The Ins & Outs of Barbados 2022

43 Island Adventures Bushy Park A world-class motor sport facility might not be quite what you’d expect among the attractions Barbados has to offer but, if you head to the sparsely-populated south-eastern parish of St. Philip, that’s where you’ll find Bushy Park. Opened 50 years ago, hosting British saloon car legends like Gordon Spice and Barrie Williams in the 1970s, it was redeveloped and relaunched at the Top Gear Festival in 2014, the last live show before Clarkson, Hammond and May decamped to Amazon. While current stars, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton and American motor sport and social media icon Ken Block, have each appeared at Bushy Park more than once, the facility has also given young Barbadians their start in the sport through the Barbados Karting Association. Former champions Christian Hinds and Orry Hunte have both raced in the United States, in sports cars and single-seaters respectively, but it is the recent success of teenagers Zane Maloney and Kyffin Simpson on opposite sides of the Atlantic that has further projected Barbados onto the world stage. Both started their careers racing karts at Bushy Park. British F4 Champion in 2019, his debut season in cars, 18-year-old Zane claimed a famous victory on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit in Formula Regional European, helping R-ace GP to the 2021 Team’s title. Winning the FR Americas title has propelled 17-year- old Kyffin into Indy Lights for 2022, the final step before Indycar, while Zane will be heading for FIA F3 as he pursues his dream of a seat in Formula 1. And you can get a taste of racing, on Bushy Park’s specially-designed Karting Experience track, driving a Biz Evo3 kart, capable of around 50mph on the straights . . . although it will seem much faster, sitting just a few inches above the ground. Why not bring a group of family or friends and try the Grand Prix Karting Experience? With timed qualifying, then a 10-minute race, it’s seriously good fun! Or there’s Off-Road Karting and even the chance to drive a Radical SR3 sports racing car on the 2.01-kilometre International Circuit. Now, that really is an adventure! (246) 537-1360 (Mon-Fri) (246) 256-0114 (Weekends) https://bushyparkbarbados.com/driving-experiences info@bushyparkbarbados.com By Mark Wheeler Clockwise from the top left: Radical SR3 sports racing car, event at Bushy Park, Carting, Zane Maloney celebrating