WITH just over two weeks to go before the final showdown of the top racers in the region at the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships, the motor-cycles are the talking point and are being touted as the ultimate showdown.With a Guyanese champion expected to be crowned on Guyanese soil, the hype is ecstatic, especially when any mistake could cost a man the Championship.
Currently, the front-runners are cousins Stephen and Elliot Vieira, 14 points separating the two and all eyes are on them to see who comes out on top when the dust settles
Stephen currently leads with 133 points and Elliot with 119 points has been providing keen competition for his older, more experienced cousin.
The multiple Caribbean champion Stephen set the lap record at the Jamwest raceway in Jamaica earlier this year (1 min 11.665 Sec) with Elliot hitting back by shattering the Barbados record (1min 04.269) in a pound-for-pound battle.
Stephen will employ all the experience he gained as a multiple champion, while Elliot will focus primarily on his smooth riding style and quick reflexes to gain him his first taste of many obvious championship glories.
Added to that mix is the eagerly anticipated return of Nikhil Seereeram, whose absence from both touring and local meets this year has left many fans questioning his seriousness about the sport.
Seereeram, regarded as one of the more senior riders on the scene and the only one during recent times to have ‘taught the elder Vieira a lesson’, has been reported as anxious to get back into the spotlight and his re-entry at this stage means that he could serve to soak up valuable points.
Throw in Matthew Vieira who dominated last time out with a new bike, and top it off with the unpredictability of Joel Neblett and Kevin Persaud, and the stage is set for fireworks.
Meanwhile at the Group 4 Level, defending champion Kristian Jeffrey has already taken the Championship with 183 points, with his nearest competitor and namesake Kristian Boodoosingh (101) giving his commitment to being here nonetheless.
This time around, the battle for the young Jeffrey will be to secure the CMRC lap record at home in Guyana, as he inked his name on three of the four host countries.
At the Group 3 Stage, Garey Barrett of the Cayman Islands sits ahead of the pack with 138 points, his realistic challengers being Trinidad’s Paul Vieira (108), Guyana’s Danny Persaud (70), Jamaica’s Natasha Chang and Barbados’ Kurt Thompson on 62 each.
Vieira, Chang and Thompson are also expected in Guyana.
The Trinidadians have already confirmed a 13-man strong racing team, nine of which will line up in Group 2, three in Group 3 and one in Group 4 and, as the current point leaders, will be looking to upset the defending champions.
The likes of Chet Singh, Shairaz Roshandin and Shan Seejattan will be called on to defend against the Trinis Marc Gill, Haresh Nanan, Mark Williams, Damien Nesbit, Daryl Ali, Saleem Deen, Justin Sanguinette, Aqeeb Ali and Rainier Amar.
Gill (150 points) currently leads the championship after three rounds, leaving Barbadian Mark Thompson (90) points and Jamaica’s Jordan Powell (75) as the only realistic title challengers.
Thompson has formally indicated that he will make the Guyana leg, while Powell has pulled up short of the Championship.
Guyana currently lies third in the five country event.
The Guyanese (533 points) sit third 147 points behind current leaders and second-leg hosts Trinidad and Tobago (658) and third-leg holders Barbados (533) and will have no easy task in retaining their crown at the South Dakota Circuit.