Reigning Champion Driver Leslie Alleyne and navigator Chris O’Neal begin their title defence this Sunday when the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari and Safari Novice Championships drive off.
The pair won the opening round of last year’s championship and hope to repeat the feat this weekend’s March Safari in the Simpson Motors/Shell Spirax/Shell Rimula/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max. But it will not be an easy task.
Fourteen crews were confirmed at Tuesday night’s briefing meeting at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association clubhouse at Searles,
Christ Church. The entry list is packed with experienced competitors and a host of former champions.
Leading the opposition will be Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke in the trusty Toyota Hilux which they drove to the champion driver and vavigator titles in 2012. They were absent for much of last season, after Armstrong suffered a back injury, so will be keen to return right to the sharp end of the action.
The Suzuki Vitara of Audley and Jeremy Croney will be another vehicle to watch – they achieved the rare feat of incurring zero penalties on Route 1 of last year’s March Safari – while the return of 2010 champions Ryan Corbin and Dustin Edwards in the Corbins Catering Services/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux further racks up the interest.
Route setters for the season-opener are Pete Bradshaw, who set route one, with Willie Hinds and Wayne Manning responsible for the Safari’s second half.
Looking forward to the start of the season, MudDogs chairman Ricky Holder said: “I think everyone will enjoy our first event for the year. Route one’s setter says that his route is going to be simple and should be relatively easy; route two’s setter, however, was a little hush-hush on the details, so we are looking forward to his cleverness.
“Unfortunately, there will be no driver challenges, as finding water was a bit difficult, but the closest thing will be at Black Bess, St Peter, in route two.”
From the comments made by the route-setters and checkers, it seems that cow itch may present the biggest challenge of the day.
