While the steady growth of the FIA R5 class in the island has helped fuel a higher number of four-wheel-drive cars entered for the island’s premier motorsport event, BCIC Rally Barbados 2026, the battle for 2wd honours remains an important focus for the local fan base.
There have been 11 different 2wd winners since Roger Skeete was the last overall winner in his Peugeot 306 S16 in 1997. Of these, Barry Mayers is the most successful with six wins between 2001 and 2018, one more than his brother Roger, who will be missing in action this year with an ankle injury.
The BRC Shakedown Stages in March, the only rally for the year so far, suggested that competition will be tight between Mayers, who won all four afternoon stages in his rear-drive Ford Fiesta and his peers. He finished second to Rhett Watson (BMW M3), with Nigel Reece third, with less than four seconds separating the trio.
Watson claimed a record-breaking fourth BRC 2wd Championship last year, despite dropping from 14th to 60th overall in BCIC RB25. With new regulations in place this year preventing on-route servicing for each three-stage loop (apart from what driver and co-driver can do using equipment in the car), reliability is even more crucial.
Watson’s brother Logan has returned to 2wd after a season away in the FIA R5 class and a year of reassessment, during which he acquired a MkII Escort. The Rally Club 2wd Champion in 2012, he has settled quickly, matching times with Andrew Jones – top 2wd in RB20 – whose MkII Escort has been a constant for years.
While the overall 2wd top five is rarely exclusive to SuperModified 2, the category is the event’s largest class. As well as Watson’s, the BMWs of Suleman Esuf (4-litre V8-powered 1M) and Mark Kinch (M3 Compact) are likely to be in the running.
It has been more than two decades since Martin Stockdale claimed the only overseas 2wd win in his BMW M3, since when visitors have rarely fought their way into the top five.
Ireland’s Damian Toner had looked set to upset the applecart in his MkII Escort, but an accident on the Circuit of Ireland earlier this month forced him to withdraw. That means Declan ‘The Milkman’ Gallagher and his legendary Starlet will lead the overseas charge; with multiple Irish championship titles, overall wins, podium finishes and approaching 40 class wins to his name, he is certainly up to the task.
With Gallagher on the island to oversee the outing, New York-based Irishman Barry McKenna drove the Starlet in BCIC RB25 but did not get the chance for any seat time at King of the Hill. He finished top 2wd in the Sunday Cup after issues on Saturday.
Thanks to the attrition at the top of SM2, Gary Smith, who works with McKenna in New York, finished second in his BMW M3 to Roger Mayers last year (fifth overall 2wd). He is back, along with former South-East Stages Champion Niall Fitzpatrick in his MkI Escort, while newcomer Brian O’Neill brings a new-build MkII.
(PR)
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