TRINIDAD BASED DRIVER GOING GUNS IN BARBADOS
Jamaica's ace driver John "Penti" Powell tuned up for the remaining major events in the Caribbean this year with a near flawless performance as he posted the fastest time in the Motoring Club Barbados Inc.'s (MCBI) speed event from Ellesmere to Woodland, St George.
On the long and twisting road course, the Trinidad and Tobago-based Jamaican pushed his ex-Didier Auriol Toyota Trinidad/Stag/NP Ultra/ICSL Toyota Corolla WRC to the fastest time of three minutes, 27.9 seconds. This was more than six seconds faster than Barbadian Paul "The Surfer"Bourne at the wheel of his Plus/Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC, who had carried the fight to the Jamaican drivers throughout the day.
Bourne's time was three minutes, 33. 40 seconds in the event which got started more than 90 minutes late.
Powell said the car could do much better than the results returned during the event.
"I came to feel out the car on tarmac and I can tell you that it is a much improved car than the previous car. It's dynamite, but I am still on a learning curve and getting used to it," Powell said before boarding his return flight to his base in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Jamaican driver, fresh from winning the Stag/Ultra Int. All Stage Rally in Trinidad two weeks ago and who was the second-place finisher in last year's Rally Barbados, said he now has "launch control" fitted to the car for improved starting. However, he was still doing some tweaking to the machine as he prepares for two more events in Barbados and the Jamaica Int. All Stage Rally in December.
Pointing out that it was Didier Auriol's 1999 bodyshell, Powell said it was the Version II Corolla, but everything in it was brand new. "It's encouraging to drive, but I need more seat time if I am to really make my presence felt when the going gets tougher", he admitted.
Powell said too that his duels with Bourne last Sunday showed he still had a lot to learn with the car as Bourne was an excellent driver.
According to the Jamaican, Bourne had some issues with the car early in the event, especially at the "hairpin" section of the course which cost his time. He expects a greater fight with him in next month's event at Four Hills, St Peter.
He said too that arch-rival Trevor "Electric Micey" Manning was expected to be among the starters in that event and the combination of Manning and Bourne could make winning for him more challenging.
"I paid too much attention to Gary Gregg and Manning during last year's Rally Jamaica, but it will be a much different ball game this year," Powell said.
Another top class Barbadian driver, Roger "The Sheriff" Skeete, at the wheel of the Plus/Havoline/Michelin Peugeot 306 Maxi and Cliff Roett in the Thorogood Footwear/Nassco/Michelin/Roett's Garage/Lucky Horseshoe/Sunpower/Castrol Toyota Starlet, prevented 4X4 cars from dominating the top places in the event.
Skeete's time of three minutes, 35.60 seconds and Roett's time of three minutes, 35.80 seconds accounted for the third and fourth places overall.
Roger "The Ninja" Hill in the EssoMobil 1/Nassco Ltd/Motormac/PPG Toyota Celica GT4 was fifth fastest over the course. He returned a time of three minutes, 36.80 seconds, while Jonathan Still in the Hitachi Power Tools/Warrens Motors BMW M3 with a time of three minutes, 39. 40 seconds, finished sixth.
Former motoring club champion driver John Corbin in the Corbin's Garage/Klar-Odio Toyota Corolla made few mistakes over the course. He returned a best time of three minutes, 55.20 seconds, while Greg "Cheesie" Catwell in the Cheeesie Auto Glass Datsun returned to road racing with a time of three minutes, 56.50 seconds to round out the Top 8 places overall.
On the long and twisting road course, the Trinidad and Tobago-based Jamaican pushed his ex-Didier Auriol Toyota Trinidad/Stag/NP Ultra/ICSL Toyota Corolla WRC to the fastest time of three minutes, 27.9 seconds. This was more than six seconds faster than Barbadian Paul "The Surfer"Bourne at the wheel of his Plus/Warrens Motors Subaru Impreza WRC, who had carried the fight to the Jamaican drivers throughout the day.
Bourne's time was three minutes, 33. 40 seconds in the event which got started more than 90 minutes late.
Powell said the car could do much better than the results returned during the event.
"I came to feel out the car on tarmac and I can tell you that it is a much improved car than the previous car. It's dynamite, but I am still on a learning curve and getting used to it," Powell said before boarding his return flight to his base in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Jamaican driver, fresh from winning the Stag/Ultra Int. All Stage Rally in Trinidad two weeks ago and who was the second-place finisher in last year's Rally Barbados, said he now has "launch control" fitted to the car for improved starting. However, he was still doing some tweaking to the machine as he prepares for two more events in Barbados and the Jamaica Int. All Stage Rally in December.
Pointing out that it was Didier Auriol's 1999 bodyshell, Powell said it was the Version II Corolla, but everything in it was brand new. "It's encouraging to drive, but I need more seat time if I am to really make my presence felt when the going gets tougher", he admitted.
Powell said too that his duels with Bourne last Sunday showed he still had a lot to learn with the car as Bourne was an excellent driver.
According to the Jamaican, Bourne had some issues with the car early in the event, especially at the "hairpin" section of the course which cost his time. He expects a greater fight with him in next month's event at Four Hills, St Peter.
He said too that arch-rival Trevor "Electric Micey" Manning was expected to be among the starters in that event and the combination of Manning and Bourne could make winning for him more challenging.
"I paid too much attention to Gary Gregg and Manning during last year's Rally Jamaica, but it will be a much different ball game this year," Powell said.
Another top class Barbadian driver, Roger "The Sheriff" Skeete, at the wheel of the Plus/Havoline/Michelin Peugeot 306 Maxi and Cliff Roett in the Thorogood Footwear/Nassco/Michelin/Roett's Garage/Lucky Horseshoe/Sunpower/Castrol Toyota Starlet, prevented 4X4 cars from dominating the top places in the event.
Skeete's time of three minutes, 35.60 seconds and Roett's time of three minutes, 35.80 seconds accounted for the third and fourth places overall.
Roger "The Ninja" Hill in the EssoMobil 1/Nassco Ltd/Motormac/PPG Toyota Celica GT4 was fifth fastest over the course. He returned a time of three minutes, 36.80 seconds, while Jonathan Still in the Hitachi Power Tools/Warrens Motors BMW M3 with a time of three minutes, 39. 40 seconds, finished sixth.
Former motoring club champion driver John Corbin in the Corbin's Garage/Klar-Odio Toyota Corolla made few mistakes over the course. He returned a best time of three minutes, 55.20 seconds, while Greg "Cheesie" Catwell in the Cheeesie Auto Glass Datsun returned to road racing with a time of three minutes, 56.50 seconds to round out the Top 8 places overall.
posted by Andre @ 4:10 AM
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