Strong Caribbean contingent arrives for first round of Caribbean Motor Racing Championship at Dover Raceway May 23.
Seven (7) 40 foot containers have arrived at the Port of Kingston holding within their bowels potent machines which embody a strong challenge for Caribbean circuit racing supremacy to be battled at Dover Raceway in St. Ann on Labor Day, Monday, May 23. Work at the track is on-going at a feverish pace to prepare the facility for the event, as a record crowd at last month’s Carnival of Speed event simply overwhelmed the capacity of the venue, and extensive work in creating two new roadways, enlarging the parking areas and expanding the vending facilities has been undertaken by the executive of the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club who have been organizing racing at the facility since 2003. A one way traffic system between the hours of 4 and 6 pm to facilitate the rapid exit of patrons from the facility has been developed, in conjunction with the granting by the National Works Agency of temporary road closure to normal vehicular traffic on the main road just outside the venue as well as the creation of two new exit roads from the now enlarged parking lots will effectively address the problems faced at the last event.
Defending champs Guyana sending strong contingent to Jamaica By Rawle Welch
Defending Caribbean champions Guyana will be going all out to ensure that they secure maximum points during the opening leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) which is slated to be staged on May 23, at Dover Raceway in Jamaica.
According to a release from the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club, headlining the list will be last year’s runner-up Kevin Jeffrey, who will be piloting his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII machine, while in the Superbike category local champion Stephen ‘Valentino Rossi’ Vieira leads the quest for top honors in that division. The other members of the touring contingent include: Gavin and Ryon Gayadin, Canada-based Paul Vieira, Hameraj Singh, Chetram Singh, Afraz Allie and John Joseph, while Maurice Menezes and Canada-based Rajendra ‘Ginger’ Ramrattan are the representatives in the Superbike category.
The delegation is by far the largest to travel for the first leg of the CMRC for some time and is a clear indication of Guyana’s intention to come away with maximum points and head to the second leg in Barbados in a good position. However, Guyanese champion Jeffrey in an earlier interview expressed confidence of duplicating last year’s performance, while the Barbadians as usual are expected to field a strong team. Already, defending CMRC champion Summerbell has shown impeccable form and speed early in season, completely dominating his nemesis Gore during a recent local Meet on the island and as all the top competitors in the Region would know, he is perhaps the most consistent driver and difficult to keep out of the reckoning.
Guyana won the title last year after many years and it took some determined and daredevilry from Jeffrey, Andrew King, Paul Vieira and a few others to secure the crown at the final edition last November in Guyana. With the recent addition of the smaller categories to the Series, Guyana stand a solid chance of doing well should drivers such as Chet and Raj Singh get an early opportunity to familiarize themselves with the demanding Dover Circuit whose layout is much more complicated that the easygoing South Dakota Circuit.
In the Superbike segment, the Jamaicans once again seems strong, but Vieira, Menezes and to a lesser extent Ramrattan should be able to at least muster some points, before the focus switches to Barbados.
The Barbados Auto Racing League has sent their team comprised of:
1. Doug Maloney – Audi A4 Quattro turbo
2. Mark Maloney – Mazda RX3
3. Stuart Williams – Lotus Elise turbo
4. Steve King – Nissan Skyline turbo Didn’t make the shipment
5. Kenrick Husbands – Toyota Starlet
6. Mark Thompson – Toyota Starlet
Stuart Williams, the reigning Barbados two-wheel drive lap record holder, along with Mark Maloney, a former two-wheel drive lap record-holder, at Bushy Park of course and his father Doug, will be in the Barbadians CMRC Group, while Kenrick ‘Snappa’ Husbands and Mark ‘Ointment’ Thompson are pointed for Group 2. It would be the first time in Jamaica for Williams, Husbands and Thompson.
Williams and Husbands made clean sweeps in their respective groups at our Easter race meet…. Williams winning the Monster Energy Drinl Handicap which brought the curtain down on the day’s action.
New Dover traffic layout
Aerial view of new Dover road layout
Patrons from the North Coast and western Jamaica exit by the original road
Patrons from the South Cost, Kingston and Browns Town can exit by the new yellow road that starts at the marl corner or by the blue road that is at the eastern end of the parking lot.
There will be one way traffic from 4 to 6 pm exiting the venue.
No vehicles will be allowed into the venue between the hours of 4 and 6 pm. All wreckers, trucks and anyone going to pick up anything will have to do it after 7 pm.
There will be one way traffic only on the main road from the original Dover entrance to the fork in the road heading North from 4 to 6 pm. Fans going to the west (Mobay side) will take the road on the left as usual leading to Discovery Bay while those going east (Ocho Rios end) will take the road on the right leading to Runaway Bay.
The red road is an emergency exit for ambulance etc.
Extended parking lots are in yellow and are sectioned according to the lines, with enrty and exit from them at the red dots which represents gates to each section and will be manned by police and security personell.
