THOUSANDS of Guyanese motor-racing fans witnessed some of the best driving and riding ever displayed at the South Dakota Circuit yesterday as well as seeing Kristian Jeffrey become the first Guyanese driver to have the distinction of ‘Caribbean Champion’ bestowed on him.
Jeffrey, behind the wheels of his Stag Beer-powered Mitsubishi ‘EVO’ won two of the three ‘Group 4’ races and what was even more impressive was the fact that he did so in style while racing in his first Caribbean Motor Racing Champion (CMRC).
After dominating in Barbados during the first leg and doing exceptionally well in Trinidad and Tobago, Jeffrey headed to Guyana for the third and final leg, leading the Driving Championship and needing an almost flawless day on the track to cement his place in history. And so he did.
Sixteen cars positioned themselves on the grid for the first race which included all the big names in Caribbean motor racing, but, the result was catastrophic!
After their ‘rolling start’, the heavy-powered cars bundled up at turn one just after lap one. Jamaican Peter Rae and his Tube Frame Mazda RX7 slammed into Kevin Jeffrey’s Mitsubishi ‘EVO8’ in an attempt to get around fellow Jamaican and three-time Caribbean Champion David Summerbell and Kristian Jeffrey.
Both (Rae and Kevin Jeffrey) cars were damaged beyond repair; so too was Ryan Rahaman’s Ford Sierra and the three were done for the day with the first Group 4 race of the day cancelled.
When the machines came out Kristian easily took the chequered flag, beating 2008 Caribbean Champion Stuart Maloney and Guyana’s Mark Vieira who finished second and third respectively.
However, Maloney, in the second race, drove his Audi Quattro ferociously to hammer Jeffrey (Kristian) into second place and his brother Mark Maloney into third place.
In the third and final Group 4 race, Kristian drove probably his best ever; chasing Maloney (Stuart) down the front straight and just as he was about to pass the ‘Bajan’ at the club house turn with three laps to go, Maloney crashed out.
Meanwhile, in the super bikes, Nikhil Seereeram won three of the five races while Matthew Vieira and his cousin Elliot shared the other spoils.
In the first race, Matthew Vieira came out top, led from the start and was never really troubled. He rode the Yamaha R6 like a man possessed, getting out fast and establishing a lead of about five bike lengths. Stephen Vieira on his Suzuki GSXR 600 finished second.
Two bikers didn’t finish – one hitting the dead sand off turn one and tumbling. He was taken for a precautionary check by race stewards, while the other was Paul Yearwood on his Yamaha R6.
Shiraz Roshandin (Group 2) and Danny Persaud (Group 3) also enjoyed a fruitful day on the track. Up to press time, the day’s results were still being compiled as well as the points for the Country Championship were being calculated and will be published in a subsequent report.
(By Rawle Toney and Leeron Brumell)
