International entries approaching record numbers

Two of the most successful British visitors to the Caribbean in recent years, Paul Bird and Rob Swann, have confirmed their entries for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 (June 9/10) through the event’s official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb. Entered for the fifth consecutive year, both have also become regular visitors to the island for family holidays outside rally season.

Their entries bring to four the cars now confirmed by the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) for the Modified 8-WRC category, with a number of other entries from home and abroad known to be intending to fight for overall honours in the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international.

After Ulstermen Kenny McKinstry and Kris Meeke, each of whom has won the island’s premier event twice, ‘Birdy’ has comfortably the best record of any European visitor; he finished second to Meeke, the margin around 17secs each time, in 2008 (Subaru Impreza WRC S9) and ’09 (Ford Focus WRC07), then third for the last two years in his Focus WRC08 with Scotland’s Kirsty Riddick, now his regular co-driver.

ANCRO National Rally Champion in 2005, Bird started his 2012 campaign with a fourth straight win on the Jack Frost Stages at the Croft racing circuit in the north of England two weeks ago. He said: “It’s great to win this event for a record-breaking fourth time, especially as I’ve not driven the car on tarmac since Rally Barbados last June. The opening couple of stages were not perfect by any means, but once I got into my stride, everything started flowing and we got vital testing time with the car.”

Bird is contesting the MSA Asphalt Rally Championship this season, his first attempt at a tarmac series; before that starts, his next outing in the Frank Bird Poultry/Fuchs Titan Race Focus is this weekend’s Legend Fires North West Stages, where he is seeded at number two, behind last year’s winner, another successful Barbados visitor, Kevin Procter, co-driven by Dave Bellerby in his Impreza WRC S7.

Swann and Welsh co-driver Darren Garrod, fifth in Sol RB11 in a rented Impreza WRC S12, face a new challenge, as the Revolution Wheels/Waves Hotel Impreza N14 in which they won Group N in both Barbados and Jamaica in 2010 – the only crew to have done so – is undergoing a major upgrade at TEG Sport in England.

Swann explains: “The WRC hire option was not possible due to a lack of cars so, with future events in mind, I decided to build a B13 spec Impreza. My prodrive N14 is being stripped to a bare shell, lightened, then dipped and re-sprayed. The engine will be WRC build spec, with a six-speed sequential gearbox, active centre diff and programmeable diff controller. I have tested a similar car built by TEG and feel with some of the upgrades we are fitting to ours, it will be very competitive . . . and a lot of fun!”

The build should be complete by the end of March, followed by a tarmac test programme and entry on the Circuit of Ireland at the beginning of April for a final shakedown before sailing to Barbados: “Simple as that,” smiles Swann. Since his last visit, he is proud to have claimed his maiden overall rally win, on last November’s SA Gas Premier Rally, a forest event in the British Midlands.

International entries approaching record numbers

Of the 80 entries for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 that have been posted on the official web site (www.rallybarbados.bb), 27 are from International crews; adding the prize packages offered to the winners of the 2011 Roger Albert Clark Rally and 2012 Rallye Sunseeker National in the UK brings the total to 29, which equals the highest-ever European turn-out for the island’s premier event in 2003.

Sol RB12 Chairman Barry Gale said: “We are only just into February and we’re now less than 20 away from our entry ceiling of 100 cars. I am aware of three or four more overseas cars that are making serious plans to come, and I am also getting enquiries pretty much every other day, either directly, or through the web site.

“I realise that there is scope for one or two to drop out, as happened last year, but in the current climate, this sort of response is nothing short of remarkable.”

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Web sites: www.rallybarbados.bb; www.barbadosrallyclub.com

Paul Bird/Kirsty Riddick (Ford Focus WRC08) winning the Jack Frost Stages in the UK on January 22, 2012 | Photo by Tony Todd

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Shipping dates confirmed for European competitors

Seven crews with Irish connections, including two new to the event, are among the 21 International entries already received for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 (June 9/10) through the event’s official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb . . . and the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) has thanked the media for the part it plays in spreading the word.

