Guyana’s Justin TenPow sweeps field at Barbados Karting Series

(Reporting and Photography by Akeem Greene in Barbados, compliments of News Room and E-Networks)

Eight-year-old Justin TenPow made a powerful statement regarding the future of Guyana’s motor racing when he swept all three races at the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) 60cc Winter Cup Series at Bushy Park on Sunday.

While the attention beamed with great intent on the final round of the inaugural Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT), TenPow produced some magical moments to take the limelight.

The young lad created some lengthy distances between himself and the rest, who were really left to battle for positions two to seven. He qualified on poll with a time of 1:02.611s and achieved his best time (1:02.438s) in the final race.

Compatriot Nicholas Sawh battled hard for a podium finish, which eluded him. However, he gradually lowered his times with the best being 1:05.363s.

TenPow won the Series with 136 points, ahead of Logan Stollmeyer (129 points) and Daniel Ullyett (114 points); Sawh finished in sixth with 87 points.

CJKAT final round 

After the sixth and final round of the CJKAT, the overall results showed that the Guyanese are not podium contenders, just yet.

They finished in the middle and latter end of the pack, but they certainly displayed a great fight on the final day.

From a field of 14 competitors, Rayden Persaud placed eighth overall with 187 points, the most by a Guyanese. Jeremy TenPow (155 points), Nathan Rahaman (150 points), Zachary Persaud (127 points) and Paige Mendonca (93 points) rounded off positions 9-12 in that order.

Jeremy was the highest points scorer on the third weekend, gaining 63 points, two more than Rayden.

No surprises came in Adam Mallalieu winning a fully-paid entry and use of X30 Junior kart for one weekend at the Sunshine State Karting Challenge (SSKC) in Florida, to the value of more than US$3,000.

He scored a whopping 451 points, followed by countryman Calem Maloney (385.5 points) and Jamaican Ryan Chisolm (325 points). Tommi Gore got fourth with 319 points.

Battling sore ribs and wrists, the young drivers made their presence known by applying some intense pressure throughout the day.

There was one moment of joy in Race Two when Rahaman ignited the loudest of cheers by his family when he took the lead for about eight laps.

It came after leader Mallalieu and Maloney veered off early in the proceedings.  Rahaman actually lost the lead during the race and managed to regain it in a closely knit race. A lapse in going wide during the dying moments of the heated contest meant he lost a lead that could not be retained.

He eventually finished sixth, while Jeremy got fourth. Rayden got seventh, followed by Zachary.

In the final race, the Jamaican pair Gore and Chisolm forced out the usually unfazed Mallalieu for the top two spots respectively.  The Guyanese ensured they went out with a reasonably strong showing as Jeremy copped sixth followed by Rayden, Rahaman and Mendonca in 10th, who arguably drove her best race of the weekend.