in MML Sports-run Suzuki WRC

Local hero Neil Armstrong won this weekend's Rally of the Sun and Stars in Barbados at the wheel of the MML Sports-developed and run Simpsons Motors Suzuki SX4 World Rally Car.The event comprised 12 stages run on four loops of three and Armstrong, co-driven by Barry Ward reached the end of the event, around midnight, as clear winners.Hot off the back of winning the Summer Nights tarmac sprint event three weeks ago, Neil and the Simpsons Motors team were in good spirits heading for the Sun and Stars event, the last stage rally in the 2013 Barbados series.Armstrong and Ward enjoyed an event-long battle with Roger Skeete in his 2012 Subaru Impreza WRC, with the crews trading times throughout the rally. There was a slight hiccup when a timing issue on two of the stages meant a protracted period for provisional results being declared official but as soon as they were, Armstrong and Ward were confirmed as event winners, by more than five seconds from Skeete.Commenting, MML Sports Managing Director, John Easton, said; "I am delighted that Neil and Barry were able to win the Rally of the Sun and Stars for the Simpsons Motors team. Neil has been gaining experience with every mile in the car this year and he has clearly got a perfect understanding of how to get the best from it now."I think the closeness of the result between Neil and Roger shows how well he has adapted to four wheel-drive and how well suited to the tight and twisty Barbados stages the Suzuki WRC is. I am also very pleased with the reliability of the car, which ran faultlessly for the duration of the rally."The next events for MML Sports will be this coming weekend - Saturday 21 September - as the team will be supporting Bob de Jong on the Hellendoorn Rally in Holland and appearing at Rallyday in the UK.