18/07/2025
Martinique :::
Rally2 Championship cars set sail for Martinique
The Barbados Rally2 Championship goes regional for the first time this month, round five being fought out at the Martinique Rallye Tour (July 24-27). With the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) competition inscribed on the National Calendar of the world governing body, the FIA, for the first time this year, hopes are high that it will help develop closer ties in the regional motor sport family.
After Martinique’s Simon Jean-Joseph and W***y Nallamoutou Sancho competed in BCIC RB25, followed south by a large number of fans from the French island, Jean-Joseph said: “Rallying there is not just sport. What I have seen confirms a strong conviction: sports-tourism is a powerful lever for development." Four times a winner in Martinique, Jean-Joseph heads the 43-car entry this year in the Porsche 911 GT3 he drove in Barbados and subsequently piloted to victory in Guadeloupe last month.
The cars of Jamaican Jeff Panton, Britain’s Rob Swann – currently second and third in the Rally2 standings – and Paul Horton of the Turks & Caicos Rally Team left the Bridgetown Port yesterday (Wednesday) on the ferry MV Spirit for the seven-hour voyage north. Entries from French drivers Gregory Buchholzer (Citroen C3 Rally2) and Rodrigue Theodore (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) will bring to 19 the number of cars to have competed in the BMF Championship this season.
BMF Vice-President–Sport and Rally2 Championship Manager David Williams said: “It has always been our intention to increase its scope and therefore increase the challenge to our competitors, also to foster greater links between competitors in the islands and help grow the fan base in the region.”
While the Rally2 contingent is smaller than hoped for after a punishing BCIC RB25 and clashing commitments, Barbados is well-represented with 11 cars, just over a quarter of the entry. Seven compete for BimmaCup Caribbean points, while former BimmaCup driver Natya Soodeen returns for a third visit, the first in her Peugeot 208 R2.
First run in 2016, MRT is the largest annual motor sport event in the French island, which is 230 kilometres north-west of Barbados; this year’s is the seventh, three lost to the pandemic. After an untimed Friday night Super Special on the streets of the capital Fort-de-France, the event moves roughly 25kms north to the district of La Trinite for 10 stages on Saturday, six on Sunday, for a total competitive distance of around 150kms.
Panton, who won the Barbados Rally2 title in 2023, has only missed two editions, finishing second three times, then third last year behind Jean-Joseph and Steeven Orosemane (C3 Rally2) on his second visit with regular co-driver Mike Fennell Jnr in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo.
Now driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2, Panton is upbeat: “It’s an amazing event and we are excited to be returning once again! Now that we have a better understanding of the stages and tyre compounds, we hope to improve on our last two results.”
Swann has competed for the past two years, finishing third in 2023 in his Fabia R5 with local co-driver Ludovic Kancel, then fifth last year in his Fabia Rally2 evo with Welshman Patrick Walsh, who returns with him this month.
Swann says: “I’m looking forward to MRT. I have Patrick with me again and we’re in the same car, so that will be good. I understand the stages are similar to last year, so our preparation should be easier, as we already have our pace notes. I love the stages there and the organisers are so welcoming that it’s a very enjoyable rally.”
Horton competes for a second time in his Citroen, having finished fourth in 2023 with Matt Edwards; as he is not available this year, fellow Welshman Dale Bowen will co-drive: “I am really excited with a new partner for this one. They are great roads and good long stages, very complex roads with lots of corners so the key is to get into a rhythm, but most of all enjoy the car and stages.”
