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1997 Texaco International Stages Rally in Barbados:

Photo by Sean Chandler

Jim: This shows one of the better stage surfaces in the rally. The asphalt here is very smooth and predictable. Not a whole lot of things to hit at this particular corner, but trying to go quick on asphalt means a smooth, clean line. I was trying to drive this tight corner using a late apexing line, the Michelin Pilot MXXX3's were gripping well. You can see that without a front sway bar (because of the gravel stages in the US) we got a lot of body roll which didn't help things.

Photo by Sean Chandler

Jim: This is what most of the stage roads looked like. Because these road were used daily to transport harvested sugar cane, I had to keep a sharp eye out for cane debris and oil on the roadway. You can also see some of the dangers if an off course excursion had occurred!

Photo by Sean Chandler

Jim: The majority of the stages were in the daytime. The spectators shown here aren't standing in a very smart place . . . on the outside of an uphill, hairpin right that we are coming out of now. The photographer was in a sea of people watching from a much safer vantage point.

Photo by Chris Ford

Photo by Chris Ford

Jim: These two shots are from the first special stage which was set up in the parking lot of the National Gymnasium in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. This stage was just for the spectators and didn't count officially, but we tried to put on as good a show as a front wheel drive car can.

Photo by Chris Ford

Jim: This stage was run 4 times and was always very dirty due to road construction. You can see the start behind the car at the top of the hill. The thing I remember most about this stage was the wicked down hill, off camber hairpin under a tree canopy with sand similar to what you see here. Rock walls on one side and several trees on the other only added to the fun.

Photo by Chris Ford

Jim: Here you can see some of the cane fields that had recently been harvested. Other parts of the course went through unharvested fields. The sugar cane was about 6 feet tall making it difficult to see very far down the road at times. I remember thinking that sugar cane would probably make expensive noises if it hit my car!