EVANS HEADS CLASS ENTRY FOR SOL RALLY BARBADOS

 “As hot and as unpredictable as we have ever seen”

M-Sport World Rally Championship contenders Elfyn Evans and Craig Parry are seeded at number one in the final running order for Sol Rally Barbados 2016 (June 3-5), published by the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) in advance of this evening’s Briefing Meeting at the Accra Beach Hotel & Spa in Rockley. Campaigning the Sol/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Fiesta R5 Evo, the Welsh pair will lead off an international field of 83 cars, with overseas competitors representing 14 countries.

  Jamaica’s Jeffrey Panton and Michael Fennell Jnr (Rubis/Sandals Barbados/KIG Ford Focus WRC06) will start at number two, with the joint winners of last Sunday’s Flow King of the Hill, Martinique’s Simon Jean-Joseph and Jack Boyere (Sol/Marina du Marin/Easydrift/Long Horn/La Martinique/Intercontinental Shipping Focus WRC08) at three.

  Sol RB16 and BRC Chairman Mark Hamilton said: “When last year’s King of the Hill was decided by just five-hundredths of a second, the smallest margin ever, it set us up for a memorable Sol Rally Barbados . . . and this year we had joint winners! This weekend’s action should be as hot and as unpredictable as anything we have ever seen.

  “Although he finished third on Sunday, Elfyn is seeded first by virtue of his FIA Priority status, while Jeffrey starts at number two in acknowledgement of his victory over Simon last year. Elfyn is the first current WRC driver to compete in Barbados and Simon is a double European Champion, which promises an amazing showdown with the region’s finest. I must again thank John Powell, who owns both the R5 and the Focus that Simon is driving for his help in making this a reality. It is just a pity that he will not be here this weekend to enjoy the action personally.”

  Also in contention are England’s Rob Swann, co-driven in the Elegant Hotels/Blue Sky Luxury/Cygnet Plant Subaru Impreza WRC S12B by Welshman Aled Edwards, and 13-time winner of the BRC’s premier event, Roger Skeete, who has Louis Venezia on the notes in the Sol/Flow/Automotive Art Impreza WRC S12B. The wild card is the English crew of Kevin Procter and Philip Hopkins, who will be campaigning the Procters Coaches/Swift Signs/Compass Royston/Coach2.com/Corner House Hotel Ford Fiesta for the first time.

  Josh Read and Mark Jordan are top 2wd seeds for the second year in a row, starting at seven in the Sprite/Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/Weetabix/Chutney’s/Urban Kitchen/Cell Hut/Cockspur Toyota Starlet. Fellow 2wd runners Roger Mayers and Sean Corbin (Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet), Rhett Watson and James Hutchinson (Chefette/Carter’s Pitstop/Stihl/Gliptone/GUNK/The Unknown Entity in support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3), Dane Skeete and Tyler Mayhew (Sol/Flow/Automotive Art/Williams Trading Inc Peugeot 306 Maxi) complete the top 10.

  In addition to the battle for overall and 2wd supremacy, there will be 16 separate classes contested, in all but two of which island competitors will enjoy the challenge of pitting their skills against regional or international entries.

    Sol RB16 will start with two Friday evening stages on the unique Race Of Champions Parallel Track at Bushy Park Barbados and finish with a RallySprint SuperSpecial at the Vaucluse Raceway for the first time since 2007; after 23 stages across the island, with a total competitive distance of 119.70 kilometres, Sunday’s SuperSpecial will give drivers the chance to let their hair down head-to-head, safe in the knowledge that no times are being recorded . . . although they will be required to take the SuperSpecial start to be considered overall finishers.

Sol Rally Barbados 2016 statistics:

• 83 crews on the final running order

• 41 overseas entries

• competitors from 15 nations (including Barbados) • 81 overseas drivers and co-drivers, 28 new to the event • 14 female competitors, one driver, 13 co-drivers • cars from 14 manufacturers, Ford best-represented with 30, followed by Toyota (10), BMW (9), Subaru (8), then Honda, Mitsubishi and Peugeot (6) • 23 cars competing in Sol RB for the first time

Sol Rally Barbados (June 3-5) and Flow King of the Hill (May 29) are organised and promoted by the Barbados Rally Club, which will celebrate its 60th Anniversary in 2017; title sponsors are the Sol Group and Flow. Marketing partners are Simpson Motors, Automotive Art and Banks; official partners are Accra Beach Hotel & Spa, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, Geest Line and the Tourism Development Corporation; associate sponsors are Chefette and Stoute’s Car Rental.

