TOUGHEST OF THE YEAR? 43 CREWS AIM TO FIND OUT!

Clearly, the organisers’ promise that the island’s oldest organised motor sport event would also be one of the year’s toughest has not deterred competitors; the 2005 Barbados Rally Club (BRC) 4x4 June Safari, which will be staged this weekend (June 18/19), had attracted a mammoth 43 crews by the entry deadline of 5.00pm today (Friday).
Apart from the two events of the recently-completed Barbados Rally Carnival and the Barbados Auto Racing League’s International Race Meet scheduled for Bushy Park in September, this weekend’s event looks set for the highest entry of the 2005 motor sport season.
And rightly so, for the island’s – and possibly the region’s – oldest motor sport competition with a continuous history has always struck a chord with competitors. This is the 48th running of the event formerly known as the June Rally, which began as a purely navigational event and has finally reverted to that format; this weekend’s BRC 4x4 June Safari will cover roughly 150 kilometres, taking competitors through all 11 parishes; it is divided into three routes, with approximately 80 per cent of the distance off-road.
BRC committee member Lindsay Farmer, who has been a champion of the navigational event in recent years said: ”I am pleasantly surprised not only at the total number of entries, but also the number of Novices who have decided to tackle this event. Definitely, it will be a baptism of fire for the newcomers, but I would say this to them: if you get lost, don't get frustrated and give up, it's a long event. Go to the stop-over point, wait for the restart to join back in.
“There’s a good entry in the Pro class as well; if all else fails, follow someone who you think knows what they are doing, but try and follow on your route sheet as well, so that you will also learn what you are doing.”
The BRC 4x4 June Safari will start at Barbados Hardware, Haggatt Hall, at 4.00pm on Saturday and finish at the Lucky Horseshoe Restaurant, Warrens, at 6.00am on Sunday. The first route travels through the parishes of St Michael, Christ Church, St George, St Philip, St John and St Thomas; the second route revisits St Michael and St Thomas, then takes competitors into St James, St Peter, St Lucy and St Andrew; the final route adds St Joseph into the mix, as competitors also return to St Andrew, St John, St George and St Michael.
And after fighting their way through all of the island’s parishes, the Prizegiving will be held at Kendal Sporting on Tuesday (June 21) at 7.30pm: among the awards to be collected, Automotive Art will present vehicle care packages to each member of the top three finishers overall; Richard Daniel of Neptune Tours is sponsoring the trophies for the highest-placed novice crew; AutoZone Inc is again presenting a Sportsmanship Award for the crew voted by their fellow competitors to be most deserving.

Barbados Rally Club 4 x 4 June Safari, June 18/19
BRC 4 x 4 Navigational Championship, round 2
Entry list

Pro class
1 Ryan Wood/Darrin White (Flying Fish Mitsubishi Pajero)
2 Chris Beckley/Warren Gollop (Mitsubishi Pajero)
3 Audley Croney/Geoffrey Goddard (Suzuki Samurai)
4 Keri-Dawn Watkins/Lisa Roett (Hankook Tires Toyota Rav 4)
5 Paul Marshall/Ian Hutson (Mitsubishi L200)
9 Philip McConney/Kenney Croney (Suzuki Samurai)
13 Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai)
15 Jimmy Gittens/Trevor Mapp (Scoop News Suzuki Samurai)
22 Michael St Hill/Willie Hinds (Mitsubishi Pajero)
23 Warwick Eastmond/Dwayne Nurse (Suzuki Samurai)
24 Noel Edwards/Jason Downey (Rallyman.com Suzuki Vitara)
31 Biddy Barber/Brett Barber (Biddy's Visitors Information Centre/McEnearney Diaihatsu Feroza)
33 Lindsay Farmer/Megan Blades (Rallynut.com/Toyo Tires Suzuki Samurai)
35 Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Isuzu Pickup)
36 Derek Gill/Kevyn Yearwood (Suzuki Samurai)
37 Barry Gale/Neil Barnard (Automotive Art Mitsubishi L200)
40 David Lewis/Harcourt Hinkson (Courtesy/Goodyear Nissan Frontier)

Novice class
6 Kirk Phillips/Kristian Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara)
7 David Fenty/Lisa Sealy (Mitsubishi L200)
8 David St Hill/Chris Gajadhar (Mitsubishi Pajero)
10 John Sealy/Chris Choat Sr (Land Rover Defender)
11 Richard Taylor/Ryan Corbin (Mitsubishi L200)
12 Anthony King/Dave Sealy (Suzuki Samurai)
14 Sean Gibbs/Kerri Gibbs (Boardwalk Realty Toyota Hilux)
16 Kevin St Hill/Jamilia Parris (Mitsubishi Pajero)
17 Gregory Dickenson/Anna-Maria Dickenson (Toyota Hilux)
18 Steven Watson/Otis McClean (Suzuki Samurai)
19 Renne Mings/Adrian Yearwood (Suzuki Samurai)
20 Clyde Green/Ian Giles (Toyota Hilux)
21 Troy Clarke/Wayne Forde (Suzuki Samurai)
25 Samuel Hoyte/Sherlan Hoyte (Suzuki Samurai)
26 lan Went/Alan Western (Suzuki Samurai)
27 Fredrik von Kantzow/Wayne Gonsalves (Suzuki Samurai)
28 Daryl Clarke/Marva Clarke (Suzuki Samurai)
29 Curtis Greaves/Jamal Brathwaite (Suzuki Samurai)
30 John Boland/Anthony Whitehead (Toyota Hilux)
32 Marcus Sabga/Kreigg Yearwood (Billy Boy Uniforms/Romaro Enterprises Kia Sportage)
34 Allen Gill/Michael Austin (Suzuki Samurai)
38 Chris Choat Jr/Justin Inniss (Freemotion Internet Services/ACE Recovery & Towing Range Rover)
39 Jeremy Croney/Justin Cuke (Suzuki Samurai)
41 Dustin Edwards/Derick Edwards (Toyota Hilux)
42 Ryan Browne/Jason Brandford (Mitsubishi L200)
43 Ramond Prescod/Shawn Small (Suzuki Samurai)

For further information, robin@bradfax.com