MAYERS FOCUSES ON THE COMPETITION

The eye-catching new Automotive Art/Shell Helix/McEnearney Quality Ford Focus WRC of Roger Mayers heads the 30-car entry list for the first event of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2003 motor sport season tomorrow (Sunday, February 9).
The Tarmac Hill Sprint, scheduled for an 0800hrs start at Cherry Tree Hill, will give fans their first chance to see a number of new car/driver combinations in action against the clock, plus some familiar machines with new paint jobs; in addition to the Mayers Focus, the list includes:
+ former British champion Harold Morley, who will debut his new Prodrive-built Subaru Impreza New Age Group N contender
+ former BRC Derek Roach, giving the exciting new Mini Cooper S its first competition outing in Barbados
+ Cliff Roett, in the Toyota Celica GT4 formerly campaigned by his father, the late Richard Roett, whose untimely death last year shocked the island’s motor sport fraternity
+ Jonathan Still, whose striking black Nescafe/Philips Lighting/Castrol-backed BMW M3 was a hit with the crowds at last Sunday’s pre-season shakedown at Bushy Park
Competition among the fastest cars is expected to be tough at Cherry Tree Hill on Sunday morning: Mayers will face the established names of Roger Skeete (Texaco/Michelin/McEnearney Quality/Consolidated Finance/Carib Ford Escort WRC) and Paul Bourne (Banks/Pirelli/Texaco/Williams Industries Subaru Impreza WRC), as well as Roett and the re-liveried now silver Toyota Celica GT4 of Roger Hill, showing allegiance to its new sponsor Mobil 1. Trevor Manning will miss the action as his Mitsubishi Evo 5 is still being readied for the new campaign.
Mayers said: “I’ve had half and hour in the Focus and it feels very different to the Escort. Sunday is really just a get through the day sort of thing. I’m in the same position as I was at the beginning of last year with the Escort, getting used to things. But I’m looking forward to getting started.”
The Focus was given a fanfare launch at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium this morning (Saturday) where, for the first time, the Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL) joined the BRC and Motoring Club of Barbados Inc (MCBI) for annual scrutineering, a further example of the efforts of all clubs to work closer together under the umbrella of the Barbados Motoring Federation.

Entry list as confirmed on Saturday morning follows (in alphabetical order in groups)
For further information, contact Robin Bradford (treelogy@sunbeach.net or 422 1829)
BRC web site: www.rallyclub.com

BRC Drivers Championship 2003 – round 1
Event – Tarmac Hill Sprint, Cherry Tree Hill, February 9, 2003

Modified 9 (including World Rally Cars)
Paul Bourne (Banks/Pirelli/Texaco/Williams Industries Subaru Impreza WRC)
Roger Mayers (Automotive Art/Shell Helix/McEnearney Quality Ford Focus WRC)
Cliff Roett (Michelin/Esso/Nassco/Lucky Horseshoe/Roett's Garage Toyota Celica GT4)
Roger Skeete (Texaco/Michelin/McEnearney Quality/Consolidated Finance/Carib Ford Escort WRC)

Modified 8 (Group A)
Roger Hill (Mobil 1/Nassco/Michelin Motormac Toyota Celica GT4)

Production 4 (Group N)
Brian Gill (Banks/Pirelli/Texaco/Williams Industries Subaru Impreza WRX)
Harold Morley (Sunbeach Communications Inc Subaru Impreza)
Geoffrey Noel (Napa/Pirelli/AutoZone/Simpson Motors Mitsubishi Evo VI)
Peter Thompson (Glassesco/NKM Clothing Proton Wira)

Open Modified
Martin Atwell (ProPac Dogfood/Super Pets Mart/Mike Atwell Exports Inc/Automotive Art Westfield Megabusa)
St Elmo Cumberbatch (F Taylor Associates/Michelin BMW E36)
Lindsay Farmer (Nassco/Phillips Lighting/St James Travel/Mobil 1 Toyota Starlet Turbo)
Nicholas Gill (McEnearney Quality/Genuine Mazda Parts/Toyo Tyres/Carib Mazda Lantis)
Reggie Gill (SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc Opel Manta)
Graham Gittens (Nassco/Phillips Lighting/St James Travel/Mobil 1 Toyota Starlet Turbo)
Jonathan Still (Nescafe/Phillips Lighting/Castrol BMW M3)

Modified 7
David Brewster (ACP Associates/The Tile Outlet/SRG Engineering Peugeot 205GTi)
Edward Corbin (Corbin's Garage/Klark-Odio Toyota Corolla SR)
John Corbin (Corbin's Garage/Klark-Odio Toyota Corolla)
Andrew Jones (A P Jones Pharmacy/Stratford Properties/Lucozade Ford Escort Mk II)
Geoffrey Ullyett (Ullyett’s Machine Shop/Good year Tyres/Argent Lubricants/Sikkens Nissan 150Y)

Modified 6
Neil Armstrong (Toyota Starlet)
Sean Gill (Simpson Motors/DaCosta Mannings Autocentre/Pirelli Suzuki Ignis)
Christopher Parkinson (Crane & Equipment/Chilli Pepper Restaurant/Williams Industries Toyota Starlet)

Modified 5
James Betts (Toyota Starlet)
Wayne Manning (Castrol/Black Bess Quarry Ltd Peugeot 205XS)
Roger Marshall (Photo Finish One Hour Photo/Agfa Film Toyota Starlet)

Production 3
Freddie Gale (Gale's Hatcheries Toyota Starlet)
Tricia Gittens (BS & T Motors Mini Cooper S)
Derek Roach (BS & T Motors Mini Cooper S)