VETERAN champion drivers Kevin Jeffrey and Andrew King are among several of Guyana’s top drivers and riders who will be representing Guyana in the first leg of the 2014 Seaboard Marine-sponsored Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) which revs off at the Bushy Park circuit on July 6.
Yesterday, the drivers and their teams saw their bikes and cars along with other equipment packed at the John Fernandes shipping terminal, from where they would be sent to the Land of the Flying Fish ahead of the competition.
The 2014 CMRC this year will see racing being held in Trinidad and Tobago and falling under the newly established Caribbean Motor Racing Association (CMRA).
Barbados will stage the first leg; the second will be staged in Trinidad on August 25, following which the drivers will head to Guyana’s South Dakota on November 16 and on the Jamaica for the final leg on February 22 at Dover Race Way.
This year, Seaboard Marine, one of the world’s largest shipping company between the United States and the Caribbean Basin, Central and South America, has offered to ship all the competitors’ cars for free to all the various tracks.
The exercise, according to one of CMRA’s founding members and former renowned champion Ray Rahaman, will cost the shipping company in excess of US$100 000 and applauded its effort in helping to take the sport of motor racing to higher heights
Peter Paroon, Seaboard Marine’s Guyana representative, pointed out that his company is more than elated to once again not only be a part of the prestigious event, but also help in the development of the sport around the Caribbean.
President of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) John Carpenter was very happy with the formation of the CMRA and also the prospect of having a more conclusive CMRC unlike any other.
He added that shipping and getting the bikes and cars around was always a challenge to some of the racers but with Seaboard Marine’s offering to take the machines and equipment around, it would mean that fans could expect an unforgettable championship this year.
Meanwhile Jeffrey and his son Kristian will be teaming up to help Guyana retain their overall championship. Jeffrey, who is said to be one of the best in the Caribbean, said that his car is ready and he is happy to share the track with his son against the region’s best.
The younger Jeffrey lives in Canada and his father said that he was in Guyana recently, putting in some fine touches on his Mitsubishi EVO 9 and is even more ready than he (Kevin) is.
The Group 4 category list also includes Vishok and Danny Persaud, while over in the Group 2 Category, Shairaz Roshandin, Chet Singh, Andre Dhanraj and John Joseph will be carrying the Guyana flag.
Though his father Mark Vieira, one of Guyana’s stalwarts on the track, will not be competing in the Barbados leg, Matthew will lead a squad of talented young Super Bike racers.
The young Vieira wowed the thousands that gathered at the South Dakota circuit last November and pundits are enthusiastic about his chances competing with the Caribbean’s best.
Joel Neblett, Carlos Mendonca and Nikhil Seereeram would be Vieira’s teammates in Barbados.
