Barbados Rally Carnival

[seanbob]

Did anyone see this on UTV last night on RPM at 11:30??

This is my second year seeing it and I can safely say, that i am going to try my hardest to go there next year and see it for real!!

Have a drifting round as well which Ireland's own Kieran O' Neil was competing in, his engine went before the championship started and with a local motorsport company they got the car on the road for the event, which he praised endlessly for their effort!!

Locals, atmosphere, driving skills, everything seemed so sureal...and the girlies

8)

 

[Cess]

Dimma took their 206 WRC replica to it last year. Setting is surreal - a bit like a Lilt advert with rallycars.

 

[Graham]

i WILL be there next year

cmackey off the site was at it as he services and helps out with Kieran's motor ! he said it was unreal trip

 

[cmckay]

Some holiday, we had some craic through out the 2 weeks. Weather was great and the bars even better!! Spectating on the event is something else, bars at all the big corners and thousands of locals.

First stage at Bushey Park on the sunday the engine dropped a valve bit of a nightmare on the friday night before the International Rally getting the car ready.

If you get the chance to go next year definitly do.... Roll on 2005!

 

[Jason]

if i can remember ages ago i seen a rally in the philipins (sp) took place in a carpark (certain rules or somethin) was amazinly tight racing and they wernt scared of a victory donut!! all scooby WRC's mostly

 

[Cooper]

I saw this too - how much do I want to bring the carlton to barbados And the locals - they were loving the sidewards action lol.

@cmckay - do you have any pics from the events?

Andy

 

[cmckay]

Some Photos...

 

[cmckay]

More...

 

[cmckay]

More..

 

[seanbob]

Class pics Anyone for going out next year??

 

[cmckay]

They organise a few packages for spectators, some good deals and accomadation is excellent. Over the next few months keep an eye on their site for updates - www.barbadosrallycarnival.com

Best getting it organised early if you are going. Its actually not a dear holiday when your there, all the main bars have deals every other night or so working out around £10 - £12, all you can drink etc..

Chris

 

[Graham]

Class pics Anyone for going out next year??

i'm already there ! no but right nuf mate i rekon i will be able to gewt to it next year

 

[delboy]

rms trip to barbados then?

 

[Burnz]

http://www.zhaust.com/forum/index.p...7d7afd734aa&forum_redr=1&frm_id=6&frm_goto=Go


Kris Meeke and Ryan Champion will be in attendance this year. Steve Perez has also been a regular with his 04 Focus and Didier Auriol visited in 2005.

 

[Burnz]

http://www.rallybuzz.com/meeke-heads-to-barbados-rally/

Kris Meeke will be heading to Barbados to contest a rally which is popular with British and Irish competitors alike. Meeke has been offered the chance to drive a Wevers Corolla WRC belonging to Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell. Powell lent Mark Higgins his Corolla back in September to compete on an event in Barbados. Out of interest Ulsterman Kenny McKinstry won the rally twice, 1994 in a Subaru Legacy and 1996 in a F2 Escort.

Powell will use a Subaru WRC on the event. Other drivers linked with Barbados include Kevin Proctor in an S7, Mark Higgins in a Subaru and an ex-World Champion in a WRC. Meeke will also compete on a round of the European Prodrift series at Mondello next week. Looks increasingly unlikely he will do Rally of the Lakes as budget not there.

Mark Higgins could also be a doubt for the Lakes citing lack of sponsorship.

More on these stories here

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/sport/article3608565.ece

 

[Burnz]

Kris-ed Off
Life's a beach for Meeke as he is forced to swap Ireland for sunny Barbados
Sunday, April 13, 2008

By Sammy Hamill

Kris Meeke has been a noticeable absentee from Irish rallies this season.

But the former Citroen Junior World championship star, who won two rounds of Ireland's premier Tarmac series last year, will be back in action soon.


Unfortunately, it is going to be far from home.


And as lack of sponsorship keeps him off the Irish stages he dominated last season, Meeke is heading for the West Indies and the Barbados Rally next month.