SOL RALLY BARBADOS 2016 Final running order at June 1, 2016

Key to nationalities (competitor from Barbados unless shown): CDN – Canada; ENG – England; FRA – France; GUY – Guyana; IRL – Republic of Ireland; JAM – Jamaica; MTQ – Martinique; NED – The Netherlands; NIR – Northern Ireland; NZL – New Zealand; SCO – Scotland; TCI – Turks & Caicos; TRI – Trinidad & Tobago; WAL – Wales

1 Elfyn Evans – WAL/Craig Parry - WAL (GpA Sol/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Fiesta R5 Evo)

2 Jeffrey Panton – JAM/Michael Fennell Jnr – JAM (WRC-1 Rubis/Sandals Barbados/KIG Ford Focus WRC06)

3 Simon Jean-Joseph – FRA/Jack Boyere - FRA (WRC-1 Sol/Marina du Marin/Easydrift/Long Horn/La Martinique/Intercontinental Shipping Ford Focus WRC08)

4 Rob Swann – ENG/Aled Edwards - WAL (WRC-1 Elegant Hotels/Blue Sky Luxury/Cygnet Plant Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)

5 Roger Skeete/Louis Venezia (WRC-1 Sol/Flow/Automotive Art Subaru Impreza WRC S12B)

6 Kevin Procter – ENG/Philip Hopkins - ENG (WRC-1 Procters Coaches/Swift Signs/Compass Royston/Coach2.com/Corner House Hotel Ford Fiesta)

7 Josh Read/Mark Jordan (SM2 Sprite/Stihl/Gliptone/Hankook/Weetabix/Chutney’s/Urban Kitchen/Cell Hut/Cockspur Toyota Starlet)

8 Roger Mayers/Sean Corbin (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Illusion Graphics/Hankook WR Starlet)

9 Rhett Watson/James Hutchinson (SM3 Chefette/Carter’s Pitstop/Stihl/Gliptone/GUNK/The Unknown Entity in support of Little Pink Gift BMW M3)

10 Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (SM2 Sol/Flow/Automotive Art/Williams Trading Inc Peugeot 306 Maxi)

11 Andrew Jones/Lindsey Pilkington – ENG (SM2 Lucozade/Caribbean Powder Coating Ford Escort MkII)

12 Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (WRC-2 Esso/Nassco/MotorMac/Pennzoil Toyota Corolla WRC)

14 Andrew Mallalieu/Geoff Goddard (GpN Terra Caribbean Subaru Impreza N10)

15 Avinash Chatrani/Andrew Skeete (GpA Lenovo/PowerBass/Gunk/iShop/Electric Avenue/Copocabana/Unlabeled Society Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI)

16 Nigel Worswick – ENG/Rebecca Kirsch - ENG (WRC-2 Worswick Engineering/Rallytech Composites Ford Escort WRC)

17 Daryl Clarke/Russell Brancker (M2 Roberts Manufacturing/Amir’s Chicken/Valvoline/MQI Collision Repair Honda Civic)

18 David Coelho – TRI/James Harris – ENG (GpN Zanzibar/Kaizan Sushi/VP Fuels/Total Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)

19 Martin Donnelly – IRL/Brian Doherty - IRL (WRC-2 Eire Concrete Toyota Corolla WRC)

20 Roger Duckworth - ENG/Mark Broomfield - ENG (WRC-2 Intrinsys Subaru Impreza WRC S6)

21 Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (SM2 Rubis/Virgin Atlantic/GUNK/Hankook/Sugar Bay Ford Escort MkII)

22 Barry Mayers/Ben Norris (SM2 Chefette/Digicel/Sol/DHL/Hankook/Quality Tyre/Illusion Graphics Ford Fiesta)

23 Joe McQuillan – NIR/David Forde - IRL (GpA Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)

24 Jim McKenna – IRL/Arthur Kierans – IRL (SM2 McKenna Rentals/Kes Engineering Ford Escort MkII)

25 Neil Corbin/Matthew Staffner (M1 Nassco/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions/Emtage Electric/BG Products & Services/Valvoline Toyota Starlet)

26 Mark Thompson/Kurt Seabra - GUY (GpN Rock Hard Cement/Stag Beer/Automotive Art/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Valvoline/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction/Glassesco Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX)

27 Jamal Brathwaite/Dario Hoyte (M2 Platinum Motors Collision Repair/Valvoline/Automotive Art/Consumers Guarantee Insurance/Sunoco Fuels/JSB Motorsport/Ellesmere Quarries Honda Civic Type-R)

