By Avenash Ramzan
Despite having limited track time on the final leg last weekend, Trinidad and Tobago emerged country champions of the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) with almost double the amount of points than second place Guyana. The win ensured the twin-islanders maintain their supremacy by making a successful defence of the title won last year.
At a gala presentation ceremony on Monday evening at the International Ramada Hotel, Chairman of the Caribbean Motor Racing Association, Silbourne Clarke, announced that Trinidad and Tobago finished the four legs of the championship with a whopping 1,267 points.
The Trinis didn’t have much of an appearance on the final leg at South Dakota due to some issues with logistics, but had done enough in the previous three legs in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados to distance themselves from the other participating countries.
Guyana finished second after a remarkable performance on the final leg, finishing with 648 points. The Guyanese did not garner the desired number of points on the three overseas legs, due to having a small team. Guyana collected 40 points in Barbados, 69 in Trinidad and 71 in Jamaica.
With a much larger field at South Dakota at the weekend, the Guyanese stormed back to pip Barbados, who finished on 580 points, into third spot, by accumulating 468 points.
On the individual side, Guyanese Andrew King, in his trademark yellow and blue Mazda RX7, emerged champion driver of the CMRC Group Four All Wheel Drive, while he is also champion driver of the Local Group Four Two Wheel Drive. Mark Vieira, in his white Mazda RX8, won the CMRC All Wheel Drive category.
In the CMRC Wheel Two Wheel Drive, Barbados’ Mark Maloney emerged champion, while Paul Vieira was unstoppable in the CMRC Group Three.
Vishok Persaud, who made a clean sweep of the Group Three category on Sunday, was named CMRC champion driver of the day, while he also took the champion driver title in the Local Group Three event.
In Group Two, Shiraz Roshandin was CMRC champion driver of the day, while Chet Singh took the overall award for the Local Group Two and Mark Thompson of Barbados took the CMRC equivalent.
Team Mohamed’s Bryce Prince won the overall CMRC champion rider title in the Superstock class, while Guyanese Kevin Persaud took the Local champion rider accolade.
Motilall Deodass was voted champion driver of the Local Starlet Cup, while Azaad Hassan won the Sports Tuner overall, and Roopnarine Dasrat won the Street Tuner prize. Kristian Jeffrey won the Local Group Four All Wheel Drive.
Meanwhile, the first leg of the 2018 championship will take place on March 4 in Trinidad and Tobago.
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