Stockdale and Costin-Hurley back for Sol Rally Barbados

Having already competed in Sol Rally Barbados 20 times, Britain’s Martin Stockdale is again preparing his BMW 1M Coupe to head across the Atlantic for this year’s 33rd running of the event.
Second behind ‘Mad-Dale’ in the list of overseas competitors who have logged the most visits is former Indy Car and Formula 1 engineer Andrew Costin-Hurley, who is bringing his self-designed and built Ford Puma Evo for the 18th time.
Sol Rally Barbados 2023 will run over the weekend of June 9 to 11.
While Stockdale’s co-driver Graeme Wood is new to the event, Costin-Hurley will be accompanied by another of the event’s regular participants Rob Brook, who has not only competed – he shares three Group B class wins in the Puma – but also acted as a visiting official in the past.
Stockdale has missed only one event, Sol Rally Barbados 2020, since his first visit in 2001. His best overall finish coming the following year, seventh, when he also won the Modified Open class and the trophy as highest-placed overseas crew in his original M3.
He finished 12th overall and second in SuperModified 11 in his M3 GTR in 2007 and has also won Group B (twice), the Sunday Cup and the highest-placed non-national RWD trophies on two occasions.
Driving the BMW 1M Coupe he built in 2015, he and Wood will compete in SM2. He has rallied only once since Sol Rally Barbados 2022.
“I had a good rally at Leckonfield in August, finished last year 12th overall and third in class. I haven’t done any events since but [my] son Thomas has been using the car. He did the Deenethorpe stages in November, 10th overall and second in class – and then the Dukeries Rally at Donington Park, where he and Emma Morrison were 17th overall and fourth in class,” Stockdale said.
Although he and Stockdale have competed only once together, Wood has a long history as a co-driver, sitting for many years with Ian Joel’s Ford Escort Cosworth.
Costin-Hurley rarely rallies outside Barbados but has done extensive work on his Puma since Sol Rally Barbados 2022.
(PR)