"Stockdale? Woah! Dat de wron' name… de boy be Mad-dale!" uttered from inside the XXL t-shirt. It was Saturday 25th May, Turners Hall; eighth of 33 stages of the 13th Texaco Havoline International Stage Rally. Screaming its sweet straight-six symphony, the white E36 BMW flowed through a nice balance of sideways and forward motion as Nottinghamshire's Martin Stockdale modulated his right foot between fully planted and just-about fully planted. Our XXL friend was spot-on.

Stockdale and co-driver Anders Howard brought the Beemer to the first Barbados Rally Carnival last year to learn and have rallying fun in the sun. This year they were serious; in the way time-served rallymen know how. They were there for fun too… in the time-served way rallymen know how!

Courtesy of Rally GB Assistant Clerk of the Course Lyn Jenkins' help, at just under 100 stage miles the rally was twice the length of last year, with 30s intervals between cars instead of one minute, triple stage usage, and many used the 'wrong way' for the first time.

Second event of the 15-day Carnival last year, the Sunbeach RallySprint at Vaucluse Raceway became the first for 2002, meaning overseas crews could slot recces in-between the week-long inter-event parties, cruises and beach bumming. On the multi-surfaced clay/'tarmac' Rallysprint track, Stockdale's BMW energised the crowd into jump-up punch-air appreciation with its emphasised sideways style. But when the chips were down, some circumspection and a little less sideways saw the Beemer victorious in both its RallySprint category heats and head-to-head final.

Last year Andy Elliott brought his 6R4 to the island, came 11th overall; this year Tim Ashton had properly prepared Andy's Manta 400 for the 2002 Texaco Rally. It was Andy's fourth rallying visit to the island, and the Manta's third. Invited out by Andrew Phillips, the sadly missed late Chairman of the Barbados Rally Club in1989, Elliott had driven the Opel to second overall on the rally that was to blossom into the Texaco a year later. In '94 Andy's Manta was fifth.

Running on Avgas this year for the first time [at US$5 per gallon!] Elliott revelled in the extra grunt the aviation fuel endowed the, already gruntful, Manta. First gear was too high for stunning stage starts, but when the Opel got rolling it was an awesome stage-side sight as it rocketed away from fast bends to some of the highest top speeds on the short stage straights. Andy's reward was seventh overall, one place behind Mr Mad-dale in the sideways BMW. First and second Brits: overall, and in class. Good show, considering.

"Shite! Men in skirts?!" blurted the Barbados Rally Club member as blokes in kilts arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport. Naturally melding into the atmosphere and craic of the Rally Carnival the Scottish contingent were immediately most welcome. It was the first time George Anderson had stepped outside the UK. Ever. He was there to drive West Pennine Motorsport's Group N Evo IV. A pertinent last minute deal with UB40 saw the team arrive bedecked in the pop group's logo. Wearing trousers.

The hairy knees were showing below the kilts of Kenny Hall's Halltune team. Kenny had brought over his Suzuki twink-powered Opel Corsa. In four-time Scottish class champ Kenny's hands, this three year-old ex-write-off rally car proved well-competitive, winning the class heats and final in the RallySprint, yet six seconds down on Andrew Jones' well-driven and rapid local Corsa in the handicap run-off. Sadly, 'Jonesie's' impressive progression up the handicap stakes was halted by a massive multiple end-over roll in his run against the Mad-dale BMW. The car was trashed; Andrew was slightly shaken but not stirred.

Then there was Graeme Finlayson's look-alike Westfield. Another story…

The big boys' toys
The seas between UK and these 166 square miles of coral reef had been peppered with rally cars going backwards and forwards; in containers, on boats. Much of the top hot local Bajan machinery was improved for this year's Carnival.

