Dumfries and galloway based Albatec Racing Team Principal Andy Scott is set to revisit Sol Rally Barbados (Sol RB18) in June at the wheel of a 2017-spec, Motis, Rock Oil and Teng Tools supported Ford Fiesta R5. Scott made his debut last year in a rented MkI Ford Escort and vowed to return after running third in class, until a technical issue saw him crash out on the penultimate stage.
Ahead of the event which celebrates its 61st running this year, Scott will compete in Sunday’s (April 22) Carter Stages Rally as a shakedown, with experienced co-driver Rashid Philipps once again alongside him, before returning to contest Sol RB18 which takes place on June 1-3.
Entries close next week, but currently the Albatec-run Ford Fiesta R5 takes the number of 4wd cars to 23 amid an 80-car line-up, with the number of overseas submissions currently running at 38. The Fiesta R5 is an early 2017 version, previously owned by Belgian Pieter-Jan Maeyaert, who drove it to victory in last July’s Motul TBR Rallysprint in his home country.
Barbadian Philipps has claimed three overall Rally Barbados finishes, with three different drivers, with his best overall finish in 2009 sitting alongside David Brewster in his Peugeot 205GTi when they finished 38th.
Full details of the event can be found at the official website: www.rallybarbados.net
Andy Scott, Driver, Albatec Racing:
“I’m very excited about returning to compete on Rally Barbados. I was determined to return after enjoying such a great event in 2017. This has only been made possible by the support of friends and family both at home and in Barbados, so I’m delighted we’ve been able to make it happen. Although a technical issue meant we crashed out on the penultimate stage, we were running third in class up to that point and were on target to come away with a decent result.
“The country, the culture, and the people are amazing. Last year the locals rallied round to help us get back out after we had a battery problem, and somebody took one off their own car to help us out. That really stuck with me since then and now we return with a car in which I very much hope we can produce a solid result. Rashid did a great job last year, and will be alongside me for this weekend, he has a lot of local knowledge which I’m sure will help us again.
“The biggest challenge last year was the heat, and the rough, bumpy roads under the trees, the adverse camber, plus the night stages which were tricky. But it was a good experience, very much a learning exercise, so this year we will be looking to put that experience to good use and hopefully get to the finish in one piece.”
Images: ©Himal Reece
