A win for Neil Armstrong in the MML Sports-prepared Simpsons Motors Suzuki WRC on the Summer Nights tarmac sprint in Barbados recently has buoyed the company, as it prepares for a busy few weekends in September.
The Summer Nights tarmac sprint comprised four runs over a 3.3km asphalt course from Hangman's Hill on the Caribbean island to Lion Castle. However, the weather conspired to make each run different; practice was dry, the first competitive run completely wet, the second damp and the third and final run, almost dry.
It was Armstrong who got his tyre choice right, posting the fastest time on the last run, almost one second clear of Roger Skeete, with a winning time of 1m49.27s against Skeete's 1m50.41s.
The next event for the team will be the Rally of the Sun and Stars, over the weekend of 14th September, again running in Barbados. The closed road stage rally will be the last major event of the season and will see crews tackling three separate sections of road over the course of the day and night.
The following weekend, MML Sports will also be in action and spread across Europe; Bob de Jong will return to competition after a short break, tackling the Hellendoorn Rally in Holland at the wheel of his MML Sports-supplied and run Mitsubishi Lancer WRC. He finished fourth on the event in 2012 but a series of excellent performances, including event wins, so far in 2013 mean that he leads the Dutch championship and he will be looking to stand on the top step of the podium come the finish on Saturday 21 September to extend his lead even further.
MML Sports will also be present at RallyDay, at the Castle Combe race circuit in the UK. The event is renowned as the foremost rally show for fans, teams and drivers alike and MML Sports will have one of its Mitsubishi Lancer WRC cars giving demonstration runs, driven by former British Rally Champion, Guy Wilks. It will also have its Group N Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionX rally car on display for visiting rally fans to examine.
Commenting on the upcoming activity, MML Sports Managing Director John Easton said; "September is going to be a pretty busy month for us but hopefully, a successful one as well. We've started with a win for Neil on the Summer Nights tarmac sprint, which was a great way to begin. He made exactly the right tyre choice and kept his head in difficult conditions and we hope he will be able to take that forward to the Rally of the Sun and Stars next week.
"I am delighted to see Bob back in action this month as well. He has shown excellent speed and has been rewarded with event wins so far this year, so I'm sure he will be at the sharp end at Hellendoorn.
"I am also looking forward to supporting the organisers of RallyDay. We haven't been to the event for a couple of years, due to commitments with rallies but we are able to be there this year and I am very pleased to be able to be part of the event again and demonstrate the Lancer WRC."
