Virgin track to be penetrated tomorrow
WHEN the second race meet in the Titan Entertainment(TE)/Banks DIH-sponsored grass track series rolls off tomorrow at the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC), riders in both the professional and novices categories will be competing on a virgin track.

Titan Entertainment’s Events Coordinator Sheik Yassen (stooping at left), listens as Stanley Rampersaud explains some details to him on the track. (Photo by Calvin Roberts)

According to TE’s Events Coordinator Sheik Yassen who visited the venue on Thursday, the executive committee of PMTC spent close to G$2M to get the newly built track at a venue that is well known for horse racing, into top gear for the meet.

“This is a virgin territory for grass track. First of all, the PMTC is well known for horse racing here in the Corentyne area for many years and the generosity of the committee of the club which knows no boundaries has prepared this track with the interest of grass track motorcycling here in Guyana in mind.

Their intention is to make this venue an international one for the sport and already we are looking ahead to host the first international meet here next May, involving riders from Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and even Barbados,” said Yassen.

According to Yassen, TE’s Berbice liaison personnel Stanley Rampersaud has been very instrumental in influencing the PMTC executive committee to grant the private organisation permission to use the venue for the meet.

“He (Rampersaud) was very instrumental in bringing the executive committee of the PMTC up to date with regard to grass track motorcycling here in Guyana, one that the people of Berbice will enjoy, hence they moved apace and spent close to G$2M in building this track.

There are three types of grass track surfaces, namely hard, mid and soft terrain and this newly built track which is grassless, can be described as a mid-terrain track and the competitors will love this venue, so the fans who are expected to turn out in their thousands can expect a treat for their money on Sunday (tomorrow)” said Yassen.

He continued, “This is a very unique track for grass track motorcycling. Its uniqueness comes from the fact that it is big and flat, measuring a total of 20 000 square feet and not many tracks in Guyana can be compared to this one, not even to Ogle which is the Mecca of grass track motorcycle racing in Guyana.

Added to that, the committee had only received word of the venue being used for tomorrow’s meet one week after the inaugural meet in Essequibo was completed and after deliberation and some persuasion from Rampersaud, they commenced work three days ago.”

Twelve races are set for tomorrow’s event which rides off from 12:00 h, with the professional riders competing in five events, novices four, choppy two, and one Open.

At the moment, Andy Rajkarran is heading the professional category with 32 points gained from the first meet which was held at the Kayman Sankar Hampton Court ground last November, while Charles Henry is in second place four points behind him.

In the Novices category, 15-year-old Junior Da Silva is leading that group with 32 points, eight ahead of Vickash Rajkumar, with Raj Rajkarran in third place on 11.