"I'd love to be getting ready for the Rally of the Lakes and the Donegal International but it doesn't look like it is going to happen," said the 28-year-old from Dungannon. "The money just isn't available to hire and run a competitive car.

RALLY OF THE LAKES

"I'm disappointed of course, especially as it looks likely I will miss the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. I won that last year and loved those stages.


"There is just an outside possibility it could happen. My co-driver, Paul Nagle, is from Killarney and he is desperate that we do the rally together but quite honestly I think the chances are remote at this stage."


But next month Meeke and Nagle will be packing their bags and the sun cream for the trip to Barbados and a rally that is part carnival, part serious competition.


"I've been invited to drive a WRC Toyota Corolla on the rally and I'm really looking forward to it - firstly because it is the chance to compete on a real fun rally and secondly I will get the chance to drive a WRC Corolla. It is a car I've always wanted to drive."


In fact, the ex-Didier Auriol World championship Corolla finished second on the event last year in the hands of local owner John Powell and is currently back in Holland at the workshop of Toyota guru Erik Wevers being prepared for the Barbados Rally.


"John Powell asked me to come out and drive the car," explained Meeke. "He also has a Subaru now, which he will drive, and so the Toyota was available."


Meeke is likely to be the most high-profile driver on the event but he is well aware that winning is far from a foregone conclusion.


"A lot of drivers from Ireland and the UK have been out before but few have won it," he said. "It is a very specialised rally and local knowledge is very important. Plus there are some good drivers in the West Indies with up-to-date cars like Paul Bourne, Roger Skeete and, of course, John Powell."


In fact one of the few people to beat them is former Irish Tarmac champion Kenny McKinstry who provide the Rally of the Lakes winning Subaru for Meeke last year. He won in Barbados in 1993.


But former British national champion Steve Perez knows only too well how competitive the West Indian drivers are. He has been to Barbados for the past two years with his M-Sport Ford Focuses and finished fourth both times.


So a new challenge for Meeke € as is the European Prodrift championship which kicks off at Mondello next weekend. He will be making a guest appearance in a Nissan 180SX in a branch of motorsport which began in Japan and America and has more recently spread to Europe.

 

[Burnz]

The new website for Rally Barbados; the contacts for the organizers are there.

http://www.rallybarbados.bb/


I'm from Barbados by the way

 

[Burnz]

Just pictures of Rally Barbados over the years to give you guys an idea of the machinary down here:

Cars come from all over the Caribbean islands (St.Vincent, Jamaica, Trinidad and of course Barbados). As well as competitors from England, Ireland, Japan e.t.c


Mr. Didier Auriol doing a demostration in John Powell's Corolla

Steve Perez

10 Time Winner, Roger Skeete

Kevin Procter

 

[Burnz]

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Burnz]

Mark Higgins in our September Rally 2007:

Mark Higgins driving John Powell's Corolla; the same one Kris Meeke will driving in 4 weeks time on May 30th- June 1st in Barbados!!!!

One of our beautiful Caribbean beaches:

Dimma:

 

[Burnz]

Bajan Women!!!!!

 

[RComms]

Class photos there burnz! the 94 event with McKinstry was one of the all time classic RPM episodes. He must have been one of the first British/Irish guys to come over for the event?

 

[Burnz]

RALLY CHAMPIONS HEAD FOR CARIBBEAN SHOWDOWN
Near-capacity entry for Sol Rally Barbados

