Unexpected results for Bajan crews in Rally Trinidad

A number of the Group N crews [British regular Simon] Wallis will face at the end of May [in Rally Barbados 2010] will come from Trinidad, which hosted overseas visitors from Barbados and the UK – in the form of triple British Rally Champion Mark Higgins – last weekend for the twin-island state’s premier event, Rally Trinidad, organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Rally Club (TTRC).
Not everything went to plan for the Bajan crews - early casualties included Rally Trinidad 2008 winner Paul Bourne (Banks/Chefette/LIME/Virgin Atlantic Ford Focus WRC07), who hit mechanical problems on Saturday morning; even worse befell Dean Serrao, campaigning Bourne’s former Subaru Impreza WRC S9 outside Barbados for the first time, when it was engulfed by fire on the opening stage – both Serrao and co-driver Michael Worme were uninjured, but the car was totally destroyed.
Despite early setbacks, Neil Armstrong was declared fourth in his Group A Evo VI, while Mark Hamilton (Valvoline Oil/PowerMaster Batteries/Kumho Batteries/Consolidated Finance Ford Escort MkII) finished one position behind him, class-winner and highest-placed two-wheel-drive car – he had inherited that honour once Ian Warren had run off in the Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors Suzuki Swift. Ryan Wood (Toyota Starlet) was also a class-winner, with 3W’s team-mate Stuart White third in class.
Trinidad-based Jamaican John Powell (Shell Helix Subaru Impreza WRC S12) prevailed overall, adding to his victories of 2005 & ’06, achieved in a Toyota Corolla WRC, with Higgins and co-driver Nicky Grist second and winners of Group N.