Barbadian rally driver Josh Read has expressed heartfelt gratitude to his network of sponsors, team members, and loyal supporters following his historic second Barbados Rally2 Championship victory, marking back-to-back titles after his first triumph in 2024. The championship outcome was decided in a high-stakes final round held on November 1, where a field of former title holders battled head-to-head for the top spot. Though Read crossed the finish line of the final event two seconds behind rival Stuart Maloney, his consistent strong performance across the full six-round season secured him a 14-point lead in the overall standings to lock in the crown. In post-championship remarks, Read reflected on the key adjustments that fueled his successful campaign, noting that a dramatic overhaul of his vehicle’s suspension settings earlier in the season immediately boosted his confidence to push the car to its performance limits. The driver shared that he had not entered the 2025 season with a pre-set goal of defending his title, instead adopting a race-by-race strategy focused on optimizing every possible detail to extract the best possible result from each competition. He also praised the high caliber of competitors in the Rally2 class, highlighting that the deep pool of experienced, talented drivers on the grid constantly pushed him to elevate his own driving skills. Beyond celebrating his personal win, Read emphasized his excitement about the ongoing growth of the Rally2 category, voicing optimism that participation levels will continue to rise to ensure every future event draws a field of 10 or more competitive cars. The season’s final standings also featured a standout performance from 22-year-old Adam Mallalieu, the youngest driver in the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) championship, who claimed the third overall spot after narrowly fending off two-time champion Jeff Panton of Jamaica and Barbados’ Kyle Gregg. The full final points tally after six rounds lists Read in first place with 128 points driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2, followed by Stuart Maloney in second with 114 points in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, Mallalieu in third with 88 points, Panton in fourth with 86, Gregg in fifth with 83, Mark Maloney in sixth with 81, Mark Thompson in seventh with 76, Roger Hill in eighth with 71, David Husbands in ninth with 48, Wayne Archer in tenth with 36, Jamaica’s Tarik Minott in 11th with 34, the USA’s George Sherman in 12th with 30, England’s Rob Swann in 13th with 26, Brian Gill in 14th with 16, and Derek Edwards in 15th with 5 points.