The latest newcomers confirmed for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international are Raymond Conlon and Darren McCague from County Monaghan in the Irish Border Region. Their 270 horsepower 2-litre Conlon Travel Toyota Corolla, prepared by KMS Motorsport and Powertune, is entered in the BRC’s SuperModified 10 category.

Conlon started competing – in a standard production 1600cc Corolla – almost as soon as he was old enough to hold a driving license. He won the Junior Event at the Killarney Rally of the Lakes in 2005, with four out of five stage wins, and is now a regular overall top 10 finisher and class-winner in events north and south of the border.

His best finishes include third overall, with the class win, on the toddsleap.com Ulster National Rally in 2008, a result repeated on the UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland National Rally in 2010. After more than two hours of stage time, Conlon finished just 20 seconds adrift of Emma McKinstry’s Subaru Impreza WRC and 26 seconds behind winner John Waring’s Ford Escort MkII . . . a result that would have been very different but for a 30-second road penalty Conlon and McCague had incurred early in the day.

Although this will be the crew’s debut in Barbados, they are already familiar with the event, having seen the TV coverage aired in recent years in Ireland, where the monthly Pacenotes Rally Magazine is also a popular read. Last year, in conjunction with the private sector Tourism Development Corporation in Barbados and the BRC, Pacenotes ran a hugely successful competition with a prize trip for two readers to Sol RB11. Details of its 2012 promotion will be announced shortly.

Sol RB12 Chairman Barry Gale said: “There is little doubt that the major increase in media coverage we have enjoyed over the past couple of years has helped our cause enormously, especially in these difficult times . . . and Pacenotes has certainly played its part in keeping our event at the forefront of competitors’ minds.”

Among those confirmed for Sol RB12 are popular Celtic entertainers, Ballyclare’s Glenn Campbell in his Nissan Micra Kit Car and Allan Mackay from Brora in the north of Scotland, whose unique Ford Anglia WRC is prepared by Mark Greer Motorsport in Northern Ireland, where Mackay’s co-driver for the event, Mo Downey, is also based. The current Sol RB12 entry list can be found on the official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb (under the Competitor drawdown), although some names are withheld for promotional purposes.

Shipping dates confirmed for European competitors

The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) has confirmed shipping dates for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 competitors travelling from Europe – the cars will leave Portsmouth on the English south coast on the Geest Line freighter Benguela Stream on May 8 for the 11-day Atlantic crossing to the Caribbean, with the return trip scheduled for June 16, to make landfall in the UK on July 4.

Sol RB12 Chairman Barry Gale said: “It has taken us a little longer this year to confirm our arrangements with our shipping partner, the Geest Line, as we have shifted our dates back a week or so, also there are extra Bank Holidays in the UK around that time. We know it is important to our European friends to know how long their cars are going to be away, so we have been working hard to secure the best possible schedule.”

The BRC is also investigating favourable shipping rates from the United States. Gale added: “We have always been interested in promoting our event in the US, but the shipping costs have presented challenges. We have had more than one enquiry from potential competitors this year, so we’re working towards an arrangement that might make it attractive for them to come down, too.”

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Web sites: www.rallybarbados.bb; www.barbadosrallyclub.com

Photo: Graham Curry Photography

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Sol Rally Barbados 2012 entries double up

Rallye Sunseeker, next month’s opening round of the MSA British Rally Championship, will be the focus of a major push for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 (June 9/10) and its island home. The organisers and tourism backers of the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international will use the award-winning event for the third consecutive year as a key part of its overseas promotion, while stepping up the level of involvement.

Supported by the island’s private sector Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) will reward the winners of Rallye Sunseeker National with free entry and shipping to Sol RB12, flights and accommodation for driver and co-driver, plus rental car, a prize valued at around US $8,500 (5,500 pounds).

In addition, the Barbados Tourism Authority’s (BTA) London office has this week signed an agreement to become a direct Marketing Partner of Rallye Sunseeker; key among a raft of value-added benefits is title sponsorship of an exciting new component of the event, a travel exhibition to run alongside Scrutineering, a first in UK rallying.

