GILL AND YEARWOOD WIN JUNE SAFARI

Victory in last weekend’s 2005 Barbados Rally Club (BRC) 4 x 4 June Safari (June 18/19) has promoted Derek Gill and Kevyn Yearwood to the head of the driver and navigator standings respectively in the BRC 4 x 4 Navigational Championship. It was the 48th running of the island’s oldest organised motor sport event, which started life as the June Rally.
Highest-placed Novice crew were Jeremy Croney and Justin Cuke, who finished fifth overall in their Suzuki Samurai; thanks to winning the opening round in March with navigator Geoffrey Goddard, Croney is now the joint leader of the drivers’ championship with Gill.
The 150-kilometre route, which visited all of the island’s 11 parishes, made this the longest 4 x 4 event ever staged in Barbados; it attracted 42 entries – the highest number for many years – of whom 31 made it to the finish. The route-setters had promised that it would be one of the year’s toughest competitions, and they were as good as their word, with 80 per cent of the route off-road, and most of it in darkness.
Aboard a Suzuki Samurai, Gill and Yearwood finished the event with 714 penalties; second were Barry Gale and Neil Barnard, who collected 927 penalties in the Automotive Art Mitsubishi L200, while Philip McConney and Kenney Croney (Suzuki Samurai) finished third on 962 penalties.
There was close competition throughout the night, with Gill and Yearwood’s consistency key to their success - they did not win any of the three separate routes, but finished third, second and third, keeping their penalty total in check. Mark Western and Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai) were ahead after the first route, with McConney/Croney second and Gill/Yearwood third.
An excellent second route, collecting just 66 penalties, promoted Gale and Barnard into the lead, but finishing 13th on the final route ruined their chances of victory; Gill and Yearwood were third on the final route, behind Chris Beckley/Warren Gollop (Mitsubishi Pajero) and Lindsay Farmer/Megan Blades (Rallynut.com/Toyo Tyres Suzuki Samurai), to win overall by 213 penalties.
The BRC 4x4 June Safari started at Barbados Hardware, Haggatt Hall, at 4.00pm on Saturday and finished at the Lucky Horseshoe Restaurant, Warrens, at 6.00am on Sunday. The route was set Leslie Alleyne and wife Annalee, who won the June Safari in 2003, and fellow experienced competitors Peter Bradshaw and Chris O'Neal.
The official results were published at Kendal Sporting on Tuesday evening, where the prize-giving was held. Route-setter Leslie Alleyne said: “I would like to thank all those concerned in marshalling and officiating this past weekend’s June Safari. It could not have been a success without each of you playing your part so willingly and professionally.”
And success it was – there was praise from all quarters for the slick organisation of what was a major undertaking, particularly bearing in mind that it was for the most part a night-time event. Farmer, a competitor rather than organiser over this weekend, finished sixth; he said: “I cannot say enough words of thanks to all the marshals. I know most of them worked right through from start to finish, and quite a few seemed to enjoy themselves marshalling as much as we enjoyed ourselves competing!”
Keri-Dawn Watkins, who finished 10th with Lisa Roett in their Hankook Tyres Toyota Rav 4 despite some mechanical problems, said: ”I agree with Lindsay. Thanks to the organisers for a fantastic rally; and thanks to the marshals.”
Among other competitor comments: “Congrats to the guys who finished; this is by far the toughest I’ve done so far.” “I feel sore; my back hurts, my shoulders hurt, my neck hurts – but it was all worth it!” “To survive the event was an achievement in itself.” “Next year, we need to increase the number of 4 x 4 events.”
The third round of the BRC 4 x 4 Navigational Championship is to be run in August with the final in November; the format of each event is yet to be finalised.

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

Top 10 overall (trophies presented to the top three)
1st Derek Gill/Kevyn Yearwood (Suzuki Samurai), 714 penalties
2nd Barry Gale/Neil Barnard (Automotive Art Mitsubishi L200), 927 pens
3rd Philip McConney/Kenney Croney (Suzuki Samurai), 962 pens
4th Ian Warren/Robert Warren (Isuzu Pickup), 1094 pens
5th Jeremy Croney/Justin Cuke (Suzuki Samurai), 1242 pens
6th Lindsay Farmer/Megan Blades (Rallynut.com/Toyo Tyres Suzuki Samurai), 1258 pens
7th Sean Gibbs/Kerri Gibbs (Boardwalk Realty Toyota Hilux), 1416 pens
8th Chris Beckley/Warren Gollop (Mitsubishi Pajero), 1502 pens
9th Michael St Hill/Willie Hinds (Mitsubishi Pajero), 1512 pens
10th Keri-Dawn Watkins/Lisa Roett (Hankook Tyres Toyota Rav 4), 1699 pens
Pro class
1st Gill/Yearwood
2nd Gale/Barnard
3rd McConney/Croney
4th Warren/Warren
5th Farmer/Blades
Novice class (Neptune Tours trophies presented to the winning crew)
1st Croney/Cuke
2nd Gibbs/Gibbs
3rd Dustin Edwards/Derick Edwards (Toyota Hilux), 1756 pens
4th Gregory Dickenson/Anna-Maria Dickenson (Toyota Hilux), 1830 pens
5th Kirk Phillips/Kristian Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara), 1969 pens
Winning crew, route 1 (awarded a product basket from Automotive Art)
Mark Western/Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai), 290 pens
Winning crew, route 2 (awarded a product basket from Automotive Art)
Gale/Barnard, 66 pens
Winning crew, route 3 (awarded a product basket from Automotive Art)
Beckley/Gollop, 116 pens
Highest-placed Female Navigator (presented a trophy by Biddy Barber)
Megan Blades (6th overall)
Highest-placed Female Driver (presented a trophy by Biddy Barber)
Keri-Dawn Watkins (10th overall)
AutoZone Inc Sportsmanship Award (free service for two vehicles, plus free entry & insurance for round 3)
John Sealy/Chris Choat Sr (Land Rover Defender)

BRC 4 x 4 Navigational Championship
Positions after round 2
Navigators
1st Kevyn Yearwood, 32pts
2nd Neil Barnard, 26pts
3rd Robert Warren, 24pts
4th Geoffrey Goddard, 20pts
5th Robin Hinds, 19pts
Drivers
1st Jeremy Croney & Derek Gill, 32pts
3rd Barry Gale, 26pts
4th Ian Warren, 24pts
4th Biddy Barber, 14pts
5th Mark Western, 19pts

For further information, robin@bradfax.com