British crowd favourite Martin Stockdale is heading to the Barbados Rally Club’s (BRC) premier event for the 20th time this year, a record among overseas visitors, regional or international. When his BMW 1M Coupe leaves the Speightstown start of Sol Rally Barbados 2022 on Saturday, June 4, his total number of starts will also outstrip all but a handful of local drivers.But for the intervention of the coronavirus pandemic, Stockdale’s participation would have been in consecutive years, after he admits to having been “bitten by the Barbados bug”, along with his wife Glenis, whose contribution in recent years has been to organise an annual catamaran trip, which has served to introduce many a first-timer into the spirit of Bajan rallying.“We’re really looking forward to going back to Barbados having missed the last two years. We’re ready for some great motor sport and ‘liquid sunshine’. This will be our 20th Rally Barbados and my, how its changed over the years. I never imagined it would turn into such a regular, must-do event. It was then, and still is, a fantastic celebration of motor sport, and in a beautiful location. What more could you ask for?“I remember the first time. As the plane approached the airport and literally splashed down onto the tarmac in pouring rain, I thought ‘where’s the sunshine we were promised?’. Then we got into a taxi and headed towards Bridgetown on a road that resembled a special stage in Clipstone Forest. We were soon bitten by the Barbados bug, the beautiful beaches, the kindness and support of the locals and some fiercely competitive motor sport. Brilliant. Over the years things have got even better,” Stockdale said.