After 25 years as round one of the ANCRO National Rally Championship, Rallye Sunseeker became the opening round of the MSA British Rally Championship in 2011; it was voted ‘Rally of the Year’ by drivers, co-drivers and officials in only its first season in the UK’s leading championship. Based in the English south coast towns of Poole and Bournemouth, this year’s event is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, February 24/25.

The innovative ‘Rallye Sunseeker featuring the Barbados Holiday Show’ will be staged on Friday in the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), which won the Outstanding Customer Service of the Year category at the Bournemouth Tourism Awards 2011. Among the best-known venues in the south of England and only a few hundred yards from the Town Square, the BIC is a big draw for local people, who have turned out in large numbers for an ‘up-close-and-personal’ look at cars and drivers at previous out-of-town scrutineering venues.

Once this new event has attracted the Friday shopping crowd in Bournemouth, attention will turn to the Ceremonial Start on Poole Quay, where thousands more families will gather for a further three hours of rally-themed entertainment after sunset. On Saturday, Somerley Park will host the keynote spectator stage, with one run each in the morning and afternoon, with the popular Motorfair to maintain interest throughout the day. Barbados and Sol RB12 will also be well represented at these venues.

BTA vice-president, marketing & sales UK, Petra Roach said: “Sol Rally Barbados is a key element of our sports-tourism product; there is great synergy between it and Rallye Suneeker – both earn vital tourist income in ‘slower’ months, winter in the UK and summer in Barbados, both are organised by really professional teams, and both attract huge crowds, so I am delighted to take our relationship to the next stage.”

Event Director Rick Smith said: “Rallye Sunseeker has always been about innovation, so our plan to use the BIC as the venue for Scrutineering and Documentation was always on the wish list. Now that the Barbados Tourism Authority has continued – and increased – its support for 2012, we are pleased that the novel plan to link the two activities has culminated in a motor sport event allied to a holiday show.”

Sol Rally Barbados 2012 entries double up

Sixty entries for the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international have now been posted on the official Sol Rally Barbados 2012 web site (www.rallybarbados.bb), almost double the total at the same time last year. Of those 60, 21 are from overseas, including the prize packages offered to the winners of the 2011 Roger Albert Clark Rally and 2012 Rallye Sunseeker National in the UK.

Sol RB12 Chairman Barry Gale said: “By this time last year, we had 32 entries – to be at a total nearly double that now is remarkable. What interests me is that there are nearly 40 local or regional crews who were entered last year, but are not yet on this year’s list. The ASRs explain in detail the order in which we accept entries, and the ratio of international, regional and local. What can I say, other than make sure you get your entry in fast!”

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Web sites: www.rallybarbados.bb; www.barbadosrallyclub.com

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On-line Overseas Competitor Information document now available

For the third year in a row, the Turks & Caicos Islands will be represented in Sol Rally Barbados… but with a difference. For the 2012 running of the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international on June 9/10, Paul Horton is shipping his Ford Escort MkI, to replace the Honda Civic which he has driven for the past two seasons.

Based in TCI, British-born Horton was the first regional entry received via the event’s official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb, which is now displaying the current entry list under the Competitor heading; this will be updated regularly, although the organisers may hold back some entries for promotional reasons. With the closing date for entries – Monday, May 14 – still four months away, the total currently stands at 44, including 18 from overseas.

Horton so enjoyed his 2010 debut that the Civic stayed in the island, contesting other rounds of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Virgin Atlantic-sponsored Championship in 2011. He has also competed successfully in recent years in Targa Newfoundland in North America; in 2008, he won his class in the Civic, 24th overall, then moved up the order in 2009 to fifth, with another class win, in the Java Island/H Racing/Sky Motor Sport Escort, which is already on its way to Barbados to be readied for competition this year.

