Andrew Mallalieu, Josh Read and Daryl Clarke share a three-way tie at the top in the drivers’ title chase of the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) as attention turns to Sunday’s Valvoline Rally.
Also seen as the warm-up rally for Sol Rally Barbados next month, it is the second of eight rounds of this year’s drivers’ championship.
The three have each got 15 points from the BRC’s points-scoring season opener, Spring Blaze 14, a tarmac sprint, which they shared with the Motoring Club Barbados Inc. (MCBI) from Tappy Pond to Blackmans, St Joseph, two weeks ago.
Mallalieu is competing in a Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10 in Group N, Read in the Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/SDRR/Weetabix/Royal Purple/EZone/Coffee Bean Toyota Starlet in SuperModified 10, and Clarke in the Amir’s Fresh Chicken/Ellco/Mum’s Pasta/P&N Hardware/Robert’s Manufacturing Honda Civic in Modified 7.
Behind them are Mark Thompson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), Ian Warren (Suzuki Swift) and Edward Corbin (Toyota Corolla RunX) who finished second in Group N, SM10 and M7, respectively.
Next are Rhett Watson (SM12 BMW M3), Brendon McKenzie (M6 Corolla) and Eric Allamby (Clubman Corolla), who each won an under-subscribed class and are part of a group of six drivers tied on 13 points.
Roger Skeete (Sol/Michelin/Simpson Motors/Da Costa Mannings Auto Centre Subaru Impreza WRC S12) leads the four-wheel drive standings from Roger Hill (WRC-2 Corolla WRC), Mallalieu, Thompson and Geoff Noel (GpN Evo IX).
Read also finished as top two-wheel driver, ahead of Warren, SM11 winner Dane Skeete (Peugeot 306 Maxi), Watson and Stuart Maloney, who finished third in SM10 on the debut of his recently-acquired 306 Maxi.
The rally will be decided over ten special stages laid out from Orange Hill to Four Hills, which will run three times in the morning, alternating with two runs from Pickerings to Luke Hill.
The stages will be reversed in the afternoon, with three runs from Luke Hill to Pickerings and two from Four Hills to Orange Hill.
A chicane will be added to the Pickerings stage, in a different location depending on the direction of travel.
The rally will start at 9:30 a.m. at Greenland Agricultural Station in St Andrew and will break for lunch at the same spot and finish around 4 p.m. at the starting point.
Rally fans will get the opportunity to mix and meet with the competitors during scrutineering at Automotive Art, Welches, on Saturday between noon and 5 p.m.
The briefing meeting will be held at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association (BCTSA) Club House, Searles, Christ Church, today, when the running order will be released.
It will be the first tarmac rally for the season and competition secretary Neil Corbin, himself a competitor, said he is looking for a good turn-out as the cars which took part in Rally Trinidad last week should be back in time for the event.
The prize-giving will be held at Greenland Plantation after the rally.
