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“Eye-opener” of a day for Ministers at MUIDSA
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The Bushy Park-based Massy United Insurance Driving Standards Academy (MUIDSA) showcased its programme of courses to Government Ministers, the Hon Dr William Duguid and the Hon Peter Phillips, during a visit by a team from the Ministry of Transport, Works & Maintenance earlier this month. Summing up the experience, Minister Phillips said: “First of all, let me say thanks to Massy for this opportunity for going through this course; it was certainly an eye-opener in a lot of areas. I have been a driver since 1987, but I have learnt a lot just in this four hours we’ve spent here today.”
MUIDSA Senior Instructor Michael ‘Mr B’ Brathwaite took the visitors through the Fleet Pro course, with a classroom session starting with the basics - correct positioning of the driver’s seat, where to place your hands on the wheel – followed by more specific background on the importance of wearing seatbelts, the dangers of driving while distracted and the value of planning a route before even getting into the car.
After that, the Ministers did get into the car, driving the MUIDSA Suzuki Celerio in ‘The Quarry’, where they were taken through some practical exercises to improve their driving skills. Minister Phillips added: “As I look at what is happening in Barbados today, in relation to our Public Service Vehicle drivers, I do think that this course would expose them to the kind of knowledge that they need in relation to how they conduct themselves on the road.
“What may seem to be basic things are very, very important in avoiding accidents, so I think it is a very good exercise. I learnt today about the two-second rule, which is very important in terms of the distance you drive between yourself and the vehicle in front, and a lot about defensive driving. I believe these are things that we can inculcate within the Ministry in order to improve road safety in Barbados.”
http://www.bushyparkbarbados.com/
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Zane Maloney transitions from karts to British F4
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Former Barbados Karting Association (BKA) Champion Zane Maloney opens the next chapter of his motor racing career at Brands Hatch in the South of England over the first weekend of April. He will line up with three-time Champion team Carlin for the first two of 20 races in the 2019 F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost; and he will do so with a spring in his step, having been fourth fastest and top Rookie in testing at the annual Media Day at the same circuit on March 14.
One of the largest motor sport teams outside Formula 1, with operations on both sides of the Atlantic, Carlin won the inaugural British F4 title in 2015 with Lando Norris, who finished 12th on his debut for McLaren as Britain’s youngest-ever F1 driver in last Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix. Carlin went on to win again in 2016 and 2017, totting up 36 wins and 98 podiums, before taken a sabbatical last year.
Fourth overall on combined lap timesa last Wednesday, 15-year-old Zane was less than three tenths behind the pace-setter and series returnee, Britain’s Josh Skelton; Mexican Sebastian Alvaraz and Australian Bart Horsten were also fractions ahead, but Zane was one-tenth up on his closest Rookie rival, Alex Connor. Of what faces him this year, he said: “It’s definitely a big transition, but if I keep doing what I’ve been doing and training a lot, going to the factory – everything I can possibly do to do well this season - then I’ll be at 100 per cent.”
He will be racing on the support programme at the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, which brings huge crowds to the country’s major venues, with live television coverage; he has also launched a series of video logs of his journey on social media – go to facebook.com/zanemaloneyracing to keep up with his progress.
https://www.facebook.com/zanemaloneyracing/
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Radical Caribbean training course a success
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At the end of February, Bushy Park hosted a three-day Training Course for Radical technicians from around the region to boost the technical capability of the teams that compete in the Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup, which will kick off at the Barbados facility on April 29. Radical’s Technical Development Manager, James Scott, flew in from the UK to conduct the course, assisted by one of Europe’s leading technicians, Rhys Terry.
Local technicians Romario Bennett, Richie Downie, Orry Hunte, Brett Judd and Nicholas Layne were joined by Colin Persaud from Guyana and Jamaica’s Horatio Browne, along with a quartet from Trinidad & Tobago, Jeremiah Abdul, Kristian Boodoosingh, Marvin Gay and Barry Gowandan. The training covered all aspects of preparation and race day running of the Suzuki-engined SR3, along with data training – laptops were much in evidence, being set up for future fine-tuning applications – and instruction in a complete Gear Drive Unit rebuild. On the final day, there were also live pit test sessions using two Radical SR3s.