28 Jeremy Gonsalves/Chris Corbin (SM1 Sign Depot/Makita/Star Products/Valvoline/Yamaha/John Hardman Engineering Opel Corsa)

29 Steve Finch - ENG/Stanley Graham - ENG (SM2 Ford Escort MkII)

30 Mark Kinch/Andrew Peirce (SM3 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW M3)

31 Gary Thomas – WAL/Linda Thomas – WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII)

32 Enda McCormack - IRL/Kieran McElhinney - IRL (SM2 McCormack Contracting Ford Escort MkII)

33 Kurt Thompson/Adam Straker (M2 Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Beacon Insurance/R A Mapp/Slam 101.1FM/Versatile Construction Honda Civic)

34 Martin Stockdale - ENG/Mark Swallow - ENG (SM3 Divi Southwinds Beach Resort/Drive-a-Matic/Canems Engine Management/Quarry Motors BMW 1M Coupe)

35 David St Hill/Ian Grimes (SM3 Solar Wind & Energy Solutions/Liqui Moly/Bimmer Specialist BMW M3)

36 Kenny Hall - SCO/Fenny Wesselink – NED (M1 The Sporting Pig Sports Bar & Restaurant/Halltune Garage Ford Puma S1600)

37 Norman Catwell/Kyle Catwell (M2 Chicken Pen Racing/Ellesmere Quarries/John Hardman Engineering/Jenvey/Elite Transmissions Volkswagen Golf GTI)

38 Justin Campbell/Juan Watts (SM3 Republic Bank/Five Star Fast Track/Hilton Barbados/Dream Solutions/Castrol/Itstaboo.com/Campbell Racing Team BMW M3)

39 Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (M2 Gale’s Hatcheries/Nassco Toyota Corolla RunX)

40 Greg Cozier/Natasha Farnum (H2 Barbados Historic Rally Carnival/Geest Line/MS Motorsport/Jondel Race Engines Ford Escort RS)

41 Paul Horton - TCI/Dwayne Forde (M2 Java Island/H Racing/Sky Motorsports Ford Escort MkI)

42 Chris Ullyett/Tammy Lashley (GpB1 Ullyett's Machine Shop/Proj-Rx Inc BMW M3)

43 Pete Rayner – ENG/Maria Rayner - ENG (GpB1 Perry Road Autos Ford Escort MkII)

44 Damien Hagan – IRL/Paul Kelly – IRL (SM2 JG Kelly Supplies/Hagan Auto Repairs/Scabits Ford Escort MkII)

45 Barry McKenna – IRL/Leon Jordan – IRL (SM2 ECD NY Inc Ford Escort MkII)

46 Raymond Clough - ENG/Stephen Bell (H2 Saint-Gobain Weber Ford Escort MkI)

47 Jonathan Ince/David Armstrong (SM3 Brake Pro Inc/Ocean Fisheries Ltd BMW M3)

48 Shelly Taunt – ENG/Julie Murphy - ENG (GpN Infinity on the Beach/Jantech Auto Services/Combined Scaffolding/Guest & Flore Bricklayers/ASF Signs/Julie Murphy’s Driving School/710 Oil/Jim Griffiths Car & Body Repairs Subaru Impreza N10)

49 Allan Mackay – SCO/Andrew Croney (SM2 Beatson’s Building Supplies Ford Anglia WRC)

50 Harold Morley - ENG/Shiva Maharaj – TRI (GpN ONTRAC/Red Square/10 Saints/Cost-u-Less/bajanloveshop.com Subaru Impreza WRX STi R4)

51 Pascal Calvel – MTQ/Miguel Azerot – MTQ (M1 ABC Depannage/SODIVA/Pro ROC/Tilo Citroen C2 R2 Max)

52 Orry Hunte/Chris Haywood (M2 S G DeFreitas/Bushy Park Driving Experiences/Crane & Equipment/Phoenix Protection Services/Williams Equipment/BG Race Products/Goodyear/ACSI Valet Services/Blakey’s Bar & Restaurant Mitsubishi Lancer)

