"Level CMRC playing field” for Williams Digicel International

The 2015 Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) is heading for Bushy Park Barbados next month with one of the most competitive line-ups ever assembled and, according to one former race-winner, the prospect of a far more level playing-field for two- and four-wheel-drive cars.

At a Media Briefing this morning (Wednesday), 23 regional entries were confirmed for the Williams Industries Digicel International Race Meet (September 12/13), which features round three of the CMRC, with drivers and riders travelling from the Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent & The Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago.

Three races for each of the CMRC categories on two and four wheels are featured on a 23-race programme organised by Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI), which will also include the Suzuki Challenge Series SR3 Cup and Swift Cup and the Club’s own 2015 Championship. Once the circuit sessions have come to an end each day, the Barbados Association of Dragsters & Drifters (BADD) will take to the 1/8th-mile drag strip and run into darkness to stage round three of Drag Warz 2015.

Reigning Champion and current points-leader Kristian Jeffrey of Guyana (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) heads the regional entry, facing a potent home team, led by 2011 CMRC Champion Roger Mayers, in his first circuit race outing in ‘De’ Focus since last year’s July International. Eight drivers on the grid have stood on the top step of the CMRC podium, winning more than half the races since Barbados joined the series in 2008.

Mayers has won 11 CMRC races, Jeffrey nine - both in 4wd cars - but younger brother Barry believes that Bushy Park will present a far more level playing field for the 2wd machines, such as his Suzuki SX4. Questioned this morning, he said: “Last year, the track was very green, it was oily, and it was hard for the two-wheel-drive cars to get the power down. And everyone was on a learning curve with the new layout, too – I knocked 1.5 seconds off my time that first weekend, just getting used to the circuit.

“This year, the circuit is definitely faster. Roger’s pole time last year was around 61 seconds, the Suzuki-powered Radicals are now lapping in the 59s – they’re two-wheel-drive, so there’s no reason why we couldn’t get down to those times. Yes, they’re lighter than us, but they have less power. I really believe the whole thing could level out.”

Joining Jeffrey from Guyana are his father Kevin (Evo IX) – twice runner-up since 2010 – Danny Persaud (Mazda Miata), who finished second last year, and Mark Vieira (Mazda RX-8), who has twice ended the season fourth. Kristian Boodoosingh will represent Trinidad & Tobago in the Evo 6.5 in which he won at Wallerfield Raceway in June.

The Mayers brothers will compete alongside Stuart Williams in his Lotus Elise and three members of Team Maloney Racing: Doug, who has finished third in the CMRC three times since 2008, will race his Audi A4 quattro, Mark his recently-refurbished Mazda RX-3, and Sean will make his CMRC debut in his Suzuki Hayabusa-powered Z-Cars Mini.

Points-leader Gary Barrett (Honda Civic) will represent the Cayman Islands in CMRC Group 3, with Guyana’s Persaud doing double-duty in his Miata – he is currently third in the standings, ahead of fellow-countryman Paul Vieira, although Vieira is representing T&T in his former Mazda RX-7, along with Saleem Deen (Civic).

Group 2 Championship leader Marc Gill (Civic) is travelling from T&T, with Damien Nesbit (Nissan Sentra B13), who is fifth in the standings, and Jean-Marc Camacho (Civic) making his CMRC Gp2 debut, as is Guyana’s Nazim Gafoor (Mazda Miata).

On two wheels, CMRC Superstock points leader Stephen Vieira (Kawasaki) leads another strong line-up from Guyana, with cousins Elliot (Kawasaki) and Matthew (Triumph), Joel Neblette (Suzuki) and Kevin Persaud (Kawasaki), while Luke De Nobriga (Yamaha) and Nicolas Gonzales (Kawasaki) will represent T&T.

BPMSI Director Adrian Mayers said: “This could be anybody’s race . . . pretty much everyone on the CMRC grid has a realistic chance of winning! While the Barbados team is pretty potent, don’t forget Mark Vieira has had valuable seat time here in the Suzuki Challenge Series. And it isn’t just the cars – our bikers are pumped up and ready to face top regional opposition, and we expect the biggest grid on two wheels for a long time.”