Rally Champions from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are making their final preparations to fly to the 166-square-mile Caribbean island of Barbados, where they will compete in the region's biggest annual international motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados, over the weekend of May 31/June 1.
The provisional entry list published today (May 12) by the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is just one shy of the event's cap of 90 entries; the 89 crews include seven from around the region and 23 from Europe. Today's list is published by Group in alphabetical order - the seeded entry list will be released following the Shell V-Power King of the Hill, which runs off the Saturday before Sol Rally Barbados.
As the BRC's premier event approaches its 20th running in 2010, the long-term commitment of new sponsor The Sol Group has enabled the Club to concentrate with greater confidence on the core business of building the rally, already an event of national significance as a major contributor to the island's sports tourism product and foreign exchange earnings, into a world-class event.
And this year reflects the progress already being made, not least because the entry includes Sweden's Bjorn Waldegard, the 1979 World Rally Champion, and Ireland's Kris Meeke, who was a title-contender in the Junior World Rally Championship from 2004 to 2006. Add in past or present Champion drivers from Barbados, Jamaica, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and from further afield in England, Ireland and Scotland, and all the ingredients are in place for a superb contest.
With an entry of 27 four-wheel-drive cars - a record number, surpassing the 24 which started Rally Barbados 2004 - the island's motor sport fans can expect a real motor sport feast. While Waldegard will be enjoying himself in the historic class in a Porsche 911 owned by regular British visitor Steve Perez, Meeke will be at the sharp end.
Highest group in the local classifications is Modified 8-WRC (World Cars, or those modified beyond Group A), which has attracted a record entry of 13 cars - Meeke is fulfilling an ambition by driving a Toyota Corolla WRC, an ex-Didier Auriol car owned by Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell, who drove it to second in Rally Barbados 2007.
Meeke's opposition includes reigning BRC Rally Champion and double Rally Barbados winner Paul Bourne (Subaru Impreza S9), 10-times winner of the BRC's blue riband event Roger Skeete (Ford Escort WRC) and 1999 winner Trevor Manning (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII).
Apart from former Trinidad champion Powell (now in an Impreza S9), the regional entry includes multiple Jamaican champion Gary Gregg, winner in 2006 with his ex-Carlos Sainz Ford Focus WRC01, while the British contingent includes Perez (fourth for the past two years in his Focus WRC05) and Paul Bird (Impreza WRC S9) - both are former National Champions - and sixth-time visitor Kevin Procter, whose sixth different mount for the event is an Impreza S7.
The interest from overseas competitors is not solely concentrated on overall victory - there is at least one regional or European crew in every group except Modified 6, so national pride will be at stake right through the field.
Chairman of the Sol Rally Barbados organising committee Barry Gale says: "We are delighted with the quality of the entry and hope that we will once again be able to say 'this was the best Rally Barbados yet'. We will be extending a warm welcome to all of our overseas visitors, but there will still be some intense competition on the stages. In each Group, may the best man - or woman - win!"

Sol Rally Barbados 2008 headline statistics:
+ 89 crews entered
+ drivers or co-drivers from 12 nations, including Barbados
+ 27 four-wheel-drive cars
+ 43 drivers or co-drivers from Europe
+ 17 drivers or co-drivers from around the region
+ 1 female driver, 13 female co-drivers
+ cars from 17 manufacturers, Toyota the best-represented with 18 entries

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are elements of the eighth Barbados Rally Carnival. Each day of Sol Rally Barbados, organised by the Barbados Rally Club, is a separate qualifying round of the BRC Rally Championship. The title sponsor is Sol and associate sponsors and marketing partners are McEnearney Quality, Simpson Motors, Automotive Art, Banks Holdings, DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre, Digicel, Nassco, Consolidated Finance, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Crane & Equipments, Little Switzerland, Armag, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association and the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Programme of key events

Friday, May 23 - 4.00pm to approx 8.00pm
Scrutineering at Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, Wildey, St Michael
Saturday, May 24 - 11.30am to approx 6.00pm
Shell V-Power King of the Hill, Turner's Hall, St Andrew
Monday to Friday, May 26 to May 30 - 4.00 to 6.00pm each day
Meet the Drivers at Shell Warrens (Mon-Weds) and Shell Banyans (Thurs-Fri)
Saturday, May 31 - Sol Rally Barbados 2008 - day 1
Start from Simpson Motors, Warrens, St Michael, at 9.30am
Twelve stages at three venues
Sunday, June 1 - Sol Rally Barbados 2008 - day 2
Restart from Bushy Park, St Philip, at 7.30am
Twelve stages at three venues
Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Bushy Park
Monday, June 2 - approx 3.30pm - Sol Rally Barbados 2008 Prizegiving
The Boatyard, Bay Street, St Michael

