User:Barbadosgirl

Sol Rally Barbados
Every year, during the month of June, one of the biggest events in Barbados takes place, SOL Rally Barbados. This event is like no other, streets are shut down, and people plan their entire year around it. From all over the world, men and women, not only ship, but fly in their cars, and families to the small island to join in this spectacular event. SOL Rally Barbados gets bigger and more exciting every year. Broadcasting from ESPN, reaching 120 million homes, 450 thousand canadian dollars are spent on this one event each year, and takes place over the short period of two weekends. The first weekend consists of getting the cars and the drivers ready. Both the cars and their drivers must go through a process of making sure everything is okay with each and every car, this is called scruitenering. This is where things such as weighing the cars and putting the cars into different “classes” happens depending on the size of the engine and how fast the car goes. That same weekend the first event takes place, ‘King of the Hill.’ This is a speed event that takes place during the day into night that indicates the start to Rally Barbados each year. The excitement kicks into gear. After the weekend passes, a week of relaxing begins and this is what the foreign drivers enjoy the most, going to the beach, attending a fish fry at the garage in which the cars are held and playing a friendly cricket match on the beach between the local drivers and the foreign drivers. As the week comes to an end the drivers get ready to get behind the wheel once again and the spectators rightfully take their place, once again crowding the roads. After setting up tents, packing coolers, cooking food, parking trucks and mixing a drink to start off the day at 7:00 in the morning, the sound of an engine reaving up is heard and the 20 thousand spectators all stop for one reason. The cars. That Saturday and Sunday are when the biggest events take place. Between the music and the smell of great food and burning rubber in the air, mixed in with a few rums, Rally Barbados as always, not only grows to become more and more of a success, it continues to brings everyone together. After two weekends of hard work and fun, the prize giving takes place at a local bar called “The Boatyard.” Prizes are given out and results are revealed but thats just a minor detail because as the night goes on, everyone together, reminisces over the two weeks that just passed by. At the end of the night, tears are shed as people leave one by one as this event not only brings great drivers into the country but brings great great people together and builds friendships. Waiting for what feels like an eternity to come around again, Rally Barbados never lets down; never disappoints. Until next year, when we do this all over again; Rally Barbados.