Class Action Promised in Sol Rally Barbados
Local crews aim to keep the trophies at home

Although the battle for outright victory in Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) will be fought out by the most impressive field of World Rally Cars ever assembled in the Caribbean, there will be action right through the field, with 14 more classes to be won or lost . . . and all but three pitting local crews against overseas opposition.

In Group A (known in the island as Modified 8-A) - Scotsman Graeme Finlayson will be right on the pace in the www.racedandrallied.com Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IIIRS with local co-driver Orville Bruce, and aiming for better than last year's first-day accident. He faces the newer Electric Avenue/EA Mobile/Hankook/Solder Seal Gunk/Niagra Water/Lubrigold Synthetic Evo VI of Avinash Chatrani/Martin Goddard and Michael Worme/Brian Gibson in the Cot Media Group/Dingolay & Co/MQI Collision Repair Centre/Speedline Performance Auto/Powdercoating Inc/Details Car Valet Subaru Impreza Sti.

Group N (Production 4) promises some fireworks, with local, regional and European competitors capturing the spirit of international competition fostered by the Caribbean's biggest annual motor sport event; with last year's winner, Britain's Rob Swann, now in the WRC class, the Bajan crews will be keen to bring the trophy back home.

Class leaders in the local championship, Geoffrey Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (Globe Finance/Sentry Insurance Brokers/Mix 96.9/Automotive Art/Cargo Solution International/CIAC Airconditioners Evo IX) have a 100 per cent record so far, but maintaining it won't be easy. Former Escort driver Mark Hamilton is growing ever more accustomed to his First Caribbean International Bank/Consumer Guarantee Insurance/PowerMaster/Simpson Motors/Automotive Art Evo IX and, with long-standing co-driver Clive Howell, will be chasing the win.

Of the two local Subarus, Andrew Mallalieu – he's returning to the sport after a 15-year break from competition – and Rhett D'Andrade (Terra Caribbean Impreza N10) are likely be quicker than Terry Sealy/Rommel Coppin (Speedline Performance Auto/Premier World Cargo/Jackson Motorsports Impreza WRX Sti).

Trinidad all-rounder David Coelho and co-driver James Harris (Subway/Total Evo IX) pay a second consecutive visit, with lessons learned from last year, while fellow-countryman and former co-driver Stuart Johnson – he last competed in Barbados in 2003 - is back for the first time as a driver, with Lee Quesnel in an Impreza N12.

The most unusual car in the class is the Auto Dienst/Barth Bau/Stahl Seltmann/Ravensden/Sachs Opel Astra OPC of Germany's Berndt Knuepfer, who will have Bajan Jonathan Linton co-driving; the turbocharged Opel is one of only two two-wheel-drive cars homologated to run in the FIA's N4 category.

While there is no Group B in national rallies in the island, there is in Sol Rally Barbados, although competitors are not eligible for overall position. It provides a home for cars which won't make the weight in the SuperModified classes, also encourages the sort of creative engineering for which islander Geoffrey Ullyett is famous; given reliability, his Ullyett's Machine Shop/MG America/Proj-Rx Datsun 200T, co-driven by Jason King, will be hard to beat.

In common with Stuart McChlery/Julian Goddard, whose TeleBarbados/Lubriguard Ford Escort Mk I is one of the oldest rally cars on the island with a continuous competition history, Ullyett's aim is entertainment. Duane Johnson/Dwayne Forde (Johnson's Autos/Cyrus Chickens/AA Auto Body Repairs/G & G Sales & Services/Phoenix Protection Services Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo) and Barbados-based Brit Harold Morley, co-driven by Jamaica's Peter Clarke in the NET2VU Porsche RSR GT3 Rally, complete the local entries.

Twice GpB winner, England's Andrew Costin-Hurley returns for the eighth time in the Earl's Performance Hoses Ford Puma, co-driven by another British regular Rob Brook, while Holland's Frans Verbaas will be aiming for a second consecutive Group win, co-driven this time in the Verbaas Preparations/Koni Austin Mini Cooper by Kees Hagman.

The expanded historic entry is split into two classes: in H3, Greg Cozier/Jamie Marsh (Hyundai Lubricants/Huzier Trucks & Equipment Ford Escort MkII) defend local honour against regular British visitor – usually in a Ford Focus WRC - Steve Perez, co-driven by Paul Spooner in the Kick Energy Drink Porsche 911 RSR last seen in the island driven by former World Champion Bjorn Waldegaard, and first-timer Geoff Bell of South Africa, with Kenyan co-driver Tim Challen (Kick Energy Drink Ford Escort RS).

In H2, the battle looks set to be between British crews Craig Salter/Preston Ayres (Ford Escort MkI) and Andrew Siddall/Carl Williamson (Siddall and Hilton Products/Sidhil Ford Escort RS2000 MkI), although young locals Andrew Skeete/Bradley Weekes (Hitachi Power Tools/Hankook Tyres Mitsubishi Lancer GSR) will be determined to entertain.

Sol Rally Barbados 2011 (June 4/5) and Shell V-Power King of the Hill (May 29) are organised by the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007; title sponsor is the Sol Group. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, LIME, Automotive Art, Banks and Karcher; official partners are the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Authority, Tourism Development Corporation, Divi Southwinds Beach Resort, Geest Line and Virgin Atlantic Airways; associate sponsors are Stoute's Car Rental, Glacial Pure, Chefette, Field Insurance and Sagicor.