In 2010, he finished 55th overall and sixth in Modified 6 in Shell V-Power King of the Hill, but retired from Sol RB10 with mechanical problems; last year, he was 42nd overall, fourth in M6 in King of the Hill, but gearbox problems from stage one of Sol RB11 dropped him out of contention, as he and co-driver Kristian Yearwood missed many stages. On Sunday morning, however, Horton set the fastest M6 time on the opening stage of the day, only for further gearbox issues to result in their retirement.

The other regional entries so far confirmed are both from Trinidad & Tobago, and run in Group N, known locally as Production 4. Stuart Johnson will drive his Mitco Water Laboratories-backed Subaru Impreza N12, co-driven by Lee Quesnel, while David Coelho and James Harris are entered in the Subway/Total Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX.

Of the two, Johnson fared better on Sol RB11, his first attempt as a driver, having failed to finish RB03 as co-driver for Wayne Persad. He finished fourth in P4 last year, with an old school friend, Barbados restaurateur Chris Hoad, as his co-driver. Regularly in the top 20 overall stage times, their best came mid-way through day two, when they were 10th, with Geoff Noel (Evo IX) the only local Group N driver ahead of them.

Coelho, who had failed to finish Sol RB10, suffered another weekend of dramas last year, missing a number of Saturday stages, then retiring with an ‘off’ just four stages into Sunday. His best stage results were 11th overall on Saturday, then 15th on Sunday, with eventual winner Mark Hamilton (Evo IX) the only local Group N driver to beat him.

On-line Overseas Competitor Information document now available

Additional detailed information is now available for international competitors, with the publication on the official web site – www.rallybarbados.bb – of the Overseas Competitor Information Document; available as a pdf download, it can be found by scrolling down from the Competitor heading and clicking on Event Information.

This document not only outlines the entry package on offer, including the discounts available for returning competitors – up to nearly 40 per cent for competitors who have participated four or more times – but also provides details of flights, accommodation and vehicle rental.

Competing cars from Europe will be shipped from Portsmouth on the English south coast on a Geest Line freighter, while Virgin Atlantic Airways is the event’s Official Airline Partner and Stoute’s Car Rental the Official Vehicle Rental Partner. The Divi Southwinds Beach Resort in St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, is the Official Hotel Partner and will also provide facilities for the Rally HQ office and a number of key official and social events during the two weeks surrounding Sol RB12.

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Web sites: www.rallybarbados.bb; www.barbadosrallyclub.com

Photo: Paul Horton competing in the 2009 Targa Newfoundland in his Ford Escort MkI

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Island motor sport celebrates record season

Popular British ace Martin Stockdale heads the list of returning international drivers whose names are among more than 40 entries so far received via the event’s official web site – www.rallybarbados.bb – for the 2012 running of the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados (June 9/10).

Nicknamed ‘Mad-dale’ by island fans for his flamboyant driving style in a string of BMWs, Stockdale will be making his 12th consecutive appearance in the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event; his co-driver in the Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals/Quarry Motors BMW M3 Compact will be Mark Swallow, who will be competing in the island for the eighth time.

Three times a class-winner in the past decade, Stockdale is entered in the hotly-contested SuperModified 11 class, in which he finished fourth in 2011 and 18th overall. His opposition will include another returning crew from Britain, Nigel Worswick and Lindsey Pilkington, who finished 26th overall and fifth in SM10 on their first visit to the island last year. For 2012, the Worswick Engineering Ford Escort MkII has received an engine transplant, moving it up a class.

The rallying careers of both Stockdale and Worswick date back many years, both of them having entered – and finished – Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship more than once during the 1990s. At the time, Stockdale drove an Opel Monza-engined Vauxhall Carlton, unique in British rallying, while Worswick was more conventional, missing out on a top 10 finish by just one second in 1996 in a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4 x 4, having finished in the top seven on the last five of 26 special stages.

