Friday 2nd May 2003

Barbados Bound

Not your typical rally car!

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After competing in the 2002 Carnival in their modified Westfield, Graeme Finlayson and his team are now returning with their new car to contest this years event .

The 2003 Barbados Rally Carnival promises to be the biggest yet with the entire foreign entry selling out within hours. A full range of WRC, Group A and historic rally cars left the Portsmouth docks on Monday destined for the Caribbean island to contest the region’s premier motorsport event.

Comprising the Sunbeach RallySprint and the newly renamed Rally Barbados International All-Stage Rally, the Barbados Rally Carnival takes place over a fortnight during early June on the islands smooth tarmac roads. Attracting immense crowds, international media interest and drivers the world over it gives the gifted local rally stars the opportunity to showcase their talents in an international forum.

Fluke Motorsport have released a new car, the Fluke WR1C, built
specifically for the Carnival. The car is based on a highly modified
Westfield SEi chassis, into which an R1 engine has been installed. Clothed inside and out in carbon-fibre and made up entirely of alloy, carbon or titanium the car weighs in at a featherweight 400kg. Custom suspension, brake systems and instrumentation complete the rally spec package.

Graeme Finlayson “We’re very pleased with the WR1C, every
component has been spec’d and designed just for the event. We learnt a lot last year and the new car reflects this. The initial shakedown testing was very encouraging, the car seems very quick and rides the bumps and jumps well!  It’s the perfect platform from which to really take the fight to the locals who have - so far - dominated the event.”

With the competition kicking off on the 31st May this years event promises to be spectacular.

We should have regular updates from the team on their progress.

Links: Shakedown Video, Car Spec, www.fluke-motorsport.co.uk, www.BarbadosRallyCarnival.com,

[ChrisD]

400kg...? Now that should be a unsprung/sprung-masses relation to actually worry about... Wonder if they got a chiropractor waiting for the driver after each checkpoint.

[gee_fin]

We've got one, I think she's in this crowd somewhere -





No, seriously though, the car is sprung perfectly - it really rides the ripples well, which shouldn't be an issue as the Bajan roads are generally smoother than you see over here anyway

Graeme.

[thepeoplespal]

Looks like a tasty bit of kit.

I take it that the cost of using carbon fibre has gone down a lot compared to the early 1980's. My father was involved in making parts for an aeroplane, but the multi £million project "never got off the ground". :-)

[sneakybastard]

Smooth tarmac roads, must have missed that bit while on my hols last year, they've got pot holes like the bloody grand canyon

[anonymous-user]

are you still "young, dumb and full of rum" ?!
good luck, hope it lasts a bit longer this year (the rally not the drunken debauchery!)