MUD DOGS BACK FOR SHELBURY JUNE SAFARI
Practice Safari this Saturday
The Mud Dogs are back! After a two-month break since the Chefette April Safari, while the motor sport community concentrated on the events surrounding Sol Rally Barbados 2011, preparations are in high gear for the toughest off-road event of the year, the Shelbury Construction June Safari, which will run from Saturday afternoon until early Sunday morning over the weekend of June 25 & 26.
‘The June’, as it is known among Club stalwarts, is the region’s oldest motor sport event with a continuous history; first run in 1957, its success led to the formation later the same year of the Barbados Rally Club, which celebrated its first half-century in 2007.
This year’s 55th edition is round three out of five in the 2011 WTI MudDogs Safari Championship and the Chefette MudDogs Safari Novice Championship. Last year’s winners made history, when Wayne Clarke, Navigator for Chris Armstrong, became the first competitor to win ‘The June’ for a fifth time; it was the driver’s third win.
MudDogs Chairman Warren Gollop said: “After what seems like a forever long break, I am really looking forward to our annual showcase event. I would particularly like to thank Shelbury Construction for answering the call again this year, their fourth year of title sponsorship. I know that the route setters have been rubbing their hands in anticipation of our crews beating them, so we’re all looking forward to an exciting weekend.”
This year’s route is being set by Stewart Gill, who won ‘The June’ in 1998 as Navigator to Derek Roach in a Mazda 323 GTR, and Derek Edwards, who finished third in the Mud Dogs Navigator standings last year; it will be rechecked by Sean Dowding and Kirk Watkins.
The first crew is scheduled to leave the Portvale Factory Yard, St James, at 2.01pm on Saturday, June 25; a Driver Challenge is planned for shortly after the start and the first route will finish with a dinner stop-over at Chefette Speightstown at approximately 7.00pm. Route two will run until roughly 1.00am on Sunday, when a pause for refreshment is planned for Chefette Warrens, after which the final route will end close to where the event started some 17 hours before, with breakfast at Mahogany Ridge, St Thomas, at approximately 7.00am on Sunday.
Entries are now open at Motorsport Services in Haggatt Hall and will close next Tuesday (June 21) at 2.00pm; the Briefing Meeting will be at 7.00pm the same evening at the Barbados Clay Target Shooting Association House at Searles, Christ Church, after which the entry list will be released. The Prizegiving for the Shelbury Construction June Safari will be held at the same venue on Monday, June 27.
Practice Safari this Saturday
To give newcomers some hints and allow seasoned competitors to brush up on their techniques, a Practice Safari has been organised for this Saturday (June 18). Lasting approximately three hours, it has been set by Jason Downey and Darnley Rayside; competitors are asked to arrive by 2.00pm, with the event scheduled for a 3.00pm start from Country View, Market Hill, St George, the same location where the Chefette April Safari finished.
2011 WTI MudDogs Safari Championship
Positions after round 2
WTI Navigators
1st equal Wayne Clarke (Toyota Hilux) & Jeremy Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Samurai), 108pts
3rd Kirk Watkins (Axis Inc/Aerotec Services Inc/Huzier Ltd/Mahindra Motorsports Mahindra Pik-Up), 100pts
4th equal Brett Barber (JE Security/Biddy's Visitor Information Mitsubishi Pajero), Peter Bradshaw (Toyota Hilux) & Robin Hinds (Yardman/Kar Parts Store/Gomez and Western Services Nissan Patrol), 98pts
7th Renata Roett (Toyota Hilux), 94pts
8th Darnley Rayside (Electric Avenue/Pitbull Energy Drink Land Rover Discovery), 88pts
9th Warrick Eastmond (Niccolls & Edghill Construction Suzuki Vitara), 78pts
10th Dane McConney (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 74pts
WTI Drivers
1st Leslie Alleyne (Autozone Inc/Valvoline Mitsubishi Pajero), 120pts
2nd equal Chris Armstrong (Toyota Hilux) & Audley Croney (CC Motorsports Suzuki Samurai), 108pts
4th Sean Dowding (Axis Inc/Aerotec Services Inc/Huzier Ltd/Mahindra Motorsports Mahindra Pik-Up), 100pts
5th equal Biddy Barber (JE Security/Biddy's Visitor Information Mitsubishi Pajero), Gregory Dickenson (Toyota Hilux) & Mark Western (Yardman/Kar Parts Store/Gomez and Western Services Nissan Patrol), 98pts
8th Edson Arthur (Toyota Hilux), 94pts
9th Ben Norris (Electric Avenue/Pitbull Energy Drink Land Rover Discovery), 88pts
10th Nicolas Lorde (Niccolls & Edghill Construction Suzuki Vitara), 78pts
Chefette Novice Navigators
1st Dane McConney (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 116pts
2nd Christian Duncan (Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 106pts
3rd Rasheed Mapp (Suzuki Samurai), 92pts
4th Gary Mendes (Lex Fitness/MK Rentals Suzuki Samurai), 60pts
5th Trina Griffith (Suzuki Jimny), 58pts
6th Jamal Brathwaite (Toyota Surf), 56pts
Chefette Novice Drivers
1st Hadley Green (Hunte Auto Spares/Automotive Art Toyota Hilux), 116pts
2nd Dominic Straker (Toyota Surf), 110pts
3rd Simon Parravicino (Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 106pts
4th Richard Hinkson (Suzuki Samurai), 92pts
5th Alexander Kellman (Lex Fitness/MK Rentals Suzuki Samurai), 60pts
6th Matthew Durant (Suzuki Jimny), 58pts
