The 2026 Barbados Rally2 Championship is bracing for a dramatic shake-up of its standings this Saturday, as the fifth round of the Barbados Motoring Federation Championship kicks off without five of the current top 10 drivers. The most high-profile absence comes in the form of series leader and 2022 title holder Stuart Maloney, who is stepping away from his usual driving seat to take on co-driving duties for his brother Mark at the iconic Sun & Stars Rally, launching on September 12.
Heading into this weekend’s blue-riband event, the championship battle is already unusually competitive. Three different drivers have claimed victories across the opening four rounds, and an additional three racers have notched podium finishes, leaving the title fight wide open for contenders to seize momentum. The gap at the top is razor-thin: only 30 points separate current leader Stuart Maloney from his brother Mark, who sits in sixth place, meaning a strong showing this weekend could completely rearrange the overall standings.
The potential for disruption does not end with the Maloney brothers. Third-placed Jamaican driver Kyle Gregg and fifth-placed Jeff Panton, a four-time winner of the Sun & Stars Rally, are also absent from the entry list, opening even more opportunities for lower-ranked competitors to climb the table. Currently sitting second and fourth in the overall standings are 2024 champion Josh Read and Adam Mallalieu, the youngest driver on the 2026 grid. Read already claimed victory at this season’s opening round at BRC Shakedown Stages, while Mallalieu is chasing his first ever Rally2 Championship win after taking second place behind Stuart Maloney at the First Citizens King of the Hill event earlier this year.
This year’s Sun & Stars Rally, hosted as part of the MCBI championship, will see competitors cover 12 stages spanning 62 kilometres across the parishes of St John and St George. The on-track action is scheduled to get underway at 1:55 p.m., starting with the first of three runs along the 4.3-kilometre Society-to-Pool stage, which will alternate with three passes over the 6.1-kilometre Malvern-to-Sweet Vale route. Following a dinner break at the Service Park located at The Lodge School, crews will complete the remaining stages in reverse order. The first Sweet Vale-to-Malvern run is set for 6:30 p.m., with the final Pool-to-Society stage expected to wrap up by approximately 10 p.m.
MCBI President David Williams shared insights into the lead-up to the event, noting that the cancellation of the 2025 Sun & Stars Rally dealt a significant blow to all involved. “Losing last year’s Sun & Stars was a big blow, not only in financial terms, but also for our competitors and volunteers. A lot of work goes into the planning of these events and it is disappointing for everyone when something out of our control means we can’t go forward,” Williams explained. Still, he expressed optimism about this year’s running, pointing to strong competitor interest as a positive sign. “It is encouraging to see such strong support from competitors again this year; with a couple of days before entries close, we are already in the mid-thirties — there are some close battles in the classes and just two double-header speed events to go after this, so the guys are keen to keep scoring points.”