Back for his ninth visit is Britain’s Andrew Costin-Hurley, who will again contest Group B in the Earl’s Performance Hoses Ford Puma, in which he won the class in Rally Barbados in 2007 & ’08, and in Shell V-Power King of the Hill in ’09; fellow-Brit Shaun Mellett returns for his third visit as co-driver since 2009, when he came to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary. An experienced Indy car and F1 engineer, Costin-Hurley created the Puma himself with 300bhp 2-litre turbo, rear-wheel drive, Sierra running gear and Escort WRC suspension.

Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome our repeat visitors, and ‘Mad-dale’ is right there at the top of the list, as he hasn’t missed a year since his first visit in 2001. Not only has he been one of the most entertaining to watch, as our fans really do enjoy a sideways BMW, but he’s also been very competitive, taking a trophy back on the plane with him nearly every time.”

Island motor sport celebrates record season

Motor sport in Barbados is in good health, and making a growing contribution to the island’s sports-tourism product. Last year, for the first time since the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) was established in 2000, more than 400 local competitors took part in BMF-sanctioned events, a total boosted to nearly 500 by a record number of overseas competitors, bringing with them worldwide publicity and valuable foreign exchange.

Affiliated to the FIA, which rules the sport worldwide, the BMF is the island’s governing body for motor sport; it also represents the interests of its six sporting member clubs in discussions with Government departments which facilitate the sport in the island, in particular the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

Announcing the provisional calendar for 2012, which ratified the already-published dates for Sol RB12 and its associated events, BMF President Andrew Mallalieu noted: “Despite the prevailing financial climate, interest in motor sport from participants and spectators alike continues to rise. For the last two years, Barbados has hosted three International motor sport events, which not only help motor sport make an important contribution to the island’s economy, much of it in valuable foreign exchange, but are also the key to massively-increased worldwide television coverage.”

The BMF issued 415 competition licenses, nearly three times the total issued in 2011 by Jamaica’s governing body, the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC), and more than twice the number issued by the BMF in 2006. The record total of 85 overseas competitors – the previous highest was 81 in 2007 – included 25 from the wider Caribbean and 60 from 12 more countries as far afield as Australia and South Africa.

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Web sites: www.rallybarbados.bb; www.barbadosrallyclub.com

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Sol Rally Barbados regulations posted on official web site

Fresh from their recent exploits on Rally Jamaica, Celtic crowd favourites Glenn Campbell (Northern Ireland) and Allan McKay (Scotland) have confirmed that they will be returning for the 2012 running of the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport international, Sol Rally Barbados (June 9/10).

They are among more than 30 entries already received on-line via the event’s official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb. Almost half are from overseas, and entries are arriving earlier than for Sol RB11, for which the organising Barbados Rally Club (BRC) had received only 19 by the same time last year.

Sol Rally Barbados Chairman Barry Gale said: “With exactly five months to go until entries close on May 14th next year, we are already nearly one-third of the way to our entry cap of 100 starters . . . to say I’m astonished would be an understatement, bearing in mind the difficult times people are facing all over the world.

“Five of the 12 international crews are new to the event, but it is always good to welcome back old friends, such as Glenn and Allan, who look set to be doing more rallying in the Caribbean than they do back home! The camaraderie among competitors and the lasting friendships that develop with fans in the island are among the key drivers to the success of the event, and these two guys exemplify that – long may it continue!”

Campbell will be paying his fourth visit to Sol Rally Barbados, returning with the Nissan Micra Kit Car in which he finished 30th overall last year; co-driven by Neill Finlay, this was his best result to date, and he missed out on the Modified 5 class win by just nine seconds to the Suzuki Swift Gti of local brothers Sean and Adam Cox.

Having previously said “if I only ever do one rally a year, it will be in Barbados”, Campbell (along with McKay) grew rather more adventurous this year and tackled Rally Jamaica, which celebrated its 20th Anniversary over the first weekend of December. Unlike Sol Rally Barbados, it is a gravel event, and a particularly tough one.

Co-driven by Joseph Gallagher, he placed 11th – just 13 of the 26 starters were classified as overall finishers – and was among only six of the 15 two-wheel-drive cars that started the event to complete all 21 stages run, a significant achievement on his first visit. Unopposed in class JA1, he also took home some trophies.

