RALLY CLUB LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) is going back to grass roots to provide a sounder grounding for its current and future competitors, an increasing number of whom are travelling overseas to experience international competition. It has added to its calendar the BRC Navigational Test, replacing the 4 x 4 Safari slated to run on Saturday, March 29.
The BRC also hopes the event, which has already received positive feedback from many potential competitors, will attract a wider membership to the club. One of the driving forces behind the new event, the BRC’s reigning Rookie of the Year Lindsay Farmer, says: “We aim to give a rebirth to a form of motor sport that almost all of today’s rally drivers and co-drivers started out doing. In addition to this, many of today’s co-drivers cannot get from one stage to another by following a simple tulip route in Barbados, far less overseas. If we hope to continue expanding our competition horizons, we need to improve our co-drivers’ navigational skills.”
In advance of the event, Farmer and experienced co-drivers Leslie Alleyne and Robert Warren – fresh back from Mexico, where he was co-driver for Barry Gale - have organized a class of instruction on methods of navigation. This will run from 2-4pm this Saturday (March 22) at the Kendal Sporting Club, St Philip, which has kindly provided a private room free of charge. The bar and kitchen will be open, so that persons attending can get lunch and drinks at the Club’s regular prices.
Farmer explains: “The types of navigation we will be focusing on are Tulip and Straight Line (also known as Herring Bone), as these are what will be used in the navigational event. There is no charge to attend this class, and it is not just limited to persons who intend doing the new event.”
The BRC Navigational Test itself on March 29 will be open to anyone; there is a standard entry fee of $50 per car, and no temporary membership of the BRC is required. Each vehicle will be allowed to carry a maximum of four persons, a driver, navigator, and two persons who can either help with the navigational duties, or are interested in doing navigational events, but are not sure what it entails.
Competitors do not have to own a fully-prepared competition vehicle, but there will be scrutineering checks before the 4pm start, at the premises of McEnearney Quality, Wildey. Scrutineers will be looking for good brakes, horn, indicators, brake lights, and headlights – the event does involve driving at night – also valid road insurance and road tax disk, plus a valid driver’s license, all of which must be produced at the start of the event. No special insurance is required.
Farmer explained: “The route was set using a Peugeot 206GTi with no sump guard, so the event is safe for a road car. There will be some cart roads in the route but, if people take their time (as they should in a navigational event), they should be fine.”
The route will visit five parishes, competitors finishing at around 8pm the same evening at the Kendal Sporting Club, where food, and drinks will be on sale, as well as rally videos being shown on the big screen. Although there will be no timing on this event, results will nevertheless be published, based on penalties assessed by use of Direction Checks.
Further details of the route and the penalty system to be operated will be available at the briefing meeting, slated to start at 7pm on Tuesday, March 25, at the Kendal Sporting Club. Entries will open and close at that meeting. Depending on the number of entries, the BRC intends to run two sections with slightly different routes, one for novices and one for the more experienced crews. Persons wanting more information can contact Lindsay Farmer on e-mail hardseed@yahoo.com or by calling 233-7488 and leaving a message.

For further information, contact Robin Bradford (treelogy@sunbeach.net or 422 1829)