Cunningham, Bates win First Citizens King of the Hill

Joe Cunningham and Kari Bates in a Ford Fiesta WRC won First Citizens King of the Hill (KotH) on Sunday (May 24), the final shakedown before next weekend’s BCIC Rally Barbados (May 29-31). Suleman Esuf and Asif Suleman (BMW 1M) finished an impressive sixth overall and top 2wd crew for the first time.
 Cunningham is the first British driver to win since the late Paul Bird claimed his second KotH crown in 2014, while Bates is only the second winning female co-driver after Kirsty Riddick, who sat with Bird in 2012. Eight of last year’s top 10 finishers were again in the top 10, including Esuf who had previously finished seventh in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo.
 Fans in their thousands lined the 4.1-kilometre stage from Mapps to Stewarts Hill in St Philip, despite heavy early morning showers, with the heaviest concentration at the end of the 900-metre Thicket Straight, where the cars dive left up the hill to the finish. The arrival of Car Zero brought cheers from the crowds, as local hero Trevor Manning made a nostalgic return at the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI.
 While the day’s first run started in the dry at 10.30, rain fell again around half-way through the 116 starters, heavily for a while, creating varying road conditions through the field. Missing from what was an unusual Leader Board were BCIC RB25 winners Kyle Gregg and Kreigg Yearwood; the Jamaican left the road in his Fiesta Rally2 at Three Houses and, while he and Yearwood were uninjured, the car was severely damaged.
 Last year’s KotH winners Stuart Maloney and Yearwood’s brother Kristian were the only crew behind Gregg who could not complete their run, so went ahead of the field in the second run to record a time. With the stage now completely dry again, they clocked 2m 02.73s in their FIA R5 class Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, more than 3secs clear of WRC class-leaders Britain’s Rob Swann and Tom Woodburn (Fiesta WRC) and local crew Dane Skeete and Tyler Mayhew (Subaru Impreza WRC S12).
 The top six was completed by Adam Mallalieu and Welsh co-driver Peredur Davies (Fiesta Rally2), David Husbands and Trinidad & Tobago co-driver Josh Plaza (Volkswagen Golf GTI R5) and Cunningham. After a dry second run, the Leader Board closed up, with Maloney still ahead, but now by only 1.6secs from Skeete. Mark and Justin Maloney were third (Fabia RS Rally2), with Cunningham now up to fifth.
 On run three, Cunningham (1.53.15) improved by 5secs to take the lead, ahead of Skeete (1:54.21), with Maloney seven-hundredths ahead of Mallalieu and just 1.4secs covering the rest of the top 10. With just one chance to improve, the fourth run started positively as drivers in all classes applied lessons learned earlier to one final push.
 But it was all in vain. A major accident befell Jamaicans Fraser McConnell and Justin Morin, when they left the road near the finish after the steering wheel of their Evo IX became detached, with 20 or so cars yet to run. Several issues then contributed to the cancellation of SS4 mid run, including McConnell’s accident and Nigel Reece losing the engine of his Starlet, which deposited oil on the Thicket Straight. Deemed a serious safety hazard, the Roving Response Team set about cleaning it up, but with the road scheduled to be reopened at 6pm the organisers determined that it would have been impossible to run the balance of the cars in the remaining time.
 Cunningham, who finished ninth last year, said: “It was absolutely not in my expectation to win the event, I was hoping just for a top 10. The stage suited the car really well and we reached a point where we couldn't go any faster. A new co driver with me in Kari, but it went well and we are elated with the result.”
 After repeating his second-place finish of 2025, Skeete said: “I would've liked to have won but I'm always wary of being first on the road. Looking at how the car performed, once everything works well I don't see why we shouldn't be in for the overall fight. I will try to get through SS1 inside Bushy Park and then start the fight on Saturday.”
 Maloney was comfortable, too: “The result exceeds the expectation coming into the event, as I still don't think the confidence is back to where it was for such a high-speed stage. It was not the best thing to know of Kyle's off, but with zero expectations it helped me to focus on just being clean without thinking about a result. My rally starts on Saturday and I am confident enough that I have the pace to fight for the win.”
