Barbados Today

Fourteen crews have been confirmed for the fifth and final round of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) Chefette MudDogs Safari & Safari Novice Championships which runs off this Sunday in the central and northern parishes.

This was revealed last night at the BRC’s briefing meeting which was held at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association’s club house at Searles, Christ Church. Three first-timers will be in action, one of whom will be the sole female participant, Bridget Garity. She will be Dean Springer’s navigator.

The Nassco November Safari has been set by Biddy Barber and Nicholas Lorde, who is currently lying fourth in the points standings in a Mitsubishi L200 Sportero, with Biddy’s son Brett as his navigator.

The first crew is scheduled to leave the start behind the Fire Station at Four Roads, Airy Hill, St John at 8:01 a.m. on Sunday, with the lunch stop planned for Morgan Lewis, St Andrew, around 11:30 a.m. and the finish at Country View, St Thomas. It is all Tulip navigation and there will be two driver challenges at Morgan Lewis and Country View respectively. The prize-giving will be at the BCTSA club on November 10 at 7 p.m.

Having won the September Safari in their Isuzu D-Max, Leslie Alleyne and Chris O’Neal created a new MudDogs record, as the first crew to win three consecutive events overall since the BRC’s off-road navigational championship was launched in 2004. While they might be keen to extend their winning streak, they can expect strong competition on Sunday.

Last year’s Nassco November Safari was won by former champions Chris Armstrong and Wayne Clarke, appropriately in a Toyota Hilux, while Ben Norris and Kirk Watkins in a Ford Ranger claimed their best result of a very consistent season in September –– second; following seventh, third and third in earlier events. This enabled them to climb to second in the driver and navigator standings. With the dropped score rule yet to be applied, the Chefette Championship is poised for an exciting conclusion.

Chairman of the BRC Ricky Holder expressed his pleasure and welcome of the new competitors in the MudDogs competition. He said he hoped their involvement would encourage more competitors next season.

“I think this looks set to be a great way to end another very competitive season. The route-setters have promised an entertaining and challenging rally, which we’re told will also be very scenic. We wish everyone good luck,” Holder added.

Nassco is sponsoring the event for the eighth consecutive year and managing director Roger Hill expressed his company’s delight at the association with the November Safari.