Michelin/Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC S12, rookie Avinash Chatrani in the ex-Neil Armstrong Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V, Michael Worme in the COT Printery/SpeedLine/Ullyett’s Machine Shop Subaru Impreza STI, Edward Corbin in an Automotive Art/Klark-Odio/Corbins Garage/JVM Signage Daihatsu Charmant and Ian “WeeWee” Warren in the Simpson Motors/Shell V-Power Suzuki.
After the 10 a.m. start with the practice run, drivers got down to business and Skeete gave notice of his intentions. After posting the fastest time on the practice run – 2 minutes, 07.62 seconds – he improved to 2 minutes 02.43 seconds on the first official run on the 4.5-kilometre course.
And he maintained his dominance on the proceedings by posting the fastest time overall of 2 minutes, 00.94 seconds.
But it was the performance of new two-wheel drive king Warren who left many searching for superlatives to describe his awesome handling in the wet conditions.
Picking good lines, he drove only two of the official runs and was not only the fastest two-wheel drive competitor but claimed the honours at stake in S10 with a time of 2 minutes, 05.93 seconds in an interesting battle for the lesser places.
Geoff Noel, in the Globe Finance Inc/Mix 96.9/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Dewalt Tools/Automotive Art/Ezone Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, had to settle for third place with a time of 2 minutes, 06.97 seconds.
Another two-wheel drive star, Neil Armstrong, at the wheel of the Pit Bull Energy Drink/Hankook/ Gunk/Electric Avenue Toyota Starlet, finished fourth fastest overall with a time of 2 minutes, 08.44 seconds and also won S9.
Another highly-fancied driver, Josh Read, driving the Automotive Art/Baram Services Toyota Starlet , was fifth fastest overall in 2 minutes, 09.46 seconds. He also took second place in S9.
Greg “Hotty” Cozier, in the Mahindra/Citgo/Hyundai Trucks Ford Escort Mk II and competing in the Historic Category, took honours at stake in that class with a time of 2 minutes, 43.45 seconds.
Adrian Linton, in the Ravensden/Garbage Gobbler/Morris Straker Construction Vauxhall Astra GSi, drove away with the title up for grabs in M7 with a time of 2 minutes, 14.47 seconds and finished tenth overall.
Sammy Cumberbatch, in the F Taylor Insurance/Williams Industries/AutoLink BMW M3, won S11 with a time of 2 minutes, 14.82 seconds.
Jamal Brathwaite, in the AM Electrical/FG Wilson/Autoplus Motors/Meridian Windows/Chicken Pen Racing/Ellesmere Quarries/D2 Racing Suspension/Avon Products/Cutters of Barbados/Freekz Customz Mitsubishi Mirage RS, won M6.
Sean Field, in the Field Insurance Brokers/Castrol/Ackee Tree/AM Realty Services/Landscapes in Harmony Peugeot 306, won Production 3 with a time of 2 minutes, 16.94 seconds, and Miguel Toppin, in a Toyota Starlet took the honours at stake in Production 2 with 2 minutes, 28.83 seconds.