 Ireland’s Declan Gallagher, with island co-driver Stephen Bell, was the unexpected leader of 2wd and SuperModified 2 (SM2) after the first run in his Toyota Starlet, lying 10th overall, but was dislodged on the second run by Barry Mayers and Moishe Steinbok (Fiesta), now fourth overall. Esuf, however, knocked 4secs off his time on the third run to lie sixth overall, two-tenths up on Mayers, with Gallagher third.
 Esuf said: “It was a really good day. My confidence was strong because the car felt good in testing and we knew the pace was there. The result definitely matched our expectations and everything came together well. Being first 2wd on the road this weekend, the approach is to stay smart, consistent and keep the momentum going.”
 Mayers, who was top 2wd at Stewarts Hill in 2020, said: “Conditions were very tricky cto start in the morning but it got nicer for the third and fourth runs. Today's stage is very different to normal stages with it having so many long straights. I didn't think Sol would be so close, but this stage suited him and his car perfectly so congrats to him.”
 Ireland’s Gallagher said: “We had a good run after not driving for about a year and a half, so to be fastest 2wd on run one was great. We didn't know what to expect but we knew Barry and the guys in the BMWs are quick which we saw when it dried up.”
 While not eligible for overall honours, the Open R/GT class Porsche 992 Rally GT of former FIA Rookie of the Year Zane Maloney and Luke Staffner was one of the star performers of the day, with fans lining the stage spotted trying to get a ‘selfie’ with the spectacular car in the background.
 As well as FIA R5 and SM2, three other classes were won by less than 1sec: Luke Cozier won the battle of the BMWs in Clubman 3 (C3) by half-a-second from Kevin Armstrong, with Ireland’s Mick Smith third; in C2, just nine-tenths covered the BimmaCup cars of Robert Ryan Wood, Antigua’s Stewart Gordon and Sebastian Thompson; in Modified 2 (M2), a little over 1sec spread across Neil Corbin (Toyota GT86 CS-R3), Chris Ullyett (Ford Escort RS2000) and Jermin Pope (Honda Civic).
 Back after an absence, Justin Campbell was ahead in M3 all day, beating the similar cars of David St Hill and Michael Worme, while Edward Corbin had to come from behind to win SM1 in his Daihatsu Charmant, with Kevin Wiggins (Starlet) an impressive second holding off English brothers Ben and Andrew Wilkinson (Peugeot 106 Maxi)
 Despite his accident, McConnell finished second to hat-trick M4 winner Kurt Thompson, with Savio Walcott third, all driving Evo IXs. Alone in Group N last year, Ireland’s Larry Doyle (Evo VII), beat this year’s English opposition Dick Mauger (Subaru Impreza WRX) and Stuart Deeley (Toyota Celica GT4 ST165).
 In M1, Carlos Edwards (Citroen C2R2 MAX) beat Doyle’s son Aaron (Ford Fiesta Rally4) and Scotland’s Richard Stewart (Peugeot 208 Rally4), while Kyle Gill (Mitsubishi Colt) claimed his third C1 won on the trot, ahead of Shawn Brathwaite and British all-female crew Debby Goodband and Clare Berrisford (Suzuki Swift Sport). Alone in the Historic 1 class, Scotsman Robin Hamilton (Saab 96) also collected winner’s trophies.
 With no overseas visitors in Open Class for the first time in many years, Sean Merritt (Starlet) beat Geoff Ullyett (BMW M3) and Mark Huggins (Daihatsu Charmant), all three also entertaining the fans with some slideways driving.

BCIC Rally Barbados (May 29-31, 2026) is a tarmac rally with around 20 special stages run on the island’s intricate network of public roads, under road closure orders granted by the Ministry of Transport, Works & Water Resources; First Citizens King of the Hill (May 24), run under a similar arrangement, features four timed runs on a roughly four-kilometre stage, with the results used to seed the running order for the main event.

