Rookies set for maiden appearance at Georgetown GP

By Avenash Ramzan

A new dimension has been added to the Georgetown Grand Prix, set for Friday. The Easy Cup Rookies category will be contested for the first time and drivers are eager to test their mettle on the track.

Ralph Persaud and Dhani A. Narine will be among the drivers squaring off in the Easy Cup Rookies division, which promises lots of excitement and thrills. Persaud had a good session on Tuesday afternoon and he is excited to hit the track and showcase his potential come Friday night.

“Racing is fun for me, so I’m just looking to go out there and have a good time. I’ve been driving for years so my natural experience is what I’m depending on; I don’t have any professional racing training or any formal training in racing,” Persaud told News Room Sport. Persaud said he is relishing the challenge of racing without the hindrances that one would usually encounter on the road.

“Well I think on the track there are no limits; obviously on the road you have to adhere to speed limits and police and traffic, so I think you’re actually free (on the track) to really accelerate and go as fast you could…you could go around the corners and really push it to the limits,” Persaud related.

Persaud, who recently acquired a new kart from GT Motorsport bearing the number 007, said fans should expect some level of competitiveness from him, as while he is there for the fun, he will also be pushing himself to the max.

He also took the opportunity to share his thoughts on GT Motorsports’ initiative to have go-karting as a prime activity in the city. “I think this is a great opportunity for young persons to get involved in racing, obviously they can’t drive until they’re older, so this is an excellent opportunity to get some motoring skills. I’m sure it’s going to help them to develop a hobby,” Persaud reasoned.

Meanwhile, Narine is also gearing up for Friday’s showdown, and like Persaud, he is also looking to have a good time on the track.

“Well you know, what can I say? Even if I come off all the turns, I’m just here to have some fun with the boys,” a jovial Narine pointed out. “It’s (practice and preparation) going good. It’s been more than two and a half years since I drove on this track, so I’m not new to karting; I did some karting before. So I’m just excited to be back; for me I just like the adrenaline rush so I’m just here to have fun.”

Not because Narine is coming to have some fun means his rival will just roll over him. He’s up for the challenge. In fact, he had a few words of advice for his competitors.

“To the competitors, I say practice enough because practice makes perfect; I’m out here practicing today and I’m looking forward to winning of course. But apart from that I want to encourage the fans and Guyana to come out and have a good time; I think it’s going to be an exciting event. Apart from the racing there’s going to be a lot of other activities going on, a lot of food and drinks, so I think it’s going to an exciting time for family to come out and support. I think it’s going to be an evening well spent,” Narine explained. 

While encouraging his fellow Guyanese to come out and witness top quality karting on Friday night, Narine also hailed the efforts of GT Motorsports in adding a new dimension to entertainment in the country. 

“I think this initiative is a wonderful initiative. I think it has added a new dimension to recreation in Georgetown. I think it is something that was necessary a long time ago. I want to commend Vishok (Persaud) and his team for putting this up together because, apart from it being a massive investment, I think a lot of thoughts would have gone into structuring this,” Narine asserted. 

Engines will start at the Georgetown Grand Prix at 18:00h. Among the categories to be contested are the 60cc, 125cc Junior, 125cc Senior, 4-Stroke Light, 4-Stroke Heavy, Shifter karts and the Easy Cup Rookies.