There is always a Kerry connection: Look who is Barbados bound…

Mick Smith is taking his Hillman Imp to Barbados.

Sol Rally Barbados (June 9-11) is a tarmac rally, with around 20 special stages run on the island’s intricate network of public roads, under road closure orders granted by the Ministry of Transport, Works & Water Resources,

The First Citizens King of the Hill ‘shakedown’ (June 4), runs under a similar arrangement and features four timed runs on a roughly four-kilometre stage, the results of which are used to seed the running order for Sol RB23.

The London-based Killarney will contest both events for the first time.

His car left Southampton docks on Monday of this week on a cargo ship bound for Bridgetown.

Spares and tools are stowed in the rally car ahead of its voyage.

“Believe it or not I got all wheels and few spares in to the car – amazing,” said the chairman of London Irish Motor Club.

Smith and fellow London Irish member Ian Barclay share a garage west of London.

“For my new adventure I have Young 21-year-old Cameron Barclay sitting in with me, fresh from his uni exams’ He is  only finishing day before we travel. He did the event last year with his dad Ian and fell in love with the Island”

“Ian’s wife Sue is sitting in the Mitsubishi Lancer with him this year so Cam asked if he could sit in the Imp. I don’t know why!  Massive difference between EVO and an Imp driven by an old codger.”

“I totally consider it another adventure for me and [my wife] Jackie,”