THE pressure is building as time counts down to the first national Race of Champions set for March 25 at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri.
While there are many groups that will be up for contention, none is expected to be more challenging than the Starlet Cup.

The defending champion is Motilall Deodas having swept the competition last year. This year, however, the competition is going to be tougher.
Ten competitors have signed up for the first race meet to take place in just under two weeks, making it one of the largest fields expected on race day.

More so is the fact that Deodas’ two main threats, Anand Ramchand and Rameez Mohamed, have been upgrading their reliability.
A source told Chronicle Sport that both parties have been conducting testing on their respective cars as they look to snare the title from Deodas this year.

Still, nothing is definitive and on race day, the car that crosses the line first is the one that will secure valuable championship points.
Even more interesting for this year is the fact that mechanics have now been added to the fray, with ‘fixers’ or teams being awarded points based on where they finish the respective races.

A long-time talking point is who the best mechanics were. The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has sought to offer bragging rights to the mechanic with the most points at the end of the year.

And while the banter may seem friendly now, the intensity increases as the days count down.
The 24-race programme is sponsored by Ansa McAl, through its STAG brand, Mohamed’s Enterprise and Tropical Shipping.