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Two extra events added to the calendar for the R5 Rally Championship presented by First Citizens look set to spice up the title battle when action in the island’s first-ever national motor sport championship sanctioned by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) picks up again after the summer break next month. Following Sol Rally Barbados (June 4/5), the top six in the standings are covered by just under 50 points, with the potential maximum on offer now increased to 190 during the remaining four months of the extended season.

Small margins split winners in Overall, 2wd and R5 battles

Closed-road motor sport’s return delivered all it promised, as the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) and Motoring Club of Barbados Inc (MCBI) joined forces to organise Sunday’s (August 23) HammerTime 20. Swapping times back and forth, Jamaican Jeff Panton and Britain’s Rob Swann shared the overall honours, Josh Read and Barry Mayers claimed a 2wd win apiece, while Roger Hill and Trinidad & Tobago’s David Coelho each topped the growing FIA R5 class, with rarely more than split-seconds deciding the winners.

Read returns to Rally Club action; Esuf makes his rallying debut

While those drivers who have their eye on the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) 2019 Champion Driver title will be concentrating on maximising their points score in Sunday’s (September 29) double-header BRC Winter Sprint, there is little doubt that the focus of the island’s fan base will be on the return of Josh Read in his Toyota Starlet. The running order published today (Friday) lists 33 drivers, headed by Sol Rally Barbados 2019 winner Dane Skeete in his Subaru Impreza WRC S12B.