Paul 'Surfer' Bourne secured one of the first Impreza WRCs from Prodrive; a well-rebuilt example, Paul was getting the hang of it when setting third fastest time on the RallySprint. Sadly, he was never to see the finish of the first stage of the Texaco Rally. He'd backed off because the car was oversteering badly, but on a right-hander two or three corners from the finish the back kicked out, clipped the bank and the car multiple rolled, clipped a tree about 10 feet off the ground, landed on its nose and spun backwards, badly damaged. "I can't believe it really; I seem to have the most of the bad luck when it's going round for some reason," said Paul later, clasping firmly a bottle of his sponsor's product; the local Banks beer, as he spectated on the event.

Sponsored by Texaco, Roger 'The Sheriff' Skeete's win this year was his ninth of 13 Texaco Rallies. Skeete's Group A Escort Cossie won last year too, but this year it had been upgraded to WRC spec, except for the rear suspension which remained semi-trailing arm and not WRC MacPherson. Skeetie didn't contest the RallySprint, but you could sense the determined fashion at which he approached the rally.

With Bourne out early, Roger Hill's ex-Auriol Celica retiring after 15 stages and Mark Maloney's Nissan Sunny GTi-R out after 22, the final battle for the lead was between Skeete, Roger Mayers' ex-Pete Doughty Escort WRC and that man Trevor 'Electric Micey' Manning.

Micey is the quickest driver in Barbados; in any car. Refurbished for 2002, his Evo V is 260lb [118kg] lighter, now on the weight limit. It's still Group N-plus, so has a 'proper' four-wheel-drive system, but a 34mm inlet restrictor, and with Micey behind the wheel, devastatingly quick. He took nearly two seconds off his own record at Vaucluse Raceway, and led the rally, ahead of Skeete, when his left rear driveshaft failed at the start of the 29th stage. Driveshaft fixed, he'd no chance of catching Skeete with just three stages to go. You very rarely catch Micey not smiling; he's a happy chap and incredibly popular. Many a tear was shed when he retired.

And so, with Mayers' Escort WRC second; Barry Gale's third overall and Group N win in his Evo VI was a noteworthy performance.

There's a mega-deal for UK entries on next year's Carnival: entries, car shipment, flights and hotel for driver and co-driver, recce/service vehicle, and much more, all at half the price - just £1800 to you Guv. Interested? Details from Greg Cozier: +1 246 425 3311, email: greg@huzier.com.

Carbon Capers
Graeme Finlayson. A Brit. Yet a reluctant Brit after extending his stay in Barbados the maximum time possible after the 2002 Rally Carnival. A total petrolhead track day stalwart, Finlayson and his 'team' arrived in Barbados with the right attitude; and the 'carbon thing'; Finlayson's carbon-fibre/Kevlar tubbed Westfield look-alike, to go out to play in this year's Carnival.

Four of these carbon tubs were made before Westfield got iffy about them. Seems there are two left; Graeme's is currently twin-48 Cavalier 16v XE 2-litre motivated, via a light flywheel, Quaife sequential six-speed and lsd. The Finlayson plan was to have fun, drink rum, get sun, contest the RallySprint, have fun, drink rum, get sun, then run as zero car on the Texaco Rally; in no particular order…

A brave effort on the RallySprint was followed by zero car duty on the rally the following weekend. Graeme and co-driver George Martin had never contested a rally before, jacked the car up as much as possible and fitted a steel guard. It was to no avail: the engine began to separate from the gearbox and this zero car retired when an inlet trumpet bolt rattled out and wedged itself between the throttle butterfly and body. As Graeme noted at the time: "Close one. Thank heavens it didn't go through the engine."

Finlayson's plan is to fit a Hayabusa engine, a steel floorpan and run adjustable suspension: "Plus get some pace note practice. We'll take class S next year, take the most sideways trophy and hopefully I'll move out here permanently," he reckons.

Rum talking? Maybe.

The challenge is on.

Hotty and the slut puppy

After the 1999 Texaco Rally the rum shop lime [conversation] turned to the future. The short-lived Caribbean Rally Championship was dying; ideas were being thrown around. The rally carnival concept came naturally. Rum flowed; details became enticing, intoxicating and, er, increasingly fantastic. As ever.

