All roads will lead to the South Dakota Circuit this Sunday for the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing championships.
Some 107 competitors have already registered for the final leg of the Caribbean Race of Champions 2008.
Speaking to reporters at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana, President of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Vishook Persaud said that this was the largest gathering of competitors for over two decades.
He added that the Caribbean Race of Champions 2008 would see competitors from Barbados, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Maarten and the locals all vying for the overall crown.
He acknowledge that Guyana was in with a slim chance of being crowned champions.
The locals presently occupy the cellar position with 26 points, some 61 points behind leaders Jamaica who hold a slim two points lead over Barbados on 85 points.
According to Persaud, however, ….“the boys will be putting up a fight”.
An excited Persaud added that this was the first time that Barbados will have eight cars on the grid with four going for the championships.
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will have four, Suriname three St Marten and St. Vincent and the Grenadines one each.
The United States of America will have 14 cars but none in the championship races.
Additionally, French Guiana, Canada and Guyana will be going for wins in the motorcycle and go karts races.
Meanwhile the championships points’ leader, Douglas Maloney with 35 points is looking to make sure that the Barbados team are crowned champions and that he drives away with the championship trophy.
The 62-year-old Maloney is leading a team that is made up of himself and his two sons Stuart and Mark.
Stuart is second in the points standing with 30 points while Mark has 12 points.
They will be ably assisted by a team of mechanics that includes another son John.
Douglas Maloney told Stabroek Sport yesterday that… “my contingent which also includes Stuart Williams will be looking for a one to four finish in the races with the other positions five to eight reserved for the Jamaicans and Guyanese.”
Douglas Maloney, who has never tasted victory at the South Dakota circuit, added that he has been here four times starting back in 1970 as a 23-year-old when he faced the likes of Phillip DeFreitas and Eric Vieira finishing a creditable third in one of his races.
He said he returned in 1973 but did not taste success and waited another thirty one years before returning to claim two second and one third place finishes.
He said that last year was a bad year for him in Guyana as engine problems plagued him and he failed to start in any of his races.
The elder Maloney said that he is “here to win”, to which his son Mark said that he was hoping to emulate his father and take the title.
His father quipped that the races were for the fittest not the youngest.
Meanwhile, Persaud added that apart from the Barbadian contingent of racers and mechanics the Barbadian Racing Club had registered 487 persons who would be here as Team Barbados’ official contingent in addition to those who have booked out of the club and would be here.
Persaud added that this Sunday some 23 events are scheduled to be run off.
Some of the competitors expected to be in action include: Tanko Babolall, Ravi Singh, Junior Noel and Moti Ballyram (Trinidad and Tobago), Doug Gore the 2007 Caribbean Champion Driver, David Summerball, Christopher Campbell and Gary Williams (Jamaica), John Joseph, Cooper Rahaman, Joe Mohan, Jag Singh, Dwayne Rodrigues, Kawall Deosarran, Kem Lall, Sanjay Sewsankar and Damian Singh (USA) Kevin Graham, Craig Atkinson, Carl Gouveia and Mike Bettancourt (Canada), Ryan Gonsalves from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Giampiero Maietti from St. Maarten and Mark Sevias from French Guiana.
The overseas contingent will have to take on the likes of local aces Andrew King, Mark Vieira, Kevin Jeffrey, motorcyclists Steven Vieira, Christopher McLean and returning in the go-kart event the resurgent Stanley Ming.
Persaud added that while eight persons are in with a mathematical chance of winning the champion driver trophy the fight will be among the top five including the lone Guyanese Andrew King.
King on 23 points will battle the likes of Barbadians Douglas Maloney on 35, Stuart Maloney on 30, Jamaicans David Summerball Jr. on 26 and Douglas Gore on 25.
