… Vieira dominates the Super Bike
IT was déjà vu for Andrew King’s competitors as they watched the veteran car driver carry the chequered flag at the end of every group four race on Sunday at the renowned South Dakota Circuit.
It was the second round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC) National Race of Champions and though some of Guyana’s top drivers and machines were hampered by sporadic showers, they were still able to wow the huge crowd present at the Timehri track.
The large crowd, including Prime Minister Sam Hinds and Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony, turned up to see Andrew King drive his Banks Beer and Cellink Plus-sponsored Tube Frame Mazda RX7 against his rivals Kevin Jeffrey and Mark Vieira.
Jeffrey, in his customary Mitsubishi Evolution, could not keep up with the pace of King and his Mazda and finished in the runner-up spot throughout the day while Vieira once again ran into some trouble in his Shell V-Power/Digicel Mazda RX8.
The day saw three wins for King which means that he would once again be named the event’s champion driver and it would also mean that he would be heading to the second round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC), which is scheduled for Barbados later in August, booming with confidence.
Still on the track, Jad Rahaman and Chet Singh continued their old-time rivalry as the two senior drivers entertained with some death-defying racing in which they shared the victor’s lap on different occasion.
Meanwhile, local super bike champion Stephen ‘Valentino Rossi ‘Vieira continued his dominance of the category by powering to three wins on his Sunburst Orange Juice-sponsored 1000 Yamaha.
Just like his namesake, Vieira rode his high-powered bike with finesse and gracefully manoeuvred the track, much to the delight of the crowd and the dismay of his opponents whom he passed with ease on his way to victory.
In the last year, to show some generosity, the young Vieira gave his challengers at least 30 seconds lead and took less than six laps to gain a commanding lead and win convincingly.
Vieira’s friend Maurice Meneze managed second on all three occasions. The Super bike champion will now turn his attention to racing at the Bushy Park Circuit which he took by storm last year.
Coming up next is the second round of the CMRC set for the Bushy Park race track in the Land of the Flying Fish at a date to be announced in August.
The first leg was held in Jamaica earlier this year and Guyana will host the final round of the three-stage event in November.
Team Guyana for the second stage is not yet known but so far Andrew King and Stephen Vieira have both expressed their interest in competing after their impressive showing last year.