FIRST CITIZENS KING OF THE HILL
Results

Countries (Barbados unless shown): CDN – Canada; ENG – England; IRL – Republic of Ireland; JAM – Jamaica; SCO – Scotland; WAL – Wales

1st Joe Cunningham – ENG/Kari Bates (F) - ENG (WRC Procters Coach & Bus Sales/TS UK/Swift Signs and Shirts/Banks Ford Fiesta WRC), 1m 53.15s
2nd Dane Skeete/Tyler Mayhew (WRC Automotive Art/C O Williams Sand & Lime/Sol Subaru Impreza WRC S12), + 01.06s
3rd Stuart Maloney/Kristian Yearwood (FIA R5 VP Fuels/Bushy Park Barbados/Maloney Racing Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), + 02.27s
4th Rob Swann – ENG/Tom Woodburn - ENG (WRC GO Rent a Car/Cygnet Plant Ltd/Rude Boy Ford Fiesta WRC), + 02.32s
5th Adam Mallalieu/Peredur Davies – WAL (FIA R5 Terra Caribbean Ford Fiesta Rally2), + 02.34s
6th Suleman Esuf/Asif Suleman (SM2 Express Motors/S Y Adam & Son/Meenies Creations/Branded BMW 1M), + 02.98s
7th Jeffrey Panton – JAM/Matt Edwards - WAL (FIA R5 KIG/Sandals Ford Fiesta Rally2), + 03.03s
8th Barry Mayers/Moishe Steinbok (SM2 Kooyman/Chefette/Frosteez/Milwaukee/Hankook/BSC Essex/Sign Depot Ford Fiesta), + 03.25s
9th Josh Read/Mark Jordan (FIA R5 Servall Inc/Stihl/Fig Products/H&B Hardware/Hankook Batteries/Weetabix/Sign Station Ford Fiesta Rally2), + 03.42s
10th Mark Maloney/Justin Maloney (FIA R5 M-Jet FBO/Imagine Developments/Vision Equipment/Bushy Park Barbados/Maloney Racing Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), + 03.63s
etc

WRC: 1st Cunningham – ENG/Bates - ENG; 2nd Skeete/Mayhew; 3rd Swann – ENG/Woodburn - ENG; etc
FIA R5: 1st S Maloney/K Yearwood, 1:55.42; 2nd Mallalieu/Davies – WAL, + 00.07s; 3rd Panton – JAM/Edwards – WAL, + 00.76s; etc
Modified 4: Kurt Thompson/Chloe Mustor (F) (Glassesco/King Ocean Shipping/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/Pedialyte Sport Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 1:59.20 – 15th overall; 2nd Fraser McConnell – JAM/Justin Morin – JAM (JustBet/Jamaica Tourist Board/Barita/TruShake/Uncle Saaaal/Puma/Seaboard Marine/Lithographic Printers/NSG Exports/GoMax Customs Brokers/Sun Cars Rentals Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), + 02.88s; 3rd Savio Walcott/Christian Hinds (Worthing Secured Services/Movements Plus/Quality Tyre Plus/360 Sports Inc/Reason Motors/SJ Rent Co/Smarts Freighting & Wrecker Service/Da-Shem-Rhe Inc/Tyrese Caesar Foundation/Unique Society Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), + 06.43s; etc
Group N: 1st Larry Doyle – IRL/Tommy Doyle – IRL (Roto Spiral Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII), 2m 16.96s – 60th o/a; 2nd Dick Mauger – ENG/Liz Jordan (F) – ENG (Major Farm Service Subaru Impreza WRX), + 17.02s; 3rd Stuart Deeley – ENG/Winston Thompson (Sandstone Brewery Toyota Celica GT4 ST165), + 17.19s
SuperModified 2: 1st Esuf/Suleman, 1m 56.13s; 2nd Mayers/Steinbok + 00.27s; 3rd Declan Gallagher – IRL/Stephen Bell (Donegal Waste & Recycle/Callaghan Transport/Beara Top Tyres/CWS Coll Welding Services/Ferry’s Garage Toyota Starlet), + 02.35s; etc
SM1: 1st Edward Corbin/Johnathan Alleyne (Prosales/Automotive Art/Hilti/Bajan Pure Daihatsu Charmant), 2m 06.28s – 33rd o/a; 2nd Kevin Wiggins/Kristian Payne (Zaks Auto Supplies/Dynamic Auto Imports/Nifty Solutions Toyota Starlet), + 07.42s; 3rd Ben Wilkinson – ENG/Andrew Wilkinson – ENG (Merc Spec Peugeot 106 Maxi), + 08.53s; etc