53 Jeremy Sisnett/Justin Sisnett (M2 The Tiki Bar/Autolink/Indoor Plant Services Ford Fiesta ST150)

54 Edward Corbin/Johnathan Alleyne (SM1 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Daihatsu Charmant)

55 Stuart Austin – ENG/Jason Tull (GpA Austin Powell Ltd Subaru Impreza N12)

56 Gareth Richards - WAL/Aled Lloyd Jones - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport Ford Escort MkII)

57 Andrew Costin-Hurley - ENG/Rob Brook - ENG (GpB2 True Colour Racing/Earl’s Performance Hoses Ford Puma Evo)

58 Stan Hartling - TCI/Andy Proudfoot – CDN (SM3 H Racing/Bambarra Rum BMW M3)

59 Stuart Tomlinson - ENG/Nick Taylor - ENG (SM2 Tomlinson’s/Atlas Copco UK Ford Escort MkII)

60 Pierre Clarke/Ezra Gibbs (C1 SDRR Hydraulics & Industrial Spares Honda Civic)

61 Simon Wallis – ENG/Peter Horsman – ENG (GpA Cambridge Compilers Ltd Subaru Impreza N10)

62 Wayne Archer/Derek Edwards (M1 Archers Hall Design Centre/RW Water Peugeot 206)

63 Hugh Peat – ENG/Stephen Peat - ENG (SM2 All in/Wemix Concrete BMW M3 Compact)

64 Dick Mauger – ENG/Andrew Smith - NZL (SM2 Major Farm Services Ford Escort MkII)

65 Jermin Pope/Adam Cox (C1 Glassesco/Good time Snacks/NKM/UFO/Niccolls & Edghill Construction/Bio Beauty Day Spa/Tile Express/Slam 101.1FM Honda Civic)

66 Allan Kinch/Allan Maynard (C2 Jolly Roger/Boom Energy Drink/Pirate’s Cove/Cran Plus Water BMW 318ti)

67 Shareef Walcott/Jan-Yves Hinds (SM1 Melwani’s/Novus Tech/Castrol/Caribbean Pleasures/Mianect Toyota Corolla)

68 Paul Inniss/Selena Kirton (C2 Durex Barbados/Caribbean Villa Chefs/Hugh Auto Body/Drive-A-Matic Car Rentals/Sun General Insurance/JJ Racing Team/East Point Grill/Terasu Restaurant/The Chicken Shop Inc/Rallymaxx Honda Civic)

69 Sean Kukula - ENG/Emma Arthur - ENG (H2 Competitionsupplies.com/Lifeline Fire & Safety Systems/WOSP Performance/TRS Motorsport Equipment/Cobra Seats/DMD Motorsport Engineering/Tilton Engineering Ford Escort MkII)

70 Will Parry - WAL/Gareth Parry - WAL (SM2 Tsalta Motorsport/Gary’s Plant Hire/Hydro Customs/E & M Motors/TDW Forestry/MEM Ford Escort MkII)

71 Marcel Freling – ENG/Karen Robinson – ENG (M All Seasons Resort Barbados/Mel Hudson Motors/Nankang Tyres/True Budget Accommodation/Visiontek.co.uk/Roverbreakers MG ZR)

72 John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (H2 Automotive Art/Pro Sales/KlarkOdio/Hilti Toyota Corolla)

73 Winston Thompson/Scott Bentham (SM1 Toyota Starlet)

74 Calvin Briggs/Michael Best (GpB2 Lucas Oil/Massy Realty Ford Sierra)

75 Mike Marshall - NZL/Marc Keen - NZL (SM1 Window Factory Peugeot 106 S16)

76 Peter Gallagher – IRL/Rene Forde (C1 Dublin Crystal Peugeot 206XSi)

77 Trevor Mapp/Allister Nurse (C1 JSB Motorsport/A S Autostop/Chicken Pen Racing/Valvoline Mitsubishi Colt Mivec RS)

78 Simon Nutter – ENG/Robert Nutter – ENG (M Silverblue Tours Skoda Fabia)

79 Rommell Martin/Rashid Phillips (C1 Winston Enterprise/Kola Kick/Slam Condoms/VV&K Rentals Ltd/Castrol/Premium Seafood/Fusion Boutique/B3 Imaging/Candy Lane Toyota Starlet)

80 Howard Paterson – ENG/Ruth Paterson – ENG (M Rallydrive Driver Tuition/Little Bristol Beach Bar Speightstown Skoda Fabia)

81 Russell Roberts - ENG/Barry Simpson - ENG (H1 Peugeot 205GTi)

82 Kevin-Jon Manning/Chazelle Cumberbatch (C1 KY/Flat 4s Barbados/Sunshade Tinting Studio/Pinder IT Peugeot 106 Rallye)

83 Fabien Clarke/Arlington Hoyte (C1 RCR Tours/King Auto Repair/Barbados Business Listings/Bovell Auto Repair Suzuki Ignis Sport)

84 Simon May - ENG/Melissa Wheeler - ENG (H2 ASM Automotive Engineers/Farnborough District Motor Club Ford Escort MkII)