Longer intervals between service and a 10 per cent increase in stage distance on Saturday promise to challenge competitors in the Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) premier event, Rally Barbados, which is slated for the weekend of May 26/27. Although the entry list is not yet finalised, organisers are confident that last year's winner, Jamaica's Gary Gregg, will be under pressure for his title in the Club's 50th Anniversary year.

Rally chairman Barry Gale noted: "Every year, we look carefully at each day's route, primarily to consider the impact the event has on residents in the area, but also mindful of maintaining the attraction for our competitors and spectators. I hope our changes for this year will again make Rally Barbados more enjoyable for us all; in particular, the changes to the Saturday schedule will result in less down time between action on stages such as Automotive Art Canefield, which we hope will improve the spectator experience."

As last year, Rally Barbados will comprise 24 special stages at six venues around the island; there have been some significant changes to Saturday's format, although the beginning of the day will have a familiar feel. From the 9.00am Start at Simpson Motors in Warrens, competitors will head straight for Automotive Art Canefield, the popular 5.9-kilometre stage in St Thomas, which runs from the bottom of Hangman's Hill, turning north past the Vaucluse Raceway.

The familiar route is then continued at William Industries Sailor Gully in St Peter, the 4.5-kilometre stage running westbound. Thereafter, things begin to change: Turners Hall, which was reintroduced to the event in 2006, has been dropped again in favour of a return to Harris Paints Dark Hole in St Andrew, after which crews will return to Simpson Motors for first service.

The second loop of stages before the lunch break has been increased from three to four - a stage distance of 20.7kms, more than 10 per cent up on last year's longest loop - with one run each through Sailor Gully and Dark Hole sandwiched between two uphill runs through Canefield.

Dark Hole will not be used after lunch, but the other two stages will be reversed, with another demanding four-stage loop before service, followed by a final run after sundown east through Sailor Gully and southbound through Canefield. The total stage distance for Saturday is 67.6kms, compared with 61.1kms last year.

For the second year in a row, the final southbound run through Canefield has been brought forward - this year, it is scheduled for a little before 7.00pm - so even the crews running at the tail end of the field should enjoy a decent night's sleep before Sunday, assuming they have no mechanical issues to deal with.

Sunday's route follows the previous pattern, with the restart at 7.30am from the yard at Carrington Factory; as last year, the 4.4-kilometre Crane & Equipment Stewarts Hill stage will run only in the westerly direction - spectators who saw this resurfaced stage run in the Carnival Warm-Up Tarmac Rally last month will testify to the high-speed action.

The 3.1-kilometre Digicel Malvern stage will host the second competitive action of the day, after which crews will tackle the rally's longest stage, DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Kendal (8.1 kilometres, running south), followed by service. Those three stages will run again before competitors return to Carrington for the lunch break.

After lunch, Stewarts Hill will be used only once more; Malvern and Kendal will each be used twice, Malvern continuing to run East, while Kendal will switch directions. Once completed, crews will head west for the Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at the Vaucluse Raceway; while times recorded are not included in the results of Rally Barbados, it is mandatory for competitors to start the SuperSpecial to be considered for overall finishing positions.

Rally Barbados is organised by the Barbados Rally Club; each day is a separate qualifying round of the Texaco BRC Rally Championship and the BRC Driver's Championship. Principal sponsors are Automotive Art, Banks Holdings Ltd, DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre, Digicel, McEnearney Quality, Simpson Motors, Texaco and Williams Industries. Associate sponsors are Armag, the Barbados Hotel & Tourism Association, Crane & Equipment, Essco, Harris Paints, Nassco and SOL.

RALLY BARBADOS 2007
Schedule

Saturday, May 26

0900 - Start at Simpson Motors
0912 - SS1: Automotive Art Canefield North 1 (5.90km)
0946 - SS2: Williams Industries Sailor Gully West 1 (4.50km)
1011 - SS3: Harris Paints Dark Hole 1 (4.40km)
Service - Simpson Motors

1113 - SS4: Automotive Art Canefield North 2 (5.90km)
1147 - SS5: Williams Industries Sailor Gully West 2 (4.50km)
1212 - SS6: Harris Paints Dark Hole 2 (4.40km)
1235 - SS7: Automotive Art Canefield North 3 (5.90km)
Service and lunch halt - Simpson Motors

Total stage distance, leg 1 - 35.50km

1510 - SS8: Williams Industries Sailor Gully East 1 (4.80km)
1543 - SS9: Automotive Art Canefield South 1 (5.90km)
1625 - SS10: Williams Industries Sailor Gully East 2 (4.80km)
1657 - SS11: Automotive Art Canefield South 2 (5.90km)
Service - Simpson Motors

1818 - SS12: Williams Industries Sailor Gully East 3 (4.80km)
1851 - SS13: Automotive Art Canefield South 3 (5.90km)

Total stage distance, leg 2 - 32.10km
Total stage distance, day 1 - 67.60km

Sunday, May 27

0730 - Restart at Carrington Factory
0745 - SS14: Crane & Equipment Stewarts Hill West 1 (4.40km)
0808 - SS15: Digicel Malvern East 1 (3.10km)
0821 - SS16: DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Kendal South 1 (8.10km)
Service - Carrington Factory

0919 - SS17: Crane & Equipment Stewarts Hill West 2 (4.40km)
0942 - SS18: Digicel Malvern East 2 (3.10km)
0955 - SS19: DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Kendal South 2 (8.10km)
Service and lunch halt - Carrington Factory

Total stage distance, leg 3 - 31.20km

1158 - SS20: Crane & Equipment Stewarts Hill West 3 (4.40km)
1221 - SS21: Digicel Malvern East 3 (3.10km)
Service - Carrington Factory

1323 - SS22: DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Kendal North 1 (8.10km)
1348 - SS23: Digicel Malvern East 4 (3.10km)
1425 - SS24 - DaCosta Mannings Auto Centre Kendal North 2 (8.10km)

1500 - Shell V-Power SuperSpecial at Vaucluse Raceway, followed by Rally Finish & party

Total stage distance, leg - 26.80km
Total stage distance, day - 58.00km
Total overall stage distance - 125.60km