McKay’s priority tends toward entertaining the crowd, something he does with great style in his unique Ford Anglia WRC – in this instance, the acronym stands for Well Run Car! With co-driver Mo Downey, the two-day event started well, the Anglia second in class JA3 on the opening stage, just three seconds behind local ace Bobby Marshall, but suspension damage on stage two dropped them from the overall running. They returned for Sunday’s second leg, however, finishing 13th overall and JA3 class-winners for Leg 2.

Sol RB12 will be McKay’s third visit to Barbados – having retired with damaged steering in 2010, he finished 29th overall and fourth in SuperModified 10 this year with Stewart Davidson co-driving.

Sol Rally Barbados regulations posted on official web site

The Additional Supplementary Regulations (ASRs) for Sol Rally Barbados 2012 have been posted to the official web site, www.rallybarbados.bb; the pdf download can be found under the ‘competitor’ tab under ‘regulations’.

While the ASRs are broadly similar to last year’s, there are one or two key changes:

+ Class awards will only be presented to competitors classified as overall finishers, although local competitors will continue to score BRC Championship points based on the traditional ‘two-thirds rule’

+ Each competitor classified as an overall finisher will receive a recognition award, while there are new awards for the top five historic cars overall, as well as class awards

+ In addition to the web site updates, printed results will be available to competitors from a ‘Results table’ as they arrive at the service park

Sol RB Chairman Barry Gale explains: “We recognise that amateur competitors have many options when it comes to ‘rally holidays’ so we listen carefully to all constructive criticisms. Our goal continues to be an event that is Barbadian in character, but which runs on regulations that are familiar to most of our visitors, many of whom offered valuable insights in both 2010 and 2011.”

Sol Rally Barbados and Shell V-Power King of the Hill are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2007; Sol RB12 is the 23rd running of the Club’s annual International All-Stage Rally and marks the fifth year of title sponsorship by the Sol Group, the Caribbean’s largest independent oil company.

Glenn Campbell/Joseph Gallagher (Nissan Micra Kit Car) at the famous Watersplash at Wakefield on Day 2 of PetCom Rally Jamaica 2011

Photo by Motoring News, Barbados

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After torrential rains besieged the route of the entire event and at the wheel of the 1975 Datsun 260Z, Steve, from Chesterfield who was expertly co-driven by Swede Staffan Parmander, recovered from mechanical dramas which cost him over an hour, whilst posting a pair of fastest overall stage times along the way.

After breaking a prop shaft in the second section of the rally and losing an hour repairing the car, Steve then lost more time in a mud hole later in the same day. His recovery from the lower reaches of the top thirty to a final position of fifth was one of the highlights of the rally.

The final day today was a short 156km run back from Tsavo National Park to Mombasa. The only dramas today were a close encounter with a particularly large monkey in the second stage and then being caught in the dust of fellow Kick Energy driver Geoff Bell for over ten kilometres in the final stage of the entire rally.

Back at the finish in Mombasa a visibly relieved Steve commented on the event: “This is by far the most difficult and challenging rally I have ever done in my life. The hammering that the car, Staffan and I have taken has been incredible and the BTR team have worked magic in all sorts of inhospitable conditions. Today was a lot of fun, nice stages in dry, dusty conditions which made a pleasant change from the torrential rain we’ve had for most of the event. We caught our team-mate Geoff Bell in the last stage of the rally as he was nursing a car with no spare wheels and a bent rim and it took a long time for him to see us. I must say massive congratulations to Geoff on finishing second overall, sandwiched between two former World Rally champions! He also wins the Gentleman’s World Rally Club (G-WRC), so I guess we have to buy the champagne tonight. I am now looking forward to the Roger Albert Clark Rally this weekend where I’ll be in action with Paul Spooner calling the notes in the Lancia Stratos. After all the mud I’ve encountered here I’m almost hoping for some ice to put into practice Staffan’s advice!”

