National Circuit plays host to Bushy Park racing return

The first Race Meet at Bushy Park Barbados since the start of the coronavirus pandemic five months ago will run on the National Circuit on Sunday, August 30, organised by Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI). With a sub 40-second lap record and the northern start-line in front of the Clubhouse in use, the traditional 1.28-kilometre layout promotes close racing, so fans are promised a thrilling day’s sport.

The opening round of the Radical Caribbean Cup (RCC) on the International Circuit on Sunday, March 15, was the last motor sport event to run before the island’s Government imposed Lockdown and the only Race Meet at the St Philip facility so far this year. Since Lockdown, motor sport has steadily opened up, with the Barbados Rally Club’s grass roots Autocross Championship already hosted at Bushy Park.

Although the raceday timetable is still a work in progress, the BPMSI Race Meet is expected to include races for the Suzuki-powered Radical SR3s, along with the regular saloon car Groups and an opportunity for Track Day cars to participate. RCC Championship co-ordinator Kurt Seabra said: “With Covid-19 travel protocols still in place, we have confirmed that our regular competitors from Trinidad & Tobago definitely cannot make the event. If the Radicals do run at the end of the month, it will not be considered a round of the championship.”

Covid-19 safety protocols will be in place throughout the facility, with competitors based in the Pits area to the south and spectators in the clubhouse to the north. BPCI Operations Manager Amy Willis said: “We are really looking forward to our first Race Meet in many months. There are strict protocols in place to ensure the safest environment for our staff and visitors, as we continue to follow Government guidelines – just click on the link at the top of the home page on our relaunched web site for more information. We would advise people to read these before they visit.”

The 1.28km/0.79-mile National Circuit has only been used once for a BPMSI Race Meet, the Night Races in July 2018, but the link that was added to create the shorter layout a few weeks before has often been used by the Barbados Karting Association (BKA), which offers its competitors multiple layouts for racing. Mark Maloney holds the lap record in his Radical SR3, with a time of 39.059s recorded during the second round of the 2018 RCC on that day.