Ryan Rahaman relishes underdog role

By Iva Wharton

For former Group Three `Top Dog’ Ryan Rahaman the roles are reversed going in to today’s Race of Champions motor race meet at the South Dakota Circuit but he would not have it any other way.

Previously, Rahamn was numero uno; the `King’ of Group Three; the man to beat etc. etc. Today, he is an underdog drive in the prestigious group G Four category, a group where

the likes of Mark Vieira and Kevin Jeffrey, tend to be among the race winners.
“I am not the man to beat as in the previous Group three when everybody was gunning for me. “Now I am the underdog but that is alright with me,” he added.

Rahaman said that this is his second year competing in the Group Four category. He had previously dominated Group Three.
He told Stabroek Sport that the mechanics including Barbadian Freddie Mapp were working on his vehicle but that he expected the car to be ready for today’s action.

“ We are working on the handling issue. That  is what we are trying to sort out and hoping that we have the package or are close to the package,” he said.

He added: “I don’t know how much time we have to do tuning of the suspension, because time is against us.”

The super bikes category will see regular competitor Kevin Graham of Canada throwing down the gauntlet to the locals led by Stephen `Valentino Rossi’ Vieira and including Joel  Neblette and Gregory Lopes. Graham will be aboard his Yamaha R6.
The meet gets underway at 9am.