fp Turks and Caicos

Two cars from the Turks and Caicos Motoring Club are heading to Barbados to compete in three race events starting May 6, including the prestigious Sol Rally Barbados on June 9-10.

A highly modified Lotus will be driven by TCI residents Stan Hartling and Andy Proudfoot, and Paul Horton will be running his beautifully prepared vintage Ford Escort.

All cars proudly display the Turks and Caicos Motoring Club name and have been featured several times on international motorsport TV programs, Hartling said.

After running the Barbados events, the Lotus will return to Toronto for final preparation to run another seven-day endurance race.

The Lotus has represented the TCI for two years in a seven-day endurance race in Canada, finishing second in the Targa modern division against some heavy competition in 2010. The car was in the same position in 2011 until a broken axle on day four caused it to fall back.

The car has been highly modified to run open road, full race rally stages. In addition to a custom race computer that allows the car to run off 85-percent alcohol race fuel and be tuned remotely by computer, the car has had a super charger, custom race gear box, limited slip differential, special racing brakes, skid plates, high flow ceramic headers and exhaust and numerous other special upgrades.

The TCI club was formed about four years ago and has about six members. Hartling said the group has concentrated on competing abroad representing TCI to learn as much as possible from other organizations, especially in the Caribbean. Barbados and Jamaica have well established clubs that have been holding competitions for decades, and the sport is an economic stimulus for those islands.

“The hope is long term that there will be organized motorsports events here on the island,” Hartling said. “With the arrival of companies like Automotive Arts who are big supporters of motorsport events in Barbados, hopefully we will see the awareness continue to grow.”

Photo: Andy Proudfoot (left) and Stan Hartling will be driving this highly modified Lotus in upcoming races in Barbados and Canada.