Sport News

The Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) has saluted ‘Iron Man’ Mark-Anthony Hinkson for his performance last weekend (October 24-27) at the FIA Motorsport Games in Spain. In partnership with Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI) and supported by the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), the island was one of 82 countries affiliated to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) which fielded 646 competitors in the third edition of the Games.
  BMF Vice-President – Sport David Williams said: “Our second entry into ‘the Olympics of Motor Sport’ provided another great opportunity to enhance the island’s growing reputation on the world stage . . . but it was also a huge learning curve for Mark-Anthony. Both he and Team Manager Brian should be proud of the recognition they achieved for Barbados and our Motorsport Island.”
  More than 49,000 spectators attended the Games, in which gold, silver and bronze medals in the style of the Olympics were awarded in 26 categories spanning a broad spectrum of motor sport. Circuit Ricardo Tormo hosted circuit racing, slalom and drifting, while off-road and karting categories took place at the Aspar circuit and rallying at Valencia’s Western Mountain.
  The Esports competitions, supported by leading manufacturer of sim racing hardware Fanatec, were held at the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences, a complex of modernist buildings located close to Valencia’s historic port. Hinkson was one of only three drivers among the 117 participants to compete in both GT and F4 disciplines and was the only one of the trio to advance in at least one category. Brian Mandeville, Vice-Chairman of BMF affiliate club Caribbean Sim Motorsport (CSM) was Barbados Team Manager.
  The GT races were fought exclusively using the Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) virtual version of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, while all drivers in F4 used the standard iRacing FIA F4 car. With only limited experience of the two systems, especially ACC, Hinkson said: “I didn’t want to sell myself short as I am not a pro on either platform. But as a successful rally sim racer, I was eager to go up against the best in a completely different discipline of racing.”
  Despite battling some health issues on the first day, 23-year-old Hinkson progressed to the F4 semi-finals, earning nicknames like ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Two Chains’ from fans and competitors who admired his endurance and versatility: “It was humbling to have people cheering me on, with some even inviting me to race in their leagues back home.”
  Balancing a full-time job with his preparations for the Games, Hinkson had dedicated countless late nights to practice, often pushing into the early hours to reach the level of racers who had been training for months. He said: “I was inspired by the dedication of other competitors. One racer told me he’d trained 10 hours a day for eight months. Knowing I reached this level on only a few hours’ practice each night, I’m proud of what I achieved for Barbados.”
  The competition started last Thursday after a spectacular Wednesday evening Opening Ceremony. Hinkson takes up the story: “Day 1 practice and qualifying were challenging on both platforms as I adjusted to the new hardware and pushed through the illness. In the first GT race, I started from P16, worked my way up to P12, and found my rhythm, until a hit from behind dropped me to 18th. I fought my way back to finish 12th, with a personal highlight being my defence against the defending gold medallist nation, the United Kingdom. Although I didn’t advance past the last-chance race, the experience was invaluable.
  “F4 brought greater success. I advanced smoothly through the quarter-finals, securing my spot in the semi-finals without needing a last-chance race. In the semi-final, I lost ground while avoiding an incident with the leaders, but I was pleased with my pace and performance in such a competitive field.”
  “I’m incredibly grateful to the BMF, BTMI and Caribbean Sim Motorsport for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t thank my manager, Brian, enough for his support and guidance. The overwhelming support from back home was unexpected, and I hope to compete again, determined to carry Barbados’ flag even higher on the world stage.”

For media information only. No regulatory value.

For further information:
contact BMF Vice-President - Sport, David Williams - e-mail: vicepresident@bmf-fia.com
web site: https://bmf-fia.com/