Rally showcase at Bushy Park Saturday

Ninety local, regional and international rally cars, more than 20 of them entered in Sol Rally Barbados for the first time, will be the highlight of The Rally Show this Saturday (May 28).

At its new home at Bushy Park, the Show will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with competition prizes, giveaways and a Kids Zone to keep the whole family engaged while the ‘petrol-heads’ enjoy unrivalled access to the cars and their crews.

While many sponsors will already have showcased their teams at pre-event limes or revealed new liveries on social media, the Rally Show offers the only chance for local fans to see all the cars entered for First Citizens King of the Hill (May 29) and Sol RB22 (June 4/5) in one location. With technical scrutineering ahead of the 32nd running of the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event each evening this week at Bushy Park, the cars will be on static display throughout the afternoon.

There will be sponsor competitions aplenty: at Sol’s stand, 20 prizes range from fuel vouchers through cooler bags to BBQ grills in the Sol Golden Ticket Hunt; at new title sponsor of King of the Hill, First Citizens, there’s the chance to win two tickets for the KotH Rally Lounge; Automotive Art will be running a Strong Man Contest, Carter’s will have some substantial prizes including rims in their raffle, while you can try your luck with Spin the Wheel at Chefette.

From the organizational side of things, the Barbados Rally Club (BRC) stand will be handing out copies of the free Official Programme and selling Sol RB22 hats, while Women in Motorsport has a booth for the first time furthering the efforts of the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) to promote more inclusivity in the sport. You can learn more about the grass roots discipline of karting on the Bushy Park stand, while the sponsor of the floodlit Sunday night SuperSpecial climax of Sol RB22, K&N/Denso Racing is also represented. New Rally Club partner SMJ Beverages is another offering prizes.

Cultural content includes the drums and steel pans of the IzA Vybe Riddim Parade, sponsored by First Citizens, while a display of classic cars and numerous individual competitor sponsors offering giveaways will keep patrons busy throughout the afternoon. A wide range of food is on offer, including Happy Hospitality’s menu of burgers, burritos, chicken, cutters, fries and fish, then Happy Tacos, Fish Cake’s, Frosteez iced treats such as lollies and ice cream and Santia’s popcorn and cupcakes, while there are also bars at each end of the display area.

The main stage, located on The Hill alongside the venue’s Race Control building will be the focal point of a series of interviews with drivers, special guests and sponsors, with the chance for fans to get closer to their idols and collect autographs and giveaways in two Drivers Meet and Greet Sessions. Those already confirmed include FIA Formula 3 racer Zane Maloney, new recruit to the growing R5 class Josh Read, Sol RB19 winner Dane Skeete and this year’s Zero Car driver Rhett Watson, with overseas visitors such as newcomer Andrew Graham, who will drive the first Land Rover entry in the event’s history, five-time winner Jeff Panton and regular visitors Cheryl Spencer and Rob Swann all keen to meet the fans.

Co-ordinator Carrie Corbin said: “With our former home no longer available and Bushy Park an important hub for KotH and RB22, it made sense to bring The Rally Show here, not least because of the easy parking. Since 2019, we have been fine-tuning: the response to the Drivers Meet & Greet session was overwhelming, so we have split that into two, smaller sessions allowing more drivers to participate, and we have once again done our best to ensure that there is something for everyone. If you’re a rally fan, or just like a good lime, The Rally Show is the place to be on Saturday, May 28.”

Pedestrian access to The Rally Show, which is laid out in the main spectator area overlooking the Clubhouse Straight, will be through Gate 3 off Gaskin Road, with parking outside the perimeter fence; there will be no access through the Pit Gate. Patrons will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test taken within 24 hours at gate to gain entry. (RB)