Rally
THA Rally Festival 2010 – Media Launch
The TTRC had its media launch for the 2010 THA Rally Festival taking place on our sister isle on July 2-4. With only a month left to go, the TTRC surely has a reputation to live up to after the tremendously successful 2009 edition of the Event. With 5 new teams going this time round taking the total entry up to 25, Tobago will be the place to be come the first weekend in July. The cars will be putting on a show in front of what is expected to be another record crowd at the Courlan Estate.
Rally Barbados 2010 – Simpson Motors SS & Prize Giving
By the time they arrived [at Simpson Motors], there were already thousands lining the SuperSpecial at Warrens, unaware of the drama that was unfolding, or that the rally was yet to be won, or lost . . . one slight slip on the roughly one-kilometre stage winding through the estate’s service roads, with sidewalks and kerbs at every turn, could spell disaster.
Rally Barbados 2010 – Day 2
Over the next six stages, Skeete and Bourne enjoyed a titanic struggle, Skeete the faster of the two on Stewarts Hill, Bourne on Kendal . . . each time Skeete extended his lead, Bourne cut him back on the next stage. As they headed for the Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Simpson Motors – included in the event’s overall timing calculations for the first time – the gap between them, which had risen to 4.31secs at one point in those six frantic stages, was back down to six-tenths!
Rally Barbados 2010 – Day 1
90 crews from a record 15 nations, including the host country, contested the 13 classes: 39 drivers set class stage-winning times, compared to 27 last year, and no winner of a contested class can claim a perfect set of stage wins . . . and all this played out in front of upwards of 20,000 spectators who lined the five stage venues over the weekend, culminating in the new Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Simpson Motors.
Rally Barbados – Testing at Bushy Park
Drivers and co-drivers from a record 15 nations, including the host country, have assembled for the Caribbean’s biggest annual international motor sport event, Sol Rally Barbados 2010 (May 29/30); the final running order, published on Wednesday (May 26), lists a record 92 starters, promising a fitting celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the inaugural running of the Barbados Rally Club’s International All-Stage Rally.
Rally Trinidad 2010 – Mayor’s Cup, Saith Park
The grand finale of Rally Trinidad 2010 culminated into a dramatic show on the cordoned off streets of Chaguanas. The Bajans “put it broad” on the tarmac, which they are more at home on. In fact every driver who was still running got a chance to show their skills to the capacity crowd. The climax ultimately came when Higgin/Grist took John Powell’s WRC S12 for two hot laps, decimating the competition and winning the Mayor’s Cup in the process. The driving skill, action and excitement was unbelievable. A fitting end to a fantastic rally, perhaps the best we’ve seen in T&T.
Rally Trinidad – Day 2 Stages
Shortened versions of Cedar Hill and Bronte claimed even more cars as David Coelho rolled and the Swift from Barbados had an off. David was back out almost immediately but Ian Warren in the Swift dropped out of the rally. Powell 1st, Higgins a very close 2nd and Lochan 3rd was the running order for the entire rally and eventually too for the final standings overall.
Rally Trinidad 2010 – Day 1 Stages
The first day of Rally Trinidad 2010 was full of ups and downs. John Powell / Nick Telfer kept the lead with Mark Higgins / Nicky Grist at a close second place by less than 20 seconds. Ainsley Lochan and Robert Dumas were pushing hard in 3rd place. The attrition for the day was high with almost 10 cars dropping out. Paul Bourne dropped out entirely, due to gearbox hydraulic failure and Dean Serrao’s WRC S9 Subaru caught fire and burned completely down.