Sunday’s (March 8) Barbados Rally Club (BRC) MudDogs March Safari brings crews together once again after the four-month winter break. It is the first of five rounds in the 2026 Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship which will test the skills of the Club’s navigational rallying fraternity between now and November.
 Eight crews are listed on the running order published after last night’s (Tuesday) Briefing Meeting at Savvy on the Bay, Carlisle Bay, Bridgetown, equally split between seasoned campaigners and those with less experience, who compete in Class B.

 In Class A, the father and son team of Stephen and Ben Moore (Isuzu DMax), who were Class B Champions in 2023, renew their partnership after navigator Ben was sidelined for much of last season. They face Ben Norris and Kirk Watkins (Jeep Rubicon), who have three times finished second in the MudDogs year-end standings since 2019.
 The class is completed by Christopher King and Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny) and reigning Class B Champion Driver Alexander Gill (Isuzu DMax) paired with Gary Mendes.

 George Mendes and Johnathan King (Suzuki Vitara) and Charles Clarke and Austin Barber (Mitsubishi Pajero) will do battle in Class B, in which Mendes beat Clarke in a tie-break to the 2024 Champion Driver title.

 Completing the class are two relative newcomers, both with female navigators: Nadcarnie Cyrus has 2024 Class B Champion Navigator Leslie Evanson to guide him through the day in his Range Rover Classic, while Jaden Eastmond (Nissan Frontier) has first-timer Trislyn St Hill alongside.

 Ahead of the new season, MudDogs Chairman Ricky Holder said: “Everyone is looking forward to getting started again after the long winter break. A special thanks to Chefette, who are entering their 17th year supporting MudDogs, and their 13th as title sponsor, also to Ace H & B Hardware for hosting the start and supplying some prizes.
 “The entry is healthy, with a number of previous Safari winners and the Class B Champions for the last three years and it is encouraging to see some new or less familiar names on the list. I wish everyone good luck.”

 Crews will set off from Ace H & B Hardware, Warrens, St Michael at 7.30am on Sunday to tackle two routes set by Wayne Clarke. The shorter morning test, of roughly 45 kilometres, will include two Driver Challenges, the first on the south side of the Vaucluse Raceway in St Thomas at around 8.00am, the second at Manor Farms, Clifton, in the same parish just over two hours later. The lunchtime rest halt will be at Chefette, Charles Rowe Bridge, St George at approximately 11.00am.
 The longer afternoon route of around 80 kilometres will include a third Driver Challenge, back at the Vaucluse Raceway, then carry crews north through the parishes of St Joseph, St Peter and St Lucy to finish at Chefette Speightstown at around 5.00pm.

 The results of the BRC MudDogs March Safari will be declared at the Prizegiving which starts at 7.00pm next Tuesday evening (March 10) at Savvy on the Bay.

Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship
Round 1 – March 8 – BRC MudDogs March Safari
Class A
3 Stephen Moore/Ben Moore (Moore & Moore Services/Maxxis Isuzu DMax)
6 Alexander Gill/Gary Mendes (Isuzu DMax)
7 Ben Norris/Kirk Watkins (Jeep Rubicon)
8 Christopher King/Warrick Eastmond (Suzuki Jimny)

Class B
1 George Mendes/Johnathan King (G&G Sales and Service Suzuki Vitara)
2 Jaden Eastmond/Trislyn St Hill (F) (Nissan Frontier)
4 Charles Clarke/Austin Barber (Mitsubishi Pajero)
5 Nadcarnie Cyprus/Leslie Evanson (F) (Range Rover Classic)

Chefette MudDogs Safari Championship: Rd 1 – Mar 8, MudDogs March Safari; Rd 2 - Apr 18, MudDogs April Safari; Rd 3 - Jun 27/28, Chefette MudDogs June Safari; Rd 4 - Sep 13, Savvy on the Bay MudDogs September Safari; Rd 5 – Nov 14, MudDogs November Safari 

For media information only. No regulatory value.

For further media information, robin@bradfax.com
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