All Aboard for Barbados Historic Rally Carnival

The final act of the 2017 season is set to get underway on November 24th, and it promises to be a good one. The Barbados Historic Rally Carnival will be bringing that old school flavour to the stages, with Ford Escorts and Porsche 911s being some of the iconic marquees to be found. To get a bit more information, we had a brief chat with the man behind it all, Greg Cozier.

One of the first things that you notice right away, is that the rally starts on the Friday evening at 6:oo pm, with the first SS 1 and 2 being run at Vaucluse Raceway. The rally then restarts on Saturday afternoon and runs into the night, with Canefield (running through Vaucluse), Dark Hole and Sailor Gully being the other stage venues. Greg explained the reason for this. “We start on Friday because we need the maximum mileage but we also need Sunday for the prize-giving. Night rallying is also a fundamental element of historic rallying and it is common on historic events around the world to start at night.” Added to this is the fact that local fans love night rallying. To tell the truth there’s nothing quite like seeing the flicker of lights in the distance and anticipating the car’s arrival. Not to mention the visual appeal of glowing brake discs.

Historic cars consist of some of the iconic makes and models that you can’t help but love. When it comes to the classification of a historic car, are there any restrictions? For example, could I have a Ford Escort Mk II with a 2.5 Millington Diamond engine mated to a sequential gearbox? “Historic cars have to be built to period specification. In cases where original parts can’t be found, modern day parts may be substituted- as long as performance isn’t improved. My Escort has a modern alternator and starter, for example. Mechanically the rest is the same as 1977 other than the safety equipment.”

There are always a few competitors that stand out during events. Some due to their familiarity with and previous performance, and others because of their reputation which precedes their 1sttime participation. This year is no exception. “Graham Samuel has been here a few times before in a Porsche 911 but is now driving a BDG Escort. He should be quick. Stefan Oberdorster is very quick in a Porsche 911, although, this will be his first time in Barbados. Wayne Archer goes better and better each time out in his BMW 323 and will be quick.”

We’d like to thank Greg Cozier for taking the time to talk to us. Stay tuned for updates on the event as they happen, via our Facebook and Instagram.

The schedule for the Barbados Historic Rally will be running alongside and complimenting Winter Rally organised byThe Barbados Rally Club

Event Information: Start (SS1 & SS2): Friday November 24th, 2017 at 6:00PM Stage Listing SS1 - Vaucluse Raceway SS2 - Vaucluse Raceway Restart - Hopewell, St. Thomas - 2:00PM - Saturday 25th November SS3 - Dark Hole to Spring Vale SS4 - Hangman’s Hill - Lion Castle (through Vaucluse raceway) SS5 - Dark Hole to Spring Vale SS6 - Hangman’s Hill - Lion Castle (through Vaucluse raceway) SS7 - Dark Hole to Spring Vale SS8 - Hangman’s Hill - Lion Castle (through Vaucluse raceway) Dinner Halt Service - Hopewell, St. Thomas - 6:00PM (Approx) Restart - Hopewell, St. Thomas - 7PM (Approx) SS9 - Four Hills to French Village SS10 - Canefield Tenantry to Hangman’s Hill (through Vaucluse raceway) SS11 - Four Hills to French Village SS12 - Canefield Tenantry to Hangman’s Hill (through Vaucluse raceway) SS13 - Four Hills to French Village SS14 - Canefield Tenantry to Hangman’s Hill (through Vaucluse raceway) Finish - Hopewell, St. Thomas - 11:00PM (Approx) Prize Giving: Prize giving will be held at Pirates Cove, Bay Street, Bridgetown on Sunday, November 26th at 12:00PM