In the Community

In just over four weeks since on-line entries opened on October 1 on the official web site – www.rallybarbados.net – 40 crews have already posted their intention to compete in Sol Rally Barbados 2016. Having celebrated the 25th Anniversary of its premier event this year, the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) has announced that Sol RB16 will run from June 3 to 5, with Scrutineering and King of the Hill on May 28/29.

All but a handful of the entries already posted are from overseas, roughly one-third of them newcomers to the event, as the Caribbean’s biggest annual motor sport International continues to rack up record-breaking sports-tourism statistics, with significant growth in the last five years. More than 400 overseas participants have now competed in the island, of whom more than 40 per cent have returned at least once, while at least 30 individuals have visited between five and 15 times.

Sol RB16 Chairman Mark Hamilton said: “Once again, our early entries include first-timers who have followed the event in the past and are finally going to tick it off on their bucket list. Even better, there are some others who achieved that initial trip last year, and enjoyed the experience so much that they are coming right back.

“Our main focus is to deliver the core values of a seriously-competitive event, while maintaining the relaxed clubman-type atmosphere and level of hospitality that visiting crews and their families have come to enjoy, and which bring them back year on year. From this early response to entries opening, I would guess that we have the balance about right, which is a credit to each of the Rally Club’s volunteers, who commit hours, growing into days, to the event, many of whom bring years of experience to the table.”

Crowd favourite BMW driver Martin Stockdale, who holds the record for the most consecutive visits, has already posted his Sol RB16 entry; when he arrived for his 15th visit this year, he debuted his new BMW 1M Coupe, in which he finished 21st overall and third in SuperModified 12, adding more trophies to those he has collected since 2001.

Stockdale was also leading the ‘Worksop Warriors’, members of the Worksop & District Motor Club of which he is President, fielding four cars, with a group of 30 family and friends in support. The other drivers - Ray Clough, Hugh Peat and Stuart Tomlinson - have also expressed their intention to return next year.