Despite Steve winning the self-styled G-WRC class on today’s final day of rallying, Bell had taken enough victories earlier in the event to win the award which stipulates that fellow G-WRC members Steve and Andrew Siddall must pick up the bill for the champagne tonight.

The rally was won by 1979 World Rally champion Bjorn Waldegard and is the first time that a Porsche has ever won the Safari Rally. Bjorn was chased hard over the final few days by Kick Energy driver Geoff Bell in a Datsun 260Z but Geoff’s charge faded when he was left stranded in a mud hole for over twenty minutes on the penultimate day.

One final thought to put the event into perspective: At over 4000km long, the 2011 East African Classic Safari Rally was longer than five full seasons of the ANCRO National Rally Championship…

Daily bulletins have been provided by the Kick Rally Team press office throughout the event with photography provided by Geoff Mayes. Thanks for everyone’s kind comments and hope you have enjoyed keeping up with Steve’s adventure.

For further details please visit www.eastafricansafarirally.com

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The opening stage of the day was also the longest of the entire rally. At 154.44km, this section was the very same stretch of road where Steve broke his neck during the 2007 running of this rally. Neither a loose steering wheel nor a very close encounter with a donkey could deter Steve from finally completing this stage as he recorded the fifth fastest time.

The next two stages took in the breathtaking Mbulu Escarpment. With plenty of uphill hairpins and tight and narrow sections Mbulu 1 was not really ideal 260Z territory and yet Steve went on to set an identical time to team-mate Andrew Siddall of tenth fastest overall, which was quite amazing after 39km of competition. Again livestock kept Steve on his toes as this time a calf refused to move out of the way and the Datsun had to detour around it.

The final section was a high-speed 67km blast towards Ngorongoro Crater. Fourth fastest through this test has helped Steve claw back more time but the section was not without incident after a wildebeest chose to leap over the bonnet on a high-speed straight. During this stage Steve also received more ice driving tips from Staffan as they slithered through yet another mud hole!

At the end of the third day of action Steve was pleased with his performance and commented: “It’s been a good day overall. We’ve had some interesting moments with animals, especially the wildebeest in the third stage as that really had our hearts in our mouths. The first stage was where I broke my neck in 2007 and so it was especially pleasing to get through that without any major dramas. Staffan’s ice driving tips are helping a huge amount in the mud, at this rate we might tackle Rally Sweden next year!”

In the Gentleman’s World Rally Club (G-WRC), Steve took maximum points today after dramas cost Geoff Bell time when he caught a fellow competitor in the first stage and punctured whilst trying to pass. He then hit a tree and dropped substantial time, but still holds fourth overall. Andrew Siddall has been on a charge today and as well as equalling Steve’s time through CS8 has consistently set top ten times despite catching numerous slower cars all day long.

Day four sees the surviving crews head back to Kenya and on to Amboseli for a well-earned rest. Three stages, one in Tanzania and a further two in Kenya, make up the day’s action. Based on the recent wet weather the first section could be very tricky as it consists of copious amounts of thick volcanic sand which when wet, makes the going very difficult. Crews need to be alert through the two stages in Kenya as they are on the border of Amboseli National Park and plenty of wildlife wanders the area.

For further details please visit www.eastafricansafarirally.com

Pictures courtesy of Geoff Mayes.

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After the time loss incurred on the opening day of the rally yesterday, Steve was languishing down in 33rd position but the organisers, aware of his pace, opted to re-seed him overnight and thus he began day two running eighth on the road.

The first stage of the day, a 115km blast around Mount Kilimanjaro, was primarily dry but towards the end of the test the crews faced a three-kilometre mud hole that once was a road. Swedish co-driver Parmander turned driving instructor and using his experience of driving in the snow was able to guide Steve through. The Datsun slipped and slithered through the obstacles and onto the finish of the stage where they recorded their second top ten stage time of the event.

The second test of the day was cancelled after overnight rains flooded parts of the road and so the crews headed to an extended re-group before tackling the short 38km section six. This short route consisted of fast, flowing bends and, for a change, was completely dry. Yet another top ten time saw the pair rapidly climb up the leaderboard, but are still 1 hour 42 minutes off the overnight leader, Bjorn Waldegard.