For further information:
Barbados Rally Club - robin@bradfax.com
web site - www.rallybarbados.bb

Sol-RB08-10a: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 12, 2008

SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2008
Provisional entry list at May 12, 2008

Key to nationalities (competitor from Barbados unless shown):
ENG - England; HOL - The Netherlands; IoM - Isle of Man; IRL - The Republic of Ireland; JAM - Jamaica; NIR - Northern Ireland; SCO - Scotland; SVG - St Vincent & The Grenadines; SWE - Sweden; TDAD - Trinidad & Tobago; WAL - Wales

+ group classifications subject to scrutineering of overseas entries

+ driver/co-driver (car) - listed alphabetically by Group

Modified 8-WRC
Paul Bird - ENG/Ian Windress - ENG (Subaru Impreza WRC S9)
Paul Bourne/Stuart Maloney (Subaru Impreza WRC S9)
Brett Clarke/Garry Clarke (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
Sean Dowding/Jason Cozier (Subaru Impreza WRX STi)
Barry Gale/Cherie Edghill (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
Gary Gregg - JAM/Hugh Hutchinson - JAM (Ford Focus WRC)
Ainsley Lochan - TDAD/Scott Sheppard - TDAD (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
Trevor Manning/Derek Edwards (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII)
Kris Meeke - NIR/Paul Nagle - NIR (Toyota Corolla WRC)
Steve Perez - ENG/Howard Davies - WAL (Ford Focus WRC)
John Powell - JAM/Michael March - JAM (Subaru Impreza WRC S9)
Kevin Procter - ENG/Dave Bellerby - ENG (Subaru Impreza WRC S7)
Roger Skeete/Robert Simmons (Ford Escort WRC)

Modified 8-A
Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
Vishal Dhanraj - TDAD/Ian Rouse - TDAD (Subaru Impreza WRX)
Graeme Finlayson - SCO/Martin Atwell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III RS)
Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (Toyota Celica GT4)
Tom Roberts - ENG/Jimmy Brodie - ENG (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)
Kirk Watkins/Ryan Corbin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V)

Production 4
Ryan Champion - ENG/Craig Thorley - ENG (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII)
David Hughes - SCO/Bruce Harper - SCO (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII)
Chris McFarlane - JAM/tba - JAM (Subaru Impreza WRX)
Harold Morley - ENG/Geoff Goddard (Subaru Impreza WRX)
Geoff Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)
Steve Ollivierre - SVG/Dominic Ollivierre - SVG (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII)
Rob Swann - ENG/Darren Garrod - WAL (Subaru Impreza WRX STi)
Michael Worme/Alex Whitehead (Subaru Impreza WRX STi)

Group B
Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Mike Lund - ENG (Ford Puma)
Shelford Robinson - TDAD/Rajesh Ganar - TDAD (Nissan Sentra)
Geoffrey Ullyett/tba (Nissan 200T)

Historic
Ding Boston - ENG/Jon Pulliston - ENG (Riley 1.5)
Bjorn Waldegard - SWE/Michael Carrington (Porsche 911)
Steve Wood - ENG/Leslie Evanson (Austin Mini Cooper S)

SuperModified 11
Eric Allamby/Andrew Croney (Mitsubishi Lancer)
Calvin Briggs/Hulita Brathwaite (Ford Escort MkII)
Justin Campbell/Cody Foster (BMW E46)
Jason Clermont/Mario Clermont (BMW M3)
Sammy Cumberbatch/Nicholas Yarde (BMW M3)
St Elmo Cumberbatch/Owen Cumberbatch (BMW E36)
Nick Gill/Sue Rogers (Mazda 3)
Rohan Hall/Pedro Thomas (Ford Sierra)
John Hardman - NIR/Rob Brook - ENG (Ford Escort MkII)
Andrew Jones/Mark Thompson (Ford Escort MkII)
Graham Manning/Ryan Farmer (Ford Escort MkII)
Jonathan Still/Heath Hazell (BMW M3)
Martin Stockdale - ENG/Mark Swallow - ENG (BMW M3 GTR)