But it wasn't long before Hotty and some mates did something about it. They designed and built Vaucluse Raceway's RallySprint track, registered the name Barbados Rally Carnival, and set about organising the inaugural 2001 Rally Carnival.

'Hotty' is Greg Cozier. Before the Carnival took up his waking hours Greg was the Barbados Rally Club's technical bod, responsible for establishing and policing the, specific to the island, yet FIA-based, tech rules to which competition cars must adhere.

Simon Gilmore does all that now, 'freeing' Hotty to sort RallySprint stuff - and prepare and drive his ex-Cosworth Escort.

Greg started in motorsport in 1984, his first car a '69 Peugeot 404. This mean machine sported spotlights nicked from his dad's Caterpillar D6, a sump guard from a 4ft furrow (also nicked) and tyres from a beach buggy.

Since then Greg has rallied a Mk1 Escort Mexico, Mk2 Escort RS2000, Citroen AXGT, Peugeot 106 Rallye, Ford Escort Cosworth, and his current Escort 2000RS 'slut-puppy'.

His Escort Cosworth began life as Matt Clark's Group N car, then became Ollie Clark's clubman Group A car. Hotty bought it from Ollie in 1998 with a Tarcal 'shell and lightweight chrome-moly roll cage, running on Bilstein suspension. Ollie had added some Terry Drury engine bits, a six-speed direct top R & D dog 'box, a ZF front lsd and a seven-and-a-half inch rear diff.

After three years of four-wheel-drive fun in the sun with the car, seriously quick cars had been developed in Barbados: Hotty's Cossie was now uncompetitive. A glance at the expense of running a pukka Group A or WRC Escort saw Greg searching for alternatives.

Now, the Barbados tech regs allow cars built to FIA-type Group A rules - without homologation. So Hotty checked out the Kit Car rules and worked out the best he could possibly do with the Escort based on these.

The Escort 2000RS 'slut puppy' was born.

Roy Millington built up a 2-litre normally aspirated 2-litre from a new Cosworth YB block and his own crank, rods, pistons, camshafts and inlet manifold using Jenvey throttle bodies. Tony Law created a custom exhaust manifold for the car and the R & D six-speed was converted to rear-wheel-drive.

While the engine loom is completely different and Proflex dampers with relevant springs replace the Bilsteins, the rest of the car remains the same as when it was Cossie, which is basically Group A. The power steering and rack all went back in the car - Roy Millington machined a different set of front engine pulleys so all the regular Cosworth power steering system and alternator could be used. As Hotty explains: "The installation was cake."

As a four-wheel-drive car the 1188kg Escort needed ballast to hit the 1230kg class minimum, but as a Millington rear-driver without intercooler, turbo and all-wheel-drive gear the weight fell to 1070kg without even trying; 70kg over class minimum. On 17 x 8in wheels a 4.6:1 diff ratio proved too high for Barbados; now the car runs a 5.1:1.

Having most of the bits already, the extra cost involved essentially went into the Millington engine, which, having to use the iron block and with a wet sump and no overbore was significantly less costly then one of Roy's big 2.4-litre alloy block grunters.

Building the car to the FIA Group A Kit Car regulations saved money.

But was it worth it? Hotty: "As a 2-litre car it is way, way, way faster. Like way quick - first stage on the Texaco Rally in 2001, Antonio ['Stones' da Silva, Cozier's co-driver] lost his place in the notes; that's how quick it was; having done the stage probably 10 times before. So it is pretty acid." Class win; 10th overall this year: OK?

Before this year's Sunbeach RallySprint CCC rode the slut puppy with Cozier round Vaucluse Raceway. The car provided supreme stable fun with absolutely no skeletons in its handling cupboard. And is not slow. Greg describes it best: "Now it's turned it in to a very competitive 2-litre car with all the advantages of the independent suspension and the stable body and all the dimensions of a Cosworth, but all the fun of a Mk2. It doesn't get real squirly like the live axe in a Mk2 does when it tries to put power down - it's not a nervous car; just as stable and easy to drive as a Cosworth.