Despite suffering from contracting man-flu, a very happy Steve commented at end of day service: “A much better day today! It’s a shame that the second stage was cancelled but even the organisers cannot control the weather. We were very lucky not to get stuck in the mud hole on the first section, Staffan was yelling and swearing at me to stay on the road and he really was a major asset again today in keeping us going!”

With the Datsun team suffering from overheating differentials, BTR are currently hard at work manufacturing makeshift diff coolers in an effort to help with the smooth running of the three Datsun 260Zs in the Kick Rally Team where Perez is joined by Geoff Bell and Andrew Siddall. Otherwise known as the Gentleman’s World Rally Club (G-WRC) these three drivers have their own ‘championship’ and in the standings, another victory for Geoff Bell gives him an additional five points whilst Andrew Siddall was left frustrated after getting stranded in the mud hole at the end of the first stage of the day.

Tomorrow’s stages see three stages run to the south east of Arusha and totalling over 240 kilometres. The first stage of the day is a mammoth 154 kilometres long and in 2009 had to be cancelled after torrential rain destroyed a number of bridges in the section. Just 15 hours before this stage is due to run this year the reports are that it is dry but overnight rain is expected and a final decision will be made in the morning.

The next two sections take in the breathtaking Mbulu Hills but the crews will have no time to take in the sights but instead will face obstacles such as long river crossings and steep drops off the side of the road, once again a stern reminder that this event is not for the faint hearted!

For further details please visit www.eastafricansafarirally.com.

Picture courtesy of Geoff Mayes.

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Steve and co-driver Staffan Parmander were bubbling with confidence at the end of the opening test having posted the third quickest time on the stage, behind only Ian Duncan and Bjorn Waldegaard, both former winners of this event which was pretty impressive considering that this is arguably the finest entry list seen on this event in recent years.

Stage two saw the competitors tackle the famous Taita Hills and the crew were to have a rude reminder of how tough this rally is. A broken propshaft just 18 kilometres into the 85-kilometre stage saw Steve and Staffan stranded until Kick Energy team-mates Geoff Bell and Tim Challen kindly lent their spare propshaft. The ensuing repairs, undertaken by the vastly experienced Paramander, took the better part of an hour. During this time a rather large centipede made an appearance but was rapidly removed from the vicinity by Staffan, much to the consternation of the gathered local spectators!

More time was lost in the third section of the day which meant Steve was now running amongst slower cars and kept catching them during the stage. Then, just seven kilometres from the end, the VK driver encountered a huge mud hole strewn with stranded rally cars. Another thirty minutes was lost whilst enough enthusiastic locals were rounded up, cash changed hands and the Datsun 260Z was hauled out of the thick, glutinous mud.

An exhausted Steve was more than happy to see the check-in control at the end of the day: “This is definitely the toughest day of rallying I have ever done! The propshaft breakage was very frustrating as my team-mate Geoff Bell broke one in testing and so we were aware that it was a weakness but for some reason I did not have a spare in my car. Thanks to Geoff for lending me his spare and as we are awarding five points for each day win in the G-WRC, Geoff now leads the standings.. But not for long if I have my way!”

Day two sees the crews cross over into Tanzania in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. The first stage is brand new to the event, a 112-kilometre run up towards Arusha. The second section, from Mounduli to Mto wa Mbu, is the second longest stage of the rally at an incredible 142 kilometres which is longer than an entire British National A event all in one timed section. The final test of the day is a short 37-kilometre run back into Arusha for the overnight halt.

In the G-WRC (the self-styled competition which comprises the Gentlemen’s World Rally Club) Geoff Bell lies fifth overall whilst Andrew Siddall has overcome both an overheating issue and a time consuming encounter with the infamous mud hole on stage three to make it to Amboseli under his own power with Perez in third.

For further details please visit www.eastafricansafarirally.com

Pictures courtesy of Geoff Mayes.

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