Year four and car four for Kevin Procter
Kevin
Procter, the highest-placed European finisher in Rally Barbados for the
past two years, returns to the island in just over two weeks’ time to
contest the sixth annual Barbados Rally Carnival . . . and, for his
fourth visit to the event, he arrives with a fourth different car.
Procter will be among the competitors arriving at the Grantley
Adams International Airport aboard a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 on
May 24; for this year’s VRW International RallySprint (May 27) and
Rally Barbados (June 3/4) he is bringing his trusty ex-works Group A
Subaru Impreza, in which he has already been a winner in the UK this
season.
Although it will be seen in Barbados for the first time, it is the
car’s second trip to the Caribbean – with regular co-driver Mike Gilby,
Procter used it to very good effect in the region last December. They
started Rally Jamaica steadily – “perhaps a little too steadily”,
Procter said afterwards – to lie seventh at the overnight halt, then
pressed on during day two to finish fourth and highest-placed overseas
crew behind Jamaicans Gary Gregg, Doug Gore and David Summerbell.
Describing his experience of another of the region’s major motor
sport events, Procter said: “The important thing was to get to the
finish. We wanted to learn some lessons – our experiences in Barbados
have taught us how important that is – so that we can come back next
year and really go for it. If anything, we were probably a bit too
conservative Saturday morning, but Mike and I were both really pleased
with the result.”
On his previous visits to Barbados, Procter has always campaigned
four-wheel-drive Fords: in 2003, there was the rumbling Sapphire
Cosworth, which was particularly impressive at the Vaucluse Raceway;
for 2004, he arrived with an Escort Cosworth, in which he finished
fifth on Rally Barbados and highest-placed overseas driver – his best
result. Last year, his nightmares started on the very first stage, with
a fire on board the rare Puma 4 x 4, despite which he fought back to
finish ninth and top European.
For 2006, not only is the car different, but so is the co-driver;
Procter will enjoy the luxury of some local knowledge, provided by the
experienced co-driver and navigator Stewart Gill, who sat alongside
Jamaica’s David Summerbell when he finished second in Barbados in 1995.
Crowd favourite Martin Stockdale returns with the mighty
Drive-a-Matic BMW M3 GTR and co-driver Mark Swallow to maintain his
record as the only overseas driver to have contested every Rally
Carnival. With 4.9 litres and around 400 horsepower, it is a real
handful, and local spectators enjoy watching the tall Englishman
fighting to stay on the road. Stockdale has rarely left the island
without a trophy – he claimed his third Rally Barbados class win last
year – and will certainly be in the hunt for more.
Fred ‘The Builder’ Davidson is also among the crews returning for
Rally Carnival, and another with a different car – he now owns the
Escort Cosworth fellow-Yorkshireman Procter brought to the island in
2004, so is looking forward to a new challenge. Since switching from
his front-wheel-drive Peugeot 205, Davidson has had his hands full
trying to get to grips with the Deansbury Homes-backed car, but his
results have steadily improved.
Following a class win in Ireland last year, the car has been fully
stripped and rebuilt, his most recent success a top 10 finish from an
88-strong entry in a hard-fought tarmac event in England; his co-driver
is now Richard ‘Plug’ Pulleyn – although he is one of the most
respected co-drivers in the North of England, he has never rallied
outside Europe and says: “I’ve heard a lot about the Rally Carnival,
and I’m looking forward to enjoying some of the legendary Bajan
hospitality.”
Key dates for Barbados Rally Carnival 2006
Saturday, May 20 – scrutineering for local entries, McEnearney Quality, Wildey
Friday, May 26 – scrutineering for overseas entries, McEnearney Quality
Saturday, May 27 – Vaucluse Raceway International RallySprint, Vaucluse Raceway, St Thomas
Thursday, June 1 – Rally Barbados 2006 shakedown
Saturday, June 3 – Rally Barbados 2006, day 1
Sunday, June 4 – Rally Barbados 2006, day 2
Monday, June 5 – Rally Barbados 2006 prize-giving, The Boatyard
For further information, robin@bradfax.com - BRC web site: www.rallyclub.com
