Rally Trinidad 2011 is hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Rally Club (TTRC) which is the National Sporting Organization (NSO) for Rallying in Trinidad and Tobago. It is the signature event of the 7-event Championship series that is run every year. Rally Trinidad is a very competitive high speed all gravel stages* rally that features the top rally drivers from the Caribbean region competing against teams from Trinidad and Tobago.

Rally Trinidad is a 3-day Event that kicks off on Thursday March 31 with the Scrutineering session at Movietowne Port of Spain. Scrutineering is the first chance for the public to come and see all the cars and meet the teams as the event is free and open to all members of the public. The Rally begins competitively however at the Hasely Crawford Stadium where the cars will be competing on a short course on the outskirts of the Stadium in the same manner as the event held back in 2008. There will be a short Opening Ceremony at the Stadium to officially start the Rally as well. This event is also open to all members of the Public, no advance tickets will be required. On Saturday April 2, the real action begins in the South where the teams hit the grave for the first time. The Rally takes the teams through 115km of gravel terrain on 2 competitive stages in the Cedar Hill and Borde Narve areas (see www.rallytrinidad.com for overhead maps). On Sunday April 3rd, the Rally covers 40km consisting of 2 shorter versions of Saturday’s courses, followed in the afternoon by the Street Special in Saith Park Chaguanas and the Prize Giving. The fastest of 2 official timed runs in Saith Park Chaguanas will be used to determine the winner of the Mayor’s Cup.

Official Itinerary
Thursday March 31 – Scrutineering – Movietowne POS Carpark – 2pm to 7pm
Friday April 1 – Opening Ceremony – Hasely Crawford Stadium – 5pm to 10pm
Saturday April 2 – Competitive Stages – Southern region – 8am to 5pm
Sunday April 3 – Competitive Stages – Southern region – 8am to 2pm
Sunday April 3 – Mayor’s Cup – Saith Park Chaguanas – 3pm to 7pm

The Stages (competitive courses)
Rally Trinidad will be mainly contested over 150km of gravel surface roads where the winner is the team with the shortest accumulated elapsed time. There will be 18 stages in total, taking teams to either side of Cipero Road, Manahambre Road and the Ring Road around the Cedar Hill and Borde Narve areas in South Trinidad. The stages offer a great mix of technical driving and all out speed and provide a great test of driver and endurance of the cars. Trinidad is home to many great natural resources and we are proud to say that quality rally stages are no different.

There are a number of spectator points that can be easily accessed throughout the weekend and these can be viewed at www.rallytrinidad.com by following the links to the stages. Admission is free of charge and spectators are advised to walk with their food, drinks and umbrellas, and we kindly ask that all persons leave the area as clean as they have found it.

The Competitors
The Entry list comprises the best of Trinidad and Tobago along with some of the top names in the Caribbean Region. Coming here for the first time for the Rally in its present format is Jamaican trio Gary Gregg, Jeffrey Panton, and Bobby Marshall. Both Gregg and Panton are multiple winners of Rally Jamaica and Gregg won Rally Barbados in 2004. Marshall is Jamaica’s top 2WD driver who won his class in the 2010 TTRC Championship Season. From Barbados we have Sean Gill competing in a newly built Suzuki SX4 which recently placed 2nd in Rally Jamaica 2010 to Gregg. Gill has won the 2WD category outright in the region for a number of years. The foreigners will be up against the likes of John Powell – 2010 winner of Rally Trinidad, and a number of other top local drivers. The final list is at 33 teams and is one of the most competitive ever for any local Rally.

To Thank
The TTRC wishes to thank everyone for helping to make this event possible including the marshals who ensure the safety of the event, the sponsors – Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, STAG, NP Ultra, Tropical Power Limited, Dasani, Illuminat, EMBDC, Royal Hotel, Movietowne, SeaFreight, members of the Protective Services, and the Chaguanas Borough Corporation. Thanks also goes out to all the volunteers and persons who without their hard work and dedication we would not be able to have a successful event.