Guyana’s hopes of winning the Caribbean motor racing championships for the first time since 2010 suffered a blow yesterday when three members of the nine member team were forced to pull out of the Jamaica leg of the championships set for May 26.
Initially a nine-member team of local speedsters was named to compete in the first leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) in Jamaica on May 26 but the withdrawal of Group 4 driver, Paul Vieira, Group 2’s Chet Singh and Rameez Mohamed because of mechanical problems, could affect the team’s chances of further regional glory.
Group 4 ace drivers, Andrew King and Kevin Jeffrey along with Group 2A Harold Hopkinson and John Joseph and Group 2B’s Afraz Alli and Syed Hassan will be tasked with trying to accumulate the most points possible in the three-leg championships in order to drive off with the CMRC overall title which has eluded the local daredevils over the past three years.
The speedsters are scheduled to depart Guyana at least three days prior to the event.
The Jamaica leg will be followed by the second leg in Barbados in September while the local leg will be staged at the South Dakota Circuit in November.
The CMRC was first staged in 2007 with Jamaica winning its inaugural leg. Barbados sped off with the country title in 2011. Of the six annual events, four overall titles were won by Jamaica.
Last year the CMRC introduced two new territories, Trinidad and Tobago and the Cayman Islands, both of whom have committed to further support this year.
Notably absent will be champion race car driver, Mark Vieira, who stated that his Mazda RX8 will not be operable in time for the Jamaica meet. Vieira, however, noted that his machine will be up and revving in time for the second leg.
