Barbados’ iconic motorsport community has received a major boost, with regional financial group First Citizens confirming it will return as title sponsor of the annual King of the Hill rally event for the fifth consecutive year. The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) made the official announcement Thursday, also sharing that the 2025 running of the event, scheduled for May 24, will mark the fourth time the competition has been hosted at the fan-favorite 4-kilometer Stewarts Hill stage, located on the island’s southeastern coast.
King of the Hill, first launched in 2008, serves a critical role in Barbados’ motorsport calendar: it sets the starting running order for Rally Barbados, the island’s premier annual rally competition held the following weekend. First Citizens has held the title sponsorship rights to the event since 2020, marking a multi-year commitment to growing Caribbean motorsport.
Beyond its home base of Trinidad and Tobago, First Citizens has built a widespread regional presence across the Eastern Caribbean, with operations in Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Costa Rica.
Event director Neil Barnard expressed enthusiasm for both the continued sponsorship and the return to the beloved Stewarts Hill venue. “It’s fantastic to have First Citizens back on board as we return to Stewarts Hill in St Philip,” Barnard said. “It’s a real fan favourite and seeing the cars coming down the Thicket straight to turn left up the hill is always spectacular.”
Claire Jordan, CEO of First Citizens, reaffirmed the financial group’s long-term commitment to the rally and its community impact. “Since we began this partnership, our goal has been simple: to help elevate this event into an experience that inspires both competitors and spectators alike,” Jordan explained. “Our shared vision is that King of the Hill continues to bring international exposure to Barbados’s vibrant motorsport community and supports economic opportunity for our people.”
The 2024 edition of the event saw Stuart Maloney claim the victory behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Rally2, making him the fourth distinct winner of the event since First Citizens took over title sponsorship in 2020.
King of the Hill has a rich 17-year history of venue changes across Barbados. The inaugural 2008 event was hosted at Turners Hall in St. Andrew, before the competition moved to its first stint at Stewarts Hill, then to Sailor Gully in St. Peter. From 2011 to 2018, the event found a semi-permanent home at Hangmans Hill in St. Thomas, with a one-off move to Luke Hill in St. Lucy in 2013. Following two additional years at Stewarts Hill, the 2021 event was canceled entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2022 and 2024, the event split its hosting between St. Thomas and a stage passing Society Plantation in St. John, before this year’s return to Stewarts Hill.