Radical Caribbean Co-ordinator Kurt Seabra said: “As a growing number of competitors in the region are now running Radicals, it was important for us to grow the knowledge base down here, so that we are less reliant on bringing technicians in time after time. The course was a great success, with many favourable comments from the participants about the presentation and what they had learned.”
The start of the Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup, originally scheduled for this month, was delayed after the Trinidad & Tobago Automobile Sports Association (TTASA) was unable to complete its new arrangements at the Wallerfield Raceway in time. There will now be four rounds, the first three organised by Bushy Park Motorsports Inc (BPMSI) and the final by the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC); the dates are April 29, June 10, August 31/September 1 – all at Bushy Park – and November 16/17 at South Dakota in Guyana.
http://www.bushyparkbarbados.com/
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Mallalieu wins Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy
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Adam Mallalieu was crowned Champion of the inaugural Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT) after the final double-header at Bushy Park on March 2/3. The 14-year-old Harrison College student claimed four more victories to bring his total of wins to 10 in the 24-race series, which was supported by the FIA’s Sport Grant Programme and fought out by young karters from Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica.
At the Prizegiving, Mallalieu said: “So far, this is my biggest achievement. I never really knew for sure that I would win it, so I just took every race one step at a time and made sure I did well.” He has won a fully-paid entry and X30 Junior kart for one Sunshine State Karting Challenge (SSKC) weekend in Florida, valued at more than US$3,000.
His closest challenger throughout the series had been 12-year-old Calem Maloney, who started the weekend just two points adrift and won Race 1 on the Saturday; a racing incident in the next event resulted in him missing Race 3, a zero score which effectively ended his title bid, despite winning nine CJKAT races. He said: “I was thrilled to have taken part in the first-ever Caribbean karting championship and want to thank the organisers, officials, marshals and all who gave their time.”
Mallalieu scored 451 points to Maloney’s 385.5. Jamaica’s Tommi Gore enjoyed his most successful weekend, two more race wins bringing his total to four, including the Final on Sunday, when he was the day’s top points-scorer; he finished fourth (319), between compatriots Ryan Chisholm (325), and Zander Williams (248). Barbados girl racer Kayleigh Catwell became the fourth CJKAT race-winner in her strongest weekend of the series, climbing from eighth to sixth in the final standings with 207 points, while Rayden Persaud remained top of Guyana’s karters, finishing eighth on 187.
https://cjkat.com/
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Our monthly update on other goings-on behind the scenes at Bushy Park Barbados:
• the Barbados Association of Dragsters & Drifters (BADD) will be starting its season later than planned, after round one of its re-named Full Throttle series of events on March 3 was cancelled due to lack of entries. Drivers will now be hitting the drag strip on Sunday May 5, after the Barbados Karting Association’s (BKA) second race meet earlier in the day . . .
• the recent confirmation in the media of wholesale changes to the annual Cropover Festival included the news that Soca Royale, which has been staged at Bushy Park for nearly a decade, has been replaced by a new Soca Monarch competition at the National Botanical Gardens, Waterford. The set-up and break-down time for Soca Royale has occupied many summer weeks in recent years and the move will allow more flexible use of the facility for Driving Experiences and additional testing throughout July . . .
• don’t forget that you can advertise your brand or company at Bushy Park Barbados. We have available high-quality 2.5ft x 13ft heavy vinyl banners, designed to withstand the elements. Enjoy fantastic exposure and advertising value for just Bs$1,000.00 & VAT for a whole year. Simply provide your artwork and BPCI will create and install your banners on selected trackside safety barriers. Contact us on 537 1360 to learn how you can benefit from maximum exposure at Bushy Park Barbados . . .
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March 30 – BRC Autocross Championship, round 2
April 14 – BKA Championship, round 1
April 14 – BPCI Open Track Day
April 28 – RepYaRide
April 29 – Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup, round 1
May 5 - BKA Kart Championship, round 2
May 5 - BADD Full Throttle, round 2
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