NASSCO NOVEMBER SAFARI TO SETTLE SERIES

Chefette MudDogs Championship goes down to the wire The Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2013 Chefette MudDogs Safari and Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championships are set for an exciting climax when the fifth and final round, the Nassco November Safari, is staged on Sunday, November 10. All four major titles are still up for grabs, as the season goes down to the wire.   In the Overall Navigator standings, Chris O’Neal and Jeremy Croney are tied on 218 points – once each drops his lowest score, as required by the regulations, they are still tied (on 176pts), having finished 10th respectively in the Chefette April and Sol Go Further June Safaris. Their closest rival is Andre Murrell, although he slips to fifth after dropped scores are taken into account, falling behind Gary Mendes and Andrew Croney.   In the Drivers standings, O’Neal’s partner for the season, Leslie Alleyne leads with 218 points, 20 ahead of Mark Western and George Mendes, who are tied for second; once again, however, there’s a shuffle once the dropped-score rule is applied, Jeremy Croney’s father Audley rising to join Alleyne in the joint lead, pushing Western and Mendes down to share third place, 18 points behind.   Although things are more clear cut in the Chefette MudDogs Novice Championship, there is still scope for change, depending on which competitors enter the final round. Among the Navigators, there’s a straight fight between Andy Williams and Jamal Brathwaite, separated by six points – each has already missed a round, so there is no score to drop. In the Novice Drivers title chase, Joshua Plaza leads Dave Gibson by eight points, again with no score to drop.   The route for the Nassco November Safari has been set by Rorie McConney and David Reece and checked by Rorie’s father Philip and Peter Bradshaw. McConney senior said: “I had a small input in the setting, but was really all their work - the centre of the island is where the Safari mainly goes. The rain in the past week has made checking the route rather fun. We will have to wait to the weekend of the rally to see whether any parts of it might need to be changed, as you have to work around it. The weather we are having will make it very interesting and challenging.”   The first crew is scheduled to leave the start at Structural Systems Ltd at 8.00am on  Sunday, November 10, with route one ending with the lunch halt at Chefette Charles Rowe Bridge at around 11:30am; route two should finish at Chapel Plantation at approximately 4.00pm, to be followed an after party. The first route uses BRC and Tulip navigation, with two types of Tulip employed in the afternoon.   Entries opened yesterday (Tuesday) at Motorsport Services in Haggatt Hall and will close at 1.00pm next Tuesday (November 5); the Briefing Meeting will be at 7.30pm the same evening, at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association Club House at Searles, Christ Church, after which the entry list will be published. The Prizegiving for the Nassco November Safari will be held at the same venue on Tuesday, November 12, once results are made final at approximately 6.00pm. Practice Safari runs off Sunday Competitors keen to freshen up on their navigational skills and newcomers to the discipline are invited to participate in a Practice Safari this Sunday (November 3); set by Biddy Barber, it is slated to start at 9.00am from the northern parking lot at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, and finish around midday at Miami Beach, Enterprise, Christ Church.   MudDogs Chairman Darnley Rayside says: “It is intended to be a fun day out, so I’d encourage competitors to pack their swim gear, picnic basket and cooler and make a day of it! The tulip route has been designed so that either an SUV or a car can be used, and it should be a fun time for newcomers to the art of navigation.”   The entry fee is just $10 per car, and each vehicle can carry as many persons as it is licensed to do so, but must have adequate seatbelts. Interested persons are asked to arrive at the start no later than 8.30am. Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship Positions after round 4 Navigators 1st equal Jeremy Croney (Arthur’s Electrical/CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara) & Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Rimula Lubricants/Spirax Lubricants/Sol Isuzu D-Max), 218points 3rd Andre Murrell (Suzuki Samurai), 204pts 4th Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi L200 Sportero), 198pts 5th Andrew Croney (Isuzu D-Max & Insurance Solutions Inc/Sweet Temptations Mitsubishi Pajero), 170pts 6th Willie Hinds (AMAT Trading Suzuki Samurai), 152pts 7th Jason Downey (Esso Barbarees Hill/GWS Nissan Patrol), 146pts 8th Rorie McConney (Toyota Hilux), 142pts 9th Nicholas Branson (Paints Plus/Amsoil/Structural Systems Suzuki Jimny), 140pts 10th Trina Griffith (Daihatsu Feroza), 138pts etc Drivers 1st Leslie Alleyne (Simpson Motors/Rimula Lubricants/Spirax Lubricants/Sol Isuzu D-Max), 218pts 2nd equal Mark Western (Kar Parts Store/GWS Nissan Patrol) & George Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi L200 Sportero), 198pts 4th Gregory Dickenson (Toyota Hilux), 196pts 5th Audley Croney (Arthur’s Electrical/CC Motorsports Suzuki Vitara), 176pts 6th Noel Edwards (Esso Barbarees Hill/GWS Nissan Patrol), 154pts 7th equal Dominic Straker (Land Rover Discovery) & Wayne Manning (AMAT Trading Suzuki Samurai), 152pts 9th Aswad Bannister (Toyota Hilux), 148pts 10th John Pinto (Paints Plus/Amsoil/Structural Systems Suzuki Jimny), 140pts etc Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship Positions after round 4 Navigators 1st Andy Williams (Suzuki Samurai), 168pts 2nd Jamal Brathwaite (Jeep Grand Cherokee), 162pts 3rd Rashid Nakhuda (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai) 116pts 4th Dermont King (K & G Service Suzuki Samurai), 110pts 5th Damien Johnson (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai), Michael Rodriguez (OKAERI Land Rover Defender) & Corey Williams (Western Union Suzuki Samurai),  60pts etc Drivers 1st Joshua Plaza (Boston Jerk Pit/Auto Solutions Suzuki Samurai), 176pts 2nd Dave Gibson (Suzuki Samurai), 168pts 3rd Jamal McCollin (K & G Service Suzuki Samurai), 108pts 4th Damien Johnson (Western Union Suzuki Samurai) & Richard Hinkson (Suzuki Samurai), 106pts 6th Nicholas Pinto (Jeep Grand Cherokee), 100pts etc Forthcoming events Round 5 - November 10 - Nassco November Safari For media information only. No regulatory value. For further media information, robin@bradfax.com Web sites: www.barbadosrallyclub.com, www.muddogsbarbados.com