Barbados leads the way at Williams Digicel International

For the first time since joining the competition in 2008, Barbados leads the country standings in the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) ahead of its home round, the Williams Digicel International Race Meet; this year's Bushy Park fixture, slated for the weekend of August 28/29, has already attracted entries from Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

As he confirmed this year's national team, Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL) Chairman Adrian Mayers was upbeat about the chances of regaining the Country Champion title last won in 2009: "Although we only fielded three cars for round one, we came away one point ahead of Jamaica's five scoring drivers, while only two of Guyana's four cars picked up points. Two years ago, we were four points behind Jamaica before our home round, and went on to beat them by 39 points so, yes, I am in good spirits."

Mark Maloney, the country's highest points-scorer in the opening round at Dover Raceway in Jamaica in May, will lead the Barbados team in his Royal Bank of Canada/Digicel/Automotive Art/Valvoline/Maloney Racing Mazda RX-3; with 24 points for three second places, he is currently second in the driver standings to reigning CMRC Champion David Summerbell Jnr of Jamaica, who took a maximum 30 from three wins.

Maloney will be aiming to repeat his form of 2009, when his two wins at Bushy Park played an important part in bringing the Country Champion title home. Also in action will be his father Doug (Paints Plus/Maloney Racing Team Audi A4 quattro), who claimed three third places at Dover to make it two Bajans in the top three in the standings.

The final Barbados points-scorer at Dover was Stuart Williams (Williams Equipment Lotus Elise), who is fifth in the driver standings, having finished fifth and fourth in the two races he started; the Bushy Park two-wheel-drive lap record-holder (at 41.452s), Williams has 74 race wins to his credit at the St Philip facility since 2001.

Roger and Barry Mayers complete the Barbados team. Roger (Chefette/Delaware Dispensary/Illusion Graphics/Valvoline/Surf Shak Ford Focus) holds the four-wheel-drive lap record at Bushy Park (40.996s), but has not raced there since last year's International, when he beat Summerbell in the day's opening race; a mechanical failure sidelined him in race two, and he failed to start the day's final encounter.

Barry (Simpson Motors/Shell V-Power/Chefette/Deleware Dispensary/Digicel/Barbados Today/Illusion Graphics Suzuki SX4) was the highest-placed two-wheel-drive finisher in two of last year's three CMRC races at Bushy Park; he also won BARL Group 4A in 2010, and has enjoyed some spirited battles with the Williams Lotus this season.

Of BARL's team for 2011, Mayers added: "I am confident that we have selected the very best team we can from our current roster of competitors – they all have experience of the CMRC, and have been working hard on further development of their machinery. We know that both Guyana, the reigning Country Champion, and Jamaica have drivers and machines that are new to us, but I am happy that we are ready to meet the challenge."

BARL has also announced new locations for the popular after-work limes that give fans a chance to mix with competitors and their machinery in a relaxed atmosphere; on the first two Fridays – August 12 and 19 – the venue will be the Mall Internationale car park at Haggatt Hall, with the final evening (August 26) at Bushy Park. On each date, cars will be on display from around 4.00pm, with refreshments on sale, entertainment and give-aways.

Mayers explained: "As construction work forced a move from Warrens, we decided to change up the format; the first two will continue to hype the Williams Digicel International to the hundreds of people driving past on their way home from work, but the final event will give fans their best chance yet to meet the drivers, including our overseas visitors, who will be taking a break from their last-minute preparations at the circuit to join in."

Williams Digicel International Race Meet timeline

Friday, August 12 – 4:00pm: Meet the Drivers promo, Mall Internationale, Haggatt Hall
Friday, August 19 – 4:00pm: Meet the Drivers promo, Mall Internationale, Haggatt Hall
Friday, August 26 – 4:00pm: Meet the Drivers promo, Bushy Park, St Philip
Saturday, August 27 – 1:00pm: Qualifying, Bushy Park
Sunday, August 28 – 8.00am: Williams Digicel International Race Meet
Monday, August 29 – 7.00pm: Prizegiving
* all times are approximate