The twisting course from Mangrove Pond to Rock Hall, St Thomas is expected to keep drivers busy as they settle Spring Blaze 11 doubleheader event organised by the Motoring Club Barbados Inc (MCBI), starting at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Club president David Williams said it should be a challenge to most of the drivers.
“It is an interesting 4km course and has not been used for at least 30 years and the drivers would have to be cautious as a result of its new newness, but the cadre of drivers should make winning in any of the groups difficult. It will not be a walk over,” Williams said.
Philip Moe in the Sunbay Hotel/CAM2 Racing Oils/Mark’s Auto Spares Toyota Corolla will no doubt be looking to put in as much seat time in the run up to Flow King of the Hill and Sol Rally Barbados, but a few of the front line drivers such as Roger ‘The Ninja’ Hill, for business reasons; and Dane Skeete and the Mayers brothers, as a result of preparation work to their machines, are sitting out the event.
However, it is still expected to be a keenly contested affair to be decided over four run. The service area will be Automotive Art, Welches, St Thomas.
Last time out, the event was won by Skeete in the CO Williams Sand & Lime/Sol/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12B, who did the double in the speed event from Church Hill to Pickerings, St Lucy.
Hill in the Esso/Nassco/MaxMeyer/MotorMac/Pennzoil/Energizer/Refresh your Car/California Scents Toyota Corolla WRC topped Group M4 with a time of 2 minutes 46.68 seconds and was good enough to hold on to fourth place, pipping Andrew Mallalieu (2:48.68) in the Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza. Regular Turks and Caicos Islands visitor Paul Horton, in the Arbikie Highland Estate/Java Island/Sky Motorsports/H Racing Citroen DS 3 R3 MAX, rounded out the top six places with a time of two minutes 56.16 seconds.t
It was also a good day for club’s defending champion driver Andrew Jones as well as Stan Hartling in a Citroen C2R2 who won M3, Ian ‘WeeWee’ Warren in a BMW 318Ti who won C2 and Calvin Briggs in the Lucas Oil/Massy Realty Ford Sierra Cosworth, who was second in Group B and might be fancying his chances on the new layout.
Neil Corbin entered in SM1 in the Nassco/H Jason Jones/Emtage Electric/BG Products & Services/Auto Solutions/Valvoline/Sun General Insurance Toyota Starlet, Pierre Clarke in the Durex Barbados/Brydens Insurance/East Point Grill/Hugh Autobody/Chicken Stop/Tint Plus/Caribbean Villa Chefs/JJ Racing Team Honda Civic and Paul Inniss in the Brydens Insurance/East Point Grill/Going Places Travel/Cockspur/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Chef Byer Catering/Castrol/JJ Racing Team/Hugh Autobody/Brunswick Barbados/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals/Autoderm Honda Civic in M1, will help to create new challenges for all comers on the day.
