New cars break cover at Vaucluse Raceway
Twelve
four-wheel-drive cars head the entry list for the Red Bull
International RallySprint on Saturday (May 27) as the opening event of
the annual Barbados Rally Carnival runs off at night for the first
time. With an entry of more than 50 cars, an action-packed day is
promised, with qualifying slated for 10.00am.
The weekend's encounter is the final round of the Vaucluse Raceway
Motor Sport Club's (VRMSC) RallySprint Cup 2006, so competition will be
fierce as those in the running grasp their last chance to score points.
And, not only will they have their regular opponents to contend with,
but the overseas drivers, too, a number of whom have performed well at
the St Thomas venue in the past.
International interest will centre on the Ford Focus World Rally
Car of British businessman Steve Perez, which heads the largest-ever
line-up at Vaucluse in the Modified 8 category; the car, which has won
two World Championship events in the hands of Markko Martin, is being
flown to the island in the hold of the same Virgin Atlantic 747-400
which delivers the bulk of the Rally Carnival competitors to Grantley
Adams International Airport tomorrow (Wednesday).
Perez has not competed at Vaucluse before, but the European party
also includes Kevin Procter, who is mounted in his fourth different car
in four years of contesting the two Rally Carnival events; this year,
he arrives with his trusty Subaru Impreza, which should prove
competitive in the Modified 8 classification, where he will also run
alongside fellow-Yorkshireman Fred Davidson, who now drives Procter's
former Ford Escort Cosworth.
Saturday's event will also be notable for the return to the
Vaucluse Raceway of the Simpson Motors Rally Team Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
VIII in which Trevor Manning holds the circuit lap record. After
extensive surgery at Harry Hockley Motorsport's workshops in Britain,
the car emerged from the Bridgetown Port on Monday to undergo some
testing and a change of livery.
Manning said at the weekend: "I'm hoping that we're going to have a
really competitive package now; a lot of time has gone in to the
efforts to improve the car, and I am really looking forward to driving
it. There isn't much time to get prepared, so it will be a busy few
days."
The 10-strong Modified 8 entry also includes Paul Bourne (Subaru
Impreza WRC), Barry Gale (Evo VI), Roger Hill (Toyota Celica GT4),
Harold Morley (Impreza WRC S9) Geoff Noel (Impreza WRC) and Kirk
Watkins (Evo V); a pair of Production 4 cars will also be in the mix -
St Vincent's Steve Ollivierre, who has always gone well at the venue in
front-wheel-drive cars, now has an Evo VIII, while newcomer to Rally
Carnival, England's Andrew Johnson, has an Impreza.
But it is not just in the four-wheel-drive category where the
interest lies, particularly for those fans who follow island motor
sport closely. Also making its competition debut on Saturday will be
the new Suzuki Swift to be campaigned by Manning's team-mate and triple
VRW RallySprint Champion Sean Gill. When Gill debuted the car's
predecessor, the giant-killing Suzuki Ignis, at the Barbados Rally
Carnival in 2002, he won his class in both events, and will be hoping
for more of the same.
Nick Gill will be another to watch out for - after a long gestation
period, his former Mazda 323 has been reborn in the body of the
current-model Mazda 3, in which he will return to Vaucluse for the
first time since March last year. He will be running in the
SuperModified 12 grouping, where his opposition will include the BMWs
of popular Englishman Martin Stockdale and local ace Jonathan Still.
Tristan Gibbs leads the VRW RallySprint Cup after two impressive
outings in the ex-Freddie Gale Toyota Starlet Turbo; with a total of 51
points, no fewer than six of them gained in the all-important Group
Winners' Handicap KnockOut, he has five in hand over Josh Read (Toyota
Starlet) and Ian Warren (Peugeot 206GTi), who are tied in second place
on 46. Greg Cozier (Ford Escort RS2000) is fourth on 44, with a further
tie for fifth, another point behind, between Brett Clarke (Suzuki Swift
GTi) and Still.
Qualifying on Saturday is slated for 10.00am, with the Group heats
scheduled for a 5.00pm start; the sun will have long set before the
Group Winners Handicap KnockOut begins. A prize-giving will complete
the day's activities.
The Red Bull International RallySprint is organised by the Vaucluse
Raceway Motorsport Club; it is the third and final round of the VRW
RallySprint Cup 2006. The second Carnival event is Rally Barbados 2006
(June 3/4), organised by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC); it is rounds
three and four of the Texaco BRC Rally Championship and organised in
association with Armstrong Agencies, Automotive Art Shell, Da Costa
Mannings Autocentre, Digicel, DMS Distributors.com, McEnearney Quality,
Red Bull, Simpson Motors and Texaco West Indies. The event is supported
by The Boatyard, J E Security Systems & Services, Nassco, Office
Solutions & Systems, SBI Distribution and Stoute's Car Rental.
Remaining key dates for Barbados Rally Carnival 2006
Friday, May 26 - scrutineering for overseas entries, McEnearney Quality
Saturday, May 27 - Red Bull 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
VRW RallySprint Cup 2006
After two rounds:
1st Tristan Gibbs (Rent-a-Tool/Scorpion Liners/Boyss Ltd/Algae X/Corrosion Block/Surfside Gym Toyota Starlet Turbo), 51pts
2nd equal Josh Read (Automotive Art/Baram Services/Forever
Flowers/D Blades Trophies Ltd Toyota Starlet) & Ian Warren
(Subzero/Details Car Valet Inc Peugeot 206GTi), 46pts
4th Greg Cozier (Citgo/Hyundai Commercial & Industrial Ford Escort RS2000), 44pts
5th equal Brett Clarke (Shell Helix/Automotive Art Suzuki Swift
GTi) & Jonathan Still (Hitachi Power Tools/Philips Lighting/Warrens
Motors/Crane & Equipment/VP Racing BMW M3), 43pts
7th Danny Williams (TransTech/All Connect/Sunbury Plantation Peugeot 106), 42pts
8th Paul Bourne (Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC), 41pts
9th Adrian Linton (Ravensden/Crane & Equipment/Garbage
Gobbler/West Coast Garden Centre/Edwin Clarke Furniture Vauxhall Astra
GSi), 40pts
10th Simon Gillmore (SRG Engineering/Halton Graphics Peugeot 205), 36pts
For further information, robin@bradfax.com
Carn06-09a/RB-IRS: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 23, 2005
