TOYO TIRES BACKS OPENING SAFARI

The Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) 50th Anniversary season kicks off next Sunday (February 11) with the Toyo Tires February Safari, the first of four rounds in the 2007 BRC Safari Championship . . . and the route-setter is promising a challenging event for navigators and drivers alike.
The event will start from local Toyo Tire dealer McEnearney Quality Inc’s premises in Wildey, St Michael, with the first crew setting off at 8:01am; the first route will end with a stop-over in the vicinity of Hampton, St Philip, three hours later, with the second route scheduled to finish at around 4.30pm at the BCTSA Clubhouse at Searles, Christchurch, where food and beverages will be on sale.
The briefing meeting will also be held at the BCTSA Clubhouse, at 7.00pm on Tuesday, February 6, where entries will open; entry fee is $40, and competition insurance at $40 is also required; temporary BRC membership is available at $35 per person (valid for one event), while a minimum of a BMF restricted competition licence ($50 per person, valid for the year) is compulsory. Those unable to make the briefing meeting can enter at Autozone, Fontabelle, although a late entry fee of $15 will be applied.
There has been considerable growth in navigational rallying in recent years, and the BRC is keen to continue this in the season which will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first June Rally, the navigational event from which the Club was born. Navigational sub-committee member Lindsay Farmer says: “In an effort to continue to encourage more new blood into the sport, a short class will be held at the end of the briefing meeting, for those interested in learning the basics of Tulip and BRC navigation; interested persons can also find some helpful tips on-line at http://www.rallynut.com.” The Toyo Tires February Safari will use approximately 70 per cent Tulip and 30 per cent BRC navigation.
The route has been set by joint winner of the 2002 June Rally Peter Bradshaw, assisted by Kirk King; they promise an event which is not only challenging navigationally, but also for the drivers, with six areas of particular interest contributing to the overall results, one of which the setters have nicknamed ‘The Hole of Iniquity’. As Farmer explains: “They have also made sure that some areas will have a high moisture content, thanks to the co-operation of estate owners who wish to test their fire karts and irrigation equipment prior to the start of the sugar crop."
Bradshaw added: "I encourage all the old-timers who are thinking about competing in the 50th Anniversary June Safari, to consider entering this event, because it will definitely help knock some of the rust off the joints, and cobwebs out of the brains."
Last year’s Champion Driver Leslie Alleyne has opted not to compete this year, in an effort to ensure that all rounds of the 2007 BRC Safari Championship follow the requirements laid down by the sub-committee. Alleyne says: "For example, all routes must have at least four obvious pick-up points, as well as car zero times to help keep the novices on track and on time.
“We have also decided to give the novice crews an ease in the redirection penalties, and give them only 100 penalties for each incidence of redirection from a marshal or control, as opposed to the 200 penalties which the pros will get. Think of it as a ‘happy hour special’, because that is our goal this year - to try and make the events more fun for the novices and for the drivers but, at the same time, not lose the navigational aspect on which the sport is founded."

2007 BRC Safari Championship - qualifying rounds:
Round 1 - February 11 – Toyo Tires February Safari
Round 2 - June 9/10 – 50th Anniversary June Safari
Round 3 - August 26 – August Safari
Round 4 - November 11 – November Safari
* drivers will count their scores from all rounds

For further information, robin@bradfax.com