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Long-time friend of Tuthill Porsche, Jimmy McRae, recently claimed the top prize in Barbados historic rallying: King of the Carnival. Driving Francis Tuthill’s very own Post-Historic 911 alongside trusted co-driver, Ian Grindrod, the five-time British champion blitzed all in Category 2 – for cars built between 1968 and 1974 – in the International Rallysprint and the Barbados Historic Rally to claim the Andrew Phillips Memorial Trophy.
The RallySprint at Vaucluse Raceway was the first event of this year’s Barbados Rally Carnival. McRae’s Tuthill Porsche 911 was fastest, with local driver Wayne Manning’s Mk1 Escort RS2000 just two seconds off Jimmy’s best time.
Held on the the second weekend of the Barbados Rally Carnival, the Historic Rally benefitted from an unrestricted recce, with three special stage venues for the crews to investigate. The first stage at Hangman Hill was run three times in each direction, with a technical 2.7-kilometre detour through Vaucluse Raceway over a very slippery surface. The other two stages were equally challenging and run three times each in a single direction.
Vaucluse Raceway proved a very popular vantage point on the Hangman Hill to Lion Castle stage, offering the chance to follow three cars at once. No Barbados Rally Carnival would be complete without a number of sociable beverages, so the Vaucluse Clubhouse Hog & Grog bar enjoyed a roaring trade from a lunchtime start to its late-night finish.
After the first six stages, Carnival organiser Greg Cozier’s BDA-powered Classic Escort RS led Darren Moon’s similar example by just seven seconds, with the McRae Porsche third. Sadly, electrical gremlins halted Moon’s progress through the last four night stages, where Cozier and co-driver Natasha Farnum maintained their pace over wet, slippery and dark stages, to finish in front of McRae and Grindrod in the Porsche. Ian Coulson’s Talbot Sunbeam completed the top three.
After post-rally celebrations and a bit of a rest, crews gathered at the historic Bridgetown Careenage for the official prizegiving. In recognition of his regal efforts, McRae was awarded the ‘King of the Carnival’ Trophy, which he gets to keep for a year before adding his name to the others who’ve won it since 2002.
As a foreign winner, Jimmy receives a free trip back to the Barbados Historic Rally Carnival next year. Three guesses as to what he’ll be driving!
