TEAM Guyana vowed to capture the title next year, as major sponsor Seaboard Marine pledged continued support for the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship, during the presentation ceremony of the Caribbean Race of Champions at the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club, Monday night.

Apart from the Caribbean Champion Driver and Rider, David Summerbell of Jamaica and Stephen Vieira of Guyana receiving their trophies, top placers in the individual races got their trophies.
Guyana’s Stephen Vieira, also, got the Best Rider prize for this meet, and Suriname’s Oliver Tjin-Liep-Shie the Best Driver and Stanley Ming Jr, Best Karter, while Peter Hinckson copped the Best Car Mechanic prize and Fazil Azeez for the karts.
Peter Rae of Jamaica registered the Fastest Lap time, 34.217 seconds. He had clocked 33.52 in the time trials to take the pole position.
Guyana came in for high praise in staging a high quality meet on Sunday at the South Dakota Circuit, to which all 26 events were well subscribed.
Longstanding Jamaica team leader Hilary Jardine declared: “It is one of the best meets I ever attended. Closer racing, I’ve never seen before. It was well attended, it was well promoted.”
GMR&SC president John Carpenter acknowledged it was one of the best race meet in recent memory.
“Unmatched competitiveness, good spirit, close races and less attrition,” he said.
Third year sponsor Seaboard Marine’s Stephen Belle congratulated the GMR&C for an “excellent” meet, pointing out that motor racing offered the opportunity to forge Caribbean unity.
Belle noted that the Cayman Islands came on board, along with Trinidad, and the $65 million spent so far, showed the level of commitment of the company to the Caribbean.
“Motor racing is the future for the Caribbean. We will be there next year,” he said.
Barbados’ representative Adrian Mayers thanked Guyanese for the hospitality, declaring this was his favourite stop, but he pointed out a lot of work is left to be done.
“We have a good product, but gone are the days when you can run meets on gate receipts.  Sponsorship is vital.”
Guyana’s Vishok Persaud said that without Seaboard Marine there would be no Caribbean Motor Racing Championship.
“Motor racing is now the biggest spectator sport event in the Caribbean,” he said, while also thanking sponsors GT&T, Banks DIH Limited, King’s Jewellery World, and Valvoline.
Turning to the hosts’ performance on the track, Persaud noted the local team never won the title.
“We are cautious, never in a hurry, but the first race sent a strong signal. We placed 1-2-3. So 2013 is Team Guyana,” Persaud declared.
Suriname’s Oliver Liep-Shie announced that his country would be getting its first racing track, a dream of 34 years and called for support when the first meet is staged in the new year, probably in February.