SuperModified 10
Nick Cook - ENG/Jemma Bellingham - ENG (Ford Escort MkI)
Sean Gill/Michael Cummins (Suzuki Swift)
Julian Goddard/Avrash Chatrani (Ford Escort MkI)
Wayne King/Summer Lewis (Peugeot 306)
Kyle Lashley/Jason Tindale (Toyota Starlet Turbo)
Stuart McChlery/Martin Goddard (Ford Escort MkI)
Cliff Roett/Bryan Hurley (Toyota Starlet)
Rhett Watson/Logan Watson (Ford Escort MkI)
Ralph White/Chris O'Neal (Toyota Starlet)

SuperModified 9
James Betts/Dean Serrao - JAM (Opel Corsa)
Andy Carter - ENG/Joanne Briggs - ENG (Vauxhall Nova)
Daryl Clarke/Russel Brancker (Mitsubishi Mirage)
Neil Corbin/Aaron Kirton (Toyota Starlet)
Jeremy Gonsalves/Natasha Farnum (Suzuki Swift GTi)
Allan Maynard/Jeremy Croney (Toyota Starlet)
Tarik Minott - JAM/Peter Clarke - JAM (Suzuki Ignis JWRC)
Josh Read/Mark Jordan (Toyota Starlet)
Winston Thompson/Brian Gibson (Toyota Starlet)
Stuart White/Brandon McKenzie (Toyota Starlet)
David Williams/Kristian Yearwood (Toyota Starlet)
Ryan Wood/Raymond Parris (Toyota Starlet)

Modified 7
David Brewster/Rashid Phillips (Peugeot 205GTi)
Kyle Catwell/Justin Harrison (Volkswagen Golf GTI)
John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (Toyota Corolla)
Greg Cozier/Antonio Da Silva (Ford Escort RS2000)
Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (Toyota Corolla RunX)
Ron Layne/Giselle Layne (Nissan Sunny)
Adrian Linton/Jackie Linton (Vauxhall Astra GSi)
Cheryl Spencer - ENG/Barry Spencer - ENG (Vauxhall Astra GSi)
Chris Ullyett/Derek Ince (Nissan 200Y)
Simon Wallis - ENG/Stuart Leach - ENG (Peugeot 205GTi)

Modified 6
Jamal Brathwaite/Talia Mapp (Toyota Corolla)
Edward Corbin/Mark Perkins (Daihatsu Charmant)
Shareef Walcott/Juan Watts (Toyota Corolla)
Ian Warren/Matthew Staffner (Peugeot 206)
Karl Waterman/Sean Corbin (Toyota Starlet)
Danny Williams/Reuben Nelson (Ford Fiesta)

Modified 5
Kenny Hall - SCO/Fenny Wesselink - HOL (Opel Corsa)
Gary Mendes/Jennifer Hole (Toyota Starlet)

Production 3
Keith Bernard - IoM/Stephen Lee - IoM (Vauxhall Astra GSi)
Peter Gallagher - IRL/Dario Hoyte (Peugeot 306 S16)

Production 2
Neil Barnard/Barry Hill (Suzuki Ignis Sport)
Martin Taylor - IRL/Janet Taylor - IRL (Proton Satria)

For further information:
e-mail - robin@bradfax.com
web site - www.rallybarbados.bb

 

[Nazor]

Pictures are fantastic - the quality of machinary has really sky rocketed from the early days and boy do those Bajan boys know how to drive!

Oh yes

 

[Burnz]

Class photos there burnz! the 94 event with McKinstry was one of the all time classic RPM episodes. He must have been one of the first British/Irish guys to come over for the event?

Well Thanks! There're not my photos tho...just some of my collection from the various Bajan websites.

McKintry possibly could have been the first, would check that out for you.

Here's a link to the Bajan forum, Zhaust, where you could possibly follow the rally much closer.

http://www.zhaust.com/forum/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=6&rid=524