Top European Driver Returns for Rally Carnival
Year four and car four for Kevin Procter

Kevin Procter, the highest-placed European finisher in Rally Barbados for the past two years, returns to the island in just over two weeks' time to contest the sixth annual Barbados Rally Carnival . . . and, for his fourth visit to the event, he arrives with a fourth different car.
Procter will be among the competitors arriving at the Grantley Adams International Airport aboard a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747-400 on May 24; for this year's VRW International RallySprint (May 27) and Rally Barbados (June 3/4) he is bringing his trusty ex-works Group A Subaru Impreza, in which he has already been a winner in the UK this season.
Although it will be seen in Barbados for the first time, it is the car's second trip to the Caribbean - with regular co-driver Mike Gilby, Procter used it to very good effect in the region last December. They started Rally Jamaica steadily - "perhaps a little too steadily", Procter said afterwards - to lie seventh at the overnight halt, then pressed on during day two to finish fourth and highest-placed overseas crew behind Jamaicans Gary Gregg, Doug Gore and David Summerbell.
Describing his experience of another of the region's major motor sport events, Procter said: "The important thing was to get to the finish. We wanted to learn some lessons - our experiences in Barbados have taught us how important that is - so that we can come back next year and really go for it. If anything, we were probably a bit too conservative Saturday morning, but Mike and I were both really pleased with the result."
On his previous visits to Barbados, Procter has always campaigned four-wheel-drive Fords: in 2003, there was the rumbling Sapphire Cosworth, which was particularly impressive at the Vaucluse Raceway; for 2004, he arrived with an Escort Cosworth, in which he finished fifth on Rally Barbados and highest-placed overseas driver - his best result. Last year, his nightmares started on the very first stage, with a fire on board the rare Puma 4 x 4, despite which he fought back to finish ninth and top European.
For 2006, not only is the car different, but so is the co-driver; Procter will enjoy the luxury of some local knowledge, provided by the experienced co-driver and navigator Stewart Gill, who sat alongside Jamaica's David Summerbell when he finished second in Barbados in 1995.
Crowd favourite Martin Stockdale returns with the mighty Drive-a-Matic BMW M3 GTR and co-driver Mark Swallow to maintain his record as the only overseas driver to have contested every Rally Carnival. With 4.9 litres and around 400 horsepower, it is a real handful, and local spectators enjoy watching the tall Englishman fighting to stay on the road. Stockdale has rarely left the island without a trophy - he claimed his third Rally Barbados class win last year - and will certainly be in the hunt for more.
Fred 'The Builder' Davidson is also among the crews returning for Rally Carnival, and another with a different car - he now owns the Escort Cosworth fellow-Yorkshireman Procter brought to the island in 2004, so is looking forward to a new challenge. Since switching from his front-wheel-drive Peugeot 205, Davidson has had his hands full trying to get to grips with the Deansbury Homes-backed car, but his results have steadily improved.
Following a class win in Ireland last year, the car has been fully stripped and rebuilt, his most recent success a top 10 finish from an 88-strong entry in a hard-fought tarmac event in England; his co-driver is now Richard 'Plug' Pulleyn - although he is one of the most respected co-drivers in the North of England, he has never rallied outside Europe and says: "I've heard a lot about the Rally Carnival, and I'm looking forward to enjoying some of the legendary Bajan hospitality."

• Sat, May 20 - scrutineering for local entries, McEnearney Quality, Wildey
• Fri, May 26 - scrutineering for overseas entries, McEnearney Quality
• Sat, May 27 - Red Bull International RallySprint, Vaucluse Raceway
• Thu, June 1 - Rally Barbados 2006 shakedown
• Sat, June 3 - Rally Barbados 2006, day 1
• Sun, June 4 - Rally Barbados 2006, day 2
• Mon, June 5 - Rally Barbados 2006 prize-giving, The Boatyard