"It's all on throttle response, being back-wheel-drive you're steering it on the throttle. That's easy - nothing crazy about it whatsoever; everything is totally stable, totally predictable; it's like a refined Mk2 Escort."

He's not at all wrong.

An inner left rear camber adjusting Rose joint failed during the 2001 Rally Carnival. The car went back to Roger Clark Motorsport in UK for a rebuild and stayed there awaiting a run at the final round of the Loctite RallySprint, which was cancelled. This meant Hotty couldn't use his car in Barbados for most of 2001…

No problem: "I used my Mk2 Escort [2-litre Pinto] - my other Escort… I'm a two-Escort man, like everybody should be."

Suzi Q
Suzuki wouldn't sell a works Super 1600 Ignis to its Bajan importer Simpson Motors. The solution was easy: commission Harry Hockly Motorsport to build one from scratch in the UK. The resulting machine differs from S1600 specification in its four open Jenvey throttle bodies with Mitsubishi injectors and its specific six-speed sequential Hewland gearbox. With brake disc diameters of 325mm front and 260mm rear, its Alcon brake specification also differs to the works' car's 355mm front, 278mm rear, Brembo set-up.

Starting with an ex-Suzuki GB 1.3-litre demonstrator, Hockly developed the bodyshell and T45 steel roll cage in-house. Just the cylinder block and head are standard Suzuki service parts. The engine was assembled by John Beattie using Omega pistons, Arrows conrods, Kent Cams camshafts and a Doug Kiddy crankshaft. The result in this 'Phase One' guise is 186bhp and 135lb.ft with an impressively flat curve.

Lead ballasted by 20kg to bring it to the minimum weight, the car is well balanced [front corner weights are within two pounds]. Adjustable Proflex dampers are combined with three front and rear anti-roll bar diameter options to tune the car to Caribbean rallying conditions.

All sufficient for Sean Gill to take the car to a debut class win on the RallySprint, then a convincing class victory and laudable ninth place overall against four-wheel-drive turbo opposition on the Texaco, its first ever rally.

A family affair
Barbados is a family island; a society where family is a very important thing. And boy, did this show in the Carnival: there were no less than 18 second-generation drivers in the events, and two third generation. One example of the latter were Trevor 'Electric Micey' Manning in the Evo V and his brother Wayne in his Pug 205, dad Roger was handy in his day, and the genetic strain of Manning driving talent started with grandfather Harry, who won the first-ever motor sport event in Barbados, a hillclimb in the 1930s.

The other third generation is Neil Bernard; his dad David is a stalwart of the Barbados Rally Club: his mum used to rally an Alfa-Romeo on the island, and her dad, Trevor Gale was one of the founder members of the Rally Club.

Richard Roett drove his Celica 4wd; son Cliff, his rear-drive Starlet. Peter 'Duct Tape' Thompson took his Proton Wira to fifth overall in the rally; his son Mark drove a 306, other son Kurt drove a Civic, while Neil watched.

Then there's St Elmo Cumberbatch in his Beemer and son Sammy in his Beemer-powered Mk1 Escort [yes really].

Adam Alleyne's rear-drive Starlet was co-driven by his bro Sean; their dad Chris was a co-driver in his day; Jesse and Cody Mark were in a rear-drive Starlet; the Warren brothers, Ian and Robert, rally together in their Starlet, and George Ullyett, a superb engineer with a car collection which includes an immaculate Lotus Cortina is the father of Geoff, big-time sideways crowd pleaser in his 2-litre Datsun 150Y.

Then there was Brett Clarke in his Suzuki Swift GTi, co-driven by dad Gary…

And finally, that Manning gene again; the super-sideways Mk2 Escort on the event was driven by Graham Manning, son of Brian, brother of Roger; Micey and Wayne's dad.