MUDDOGS MAKE READY FOR CHEFETTE APRIL SAFARI

Although the dust has barely settled since the first encounter in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2014 Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship, crews are already making preparations for the second qualifying round for the year, the Chefette April Safari on Sunday, April 6.

Being staged only three weeks since the March Safari launched the Championship’s 11th season, next month’s event is running a week earlier than its traditional date, as the island’s motor sport calendar in April and May is filled almost to overflowing. The route is being set by Ricky Holder, the new MudDogs Chairman, and Philip McConney, twice winning driver of the Club’s oldest event, the June Safari, in the past decade.

The first crew is scheduled to leave The Mill, Canewood, St Michael at 8.00am for route one; the Lunch Stop will be at Chefette, Charles Rowe Bridge, St George at approximately noon, with crews heading back to the same location for the finish at around 4.00pm.

Holder explained: “The routes are set to run in the middle to southern part of the island at this time, as we still have a bit of cow itch to deal with. The route is fairly simple, if the rain does not fall, so we’re looking forward to a good event.”

Reigning Champion Driver Leslie Alleyne and Navigator Chris O’Neal are the early leaders in the 2014 Championship standings in the Simpson Motors/Shell Spirax/Shell Rimula/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max; two other experienced crews are hard on their hells, however, with Derek Gill and Andrew Croney (Mitsubishi Pajero) second and former Champions Ryan Corbin and Dustin Edwards (Corbins Catering Services/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux) third.

Entries are now open at Motorsport Services in Haggatt Hall and will close next Tuesday (April 1) at noon; the Briefing Meeting will be at 7.00pm 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 pricing structure for competitors is as before: the entry fee is $40.00 per vehicle (late entry $55.00), insurance $40.00, Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) annual restricted licence fee $70.00 per person; in addition, BRC membership fees are $200.00 for annual subscription or $50.00 for temporary membership.

Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship

Positions after round 1

Drivers & Navigators

1st Leslie Alleyne/Chris O’Neal (Simpson Motors/Shell Spirax/Shell Rimula/Maxxis Isuzu D-Max), 60 points 2nd Derek Gill/Andrew Croney (Mitsubishi Pajero), 58pts 3rd Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbins Catering Services/Crane & Equipment Toyota Hilux), 56pts 4th Gregory Dickenson/Andre Murrell (Toyota Hilux), 54pts 5th George Mendes/Gary Mendes (G & G Sales & Service Mitsubishi L200 Sportero), 52pts 6th Chris Armstrong/Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux), 50pts 7th Julian Kirton/Dominic Straker (Kirts Connection Jeep Wrangler), 48pts 8th Damien Johnson/Brandon Johnson (Western Union Suzuki Samurai), 46pts 9th Audley Croney/Jeremy Croney (Suzuki Vitara), 44pts 10th Michael Broome/Joshua Broome (WOW Camp Suzuki Jimny), 42pts etc

Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship Positions after round 1 Drivers & Navigators 1st Kirton/Straker, 60pts 2nd Johnson/Johnson, 58pts 3rd Broome/Broome, 56pts 4th Richard Hinkson/Dean Springer (Eastern Veterinary Clinic Suzuki Samurai), 54pts 5th Simon Parravicino/Jonathan Millar (Sweet Temptations Suzuki Samurai), 52pts

Forthcoming events

Round 2 - April 6 – Chefette April Safari MudFest - May 4 Round 3 - June 28/29 – BRC MudDogs June Safari MudFest - August 17 Round 4 - September 21 - BRC MudDogs September Safari MudFest - October 26 Round 5 - November 9 - BRC MudDogs November Safari

For media information only. No regulatory value.

For further media information, robin@bradfax.com