M3: 1st Justin Campbell/Kyle King (Campbell Racing Team 20th Anniversary/De Lioness/SJ Rent Co BMW), 2m 03.22s – 25th o/a; 2nd David St Hill/Ian Grimes (DG Audio/Charles Doc Inc/Beamer Specialist BMW M3), + 03.99s; 3rd Michael Worme/Jason King (BCIC Insurance/COT/Express Motors/Ullyett's Machine Shop/Camps Auto Services BMW M-Pact), + 05.22s; etc
M2: 1st Neil Corbin/Matthew Staffner (Nassco/Superfeeds/Stamina Energy/ColourXL/Auto Solutions/Pressout Performance Toyota GT86 CS-R3), 2m 07.95s – 38th o/a; 2nd Chris Ullyett/Chantal Ullyett (F) - CDN (RadComm/Canadian Lifesciences & Technologies Park/Purelinc Cleanrooms/Proj-Rx/Ullyett’s Machine Shop Ford Escort RS2000), + 00.75s; 3rd Jermin Pope/Pierre Clarke (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/King Ocean Shipping/Pedialyte Sport/Bettr/Pharmacy Sales Caribbean Ltd/Vitoxine/UltraGrime Gloves/Sandblasting Powder Coating 2022 Ltd Honda Civic), + 01.09s; etc
M1: 1st Carlos Edwards/Jacob Richards (Enermax Ltd/Milwaukee/Meukow/Sign Depot/Be Social Citroen C2R2 MAX), 2m 13.69s – 55th o/a; 2nd Aaron Doyle – IRL/Anthony McDonald – IRL (Roto-Spiral Ford Fiesta Rally4), + 05.71s; 3rd Richard Stewart – SCO/James Thomson - SCO (www . autoshop.co.uk Peugeot 208 Rally4), + 07.35s; etc
H1: 1st Robin Hamilton – SCO/Vanessa Hamilton (F) – SCO (Gleaner Oil and Gas/Pentland Powder Coating/Robin Hamilton Autos Saab 96), 3m 31.15s – 107th o/a
Clubman 3: 1st Luke Cozier/Benjamin da Silva (Perkins & Son/Royal Anchor Distribution BMW 325is), 2m 21.25s – 77th o/a; 2nd Kevin Armstrong/Joshua Trotman (Armstrong Auto/DS Vroom Car Rental/I & E Foods Ltd/PET Arts BMW 325i), + 00.53s; 3rd Mick Smith – IRL/Niall Moroney – IRL (C3 Rentokil Barbados/Barbados Rum Cakes BMW 325ti Compact), + 07.41s; etc
C2: 1st Robert Ryan Wood/Tristan Mapp (Carter’s Pitstop/Blue Waters/Caribbean LED Lighting/C&A Autobody Repairs/Perkins & Son/Lucky Locks/CJ Wood Inc/Hilti/Westlake Tyres BimmaCup), 2m 18.61s – 65th o/a; 2nd Stewart Gordon - ANT/Rene Forde (Hadeed Motors/Pavilion Picks/Rude Boy BimmaCup), + 00.72s; 3rd Sebastian Thompson/Noah White (Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty Day Spa/SMT FIT/Pressure On BimmaCup), + 00.87s; etc
C1: 1st Kyle Gill/Gerard Gill (Expressionism/Fun Miles/Chicken Stop Mitsubishi Colt), 2m 31.48s – 93rd o/a; 2nd Shawn Brathwaite/Johnathan King (Homeomart Barbados/Security Hub Int Inc/Gibson's Tech/CM30FX INC/B's Variety & Food Spot Toyota Corolla), + 10.76s; 3rd Debby Goodband (F) - WAL/Clare Berrisford (F) - ENG (Suzuki Swift Sport), + 22.14s
Open R/GT: 1st Zane Maloney/Luke Staffner (Open R/GT Rock Hard Cement/Bushy Park Barbados/M-Jet FBO/Ston Atelier/Flow/Heineken 0.0/Sign Station/Maloney Racing Porsche 992 Rally GT), 1:51.32
Open: 1st Sean Merritt/Joseph Tseu (Seven Creative Media/STAG/Panasol/Farmers Choice/Quod/Camps Auto Services/MB Auto City Toyota Starlet), 2m 10.08s; 2nd Geoffrey Ullyett/Alexis Ince (F) (Ullyett’s Machine Shop BMW M3), + 06.98s; 3rd Mark Huggins/Kyle Ifill (General Distributors/Ultra Quick/Huggins Auto Shop Daihatsu Charmant), + 07.01s