(Jamaica Observer) Jamaica’s David Summerbell Jnr was controversially disqualified from race two in the final round of the Seaboard Marine-sponsored Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) at the South Dakota race track in Guyana on Sunday.
Despite the disqualification, Summerbell Jr walked away as the CMRC Driver Champion.
In that race, Summerbell Jr crossed the finish line ahead of Guyana’s Kevin Jeffrey. However, due to safety concerns, Summerbell ditched his Mitsubishi Evolution 8 in the sand pit after taking the chequered flag. The Clerk of the Course ruled that the Jamaican driver be disqualified as he did not complete the corner after the finish line, a requirement for winning the race.
“I’ve read the rules. I’ve been coming to Guyana many years and the rule clearly states that you will be disqualified if you go straight and I did not go straight. I’m hoping the powers that be will understand a foreigner’s position reading the rules as they are written, as opposed to what has been precedent over the years,” Summerbell told Auto. He gave a verbal and written response to his disqualification.
According to article 15.3 in the CMRC 2012 Technical and Championship Regulations, under The Finish, states: to be classified as a finisher, a vehicle must have completed not less than 75 per cent of the distance of the race (rounded down to the nearest whole number of laps) under its own power.
However, Summerbell Jr was judged under article 8.1.6 of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Rules and Regulations 2006, under General Eligibility and Entry. It states: “after crossing the finish line at the end of a race, race vehicles must complete the following turn in the normal fashion. Vehicles going straight on at that turn will be deemed not to have finished the race.”
The CMRC 2012 Technical and Championship Regulations also states any decision with regards to technical or competition regulations must be decided by a majority vote only. The chairman will not hold a veto vote.
Hilary Jardine, Jamaica Race Drivers Club’s immediate past president, was not in agreement with the ruling.
“Every race track has a finish line, judges and marshals. The one Clerk of the Course made the decision to disqualify David. Nobody consulted the marshals or the stewards. You can’t sit down and decide by yourself the outcome of the race. It’s stupidness, since he has to go around the corner to win the race — well, maybe they should move the finish line and put it around the corner, the finish line is where the race is won,” Jardine said.