The Williams Industries Digicel International Race Meet (September 12/13) is organised by Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI) and promoted by Bushy Park Circuit Inc (BPCI); title sponsors are Williams Industries Inc, Digicel Barbados Ltd and Seaboard Marine Ltd:

Sunday, September 13 (gates and ticket booths open 7.00am): General Admission Bds $25; Clubhouse (food and drink on sale) Bds $50; VIP (food on sale, drinks free) Bds $125; children 12 and under are free. Hilti 4 x 4 Hammer Zone vehicle pass Bds $25, Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $40, plus General Admission pass for each occupant

Admission to Testing on Friday, September 11, and Practice and Qualifying (from 11.00am) on Saturday, September 12, is free

Williams Industries Digicel International Race Meet Regional participants

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 4

Kristian Boodoosingh (T&T) - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5

Kevin Jeffrey (GUY) - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX

Kristian Jeffrey (GUY) - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX – 2015 Championship leader

Danny Persaud (GUY) - Mazda Miata

Mark Vieira (GUY) - Mazda RX-8

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 3

Gary Barrett (CAY) - Honda Civic – 2015 Championship leader

Saleem Deen (T&T) - Honda Civic

Danny Persaud (GUY) - Mazda Miata

Paul Vieira (T&T) - Mazda RX-7

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 2

Jean-Marc Camacho (T&T) - Honda Civic

Nazim Gafoor (GUY) - Mazda Miata

Marc Gill (T&T) - Honda Civic – 2015 Championship leader

Damien Nesbit (T&T) - Nissan Sentra B13

Seaboard Marine CMRC Superbikes

Luke De Nobriga (T&T) - Yamaha R6

Nicolas Gonzales (T&T) - Kawasaki ZX6-R

Joel Neblette (GUY) - Suzuki GSX-R600

Kevin Persaud (GUY) - Kawasaki ZX6-R

Elliot Vieira (GUY) - Kawasaki ZX6-R

Matthew Vieira (GUY) - Triumph Daytona

Stephen Vieira (GUY) - Kawasaki ZX6-R – 2015 Championship leader

Suzuki Challenge Series

Ryan Gonsalves (SVG) – Radical SR3 RS

Ryan Peyrau (T&T) – Suzuki Swift Sport

David Summerbell Jnr (JAM) – Suzuki Swift Sport

Samantha Summerbell (JAM) – Suzuki Swift Sport

Mark Vieira (GUY) – Radical SR3 RS

Williams Industries Digicel International Race Meet Fast Facts

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 4

• two former Champions (stats since 2008):

Kristian Jeffrey (GUY) - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII - 2014

Roger Mayers (BAR) – ‘De’ Focus - 2011

• eight former CMRC race-winners (stats since 2008):

Roger Mayers (BAR) – 11 wins

Kristian Jeffrey (GUY) – 9 wins

Kevin Jeffrey (GUY) - Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII – 6 wins

Mark Maloney (BAR) – Mazda RX-3 – 3 wins

Mark Vieira (GUY) - Mazda RX-8 – 3 wins

Barry Mayers (BAR) – Suzuki SX4 – 2 wins

Kristian Boodoosingh (T&T) – 1 win

Danny Persaud (GUY) - Mazda Miata – 1 win

Suzuki Challenge Series – Swift Cup

• Samantha Summerbell (JAM) is the new driver, the first female to compete in the Swift Cup, also the first to compete against her father in equal machinery at Bushy Park

• in a salute to the forthcoming Red Bull Global Rallycross meeting (October 3/4), the Swift Cup will feature a Joker Lap for the first time. The Joker Lap will pass over the Rallycross Bridge before returning to the main track in the Banks Esses. Rules:

1 - each driver must take the Joker Lap once per race

2 - the Joker Lap can be taken on any lap, apart from lap 1

3 - failure to take the Joker Lap will result in disqualification

4 - unsafe exit from/re-entry to main track will result in a penalty

The Joker Lap changes the length of the lap significantly, forcing a strategic decision about when to use it: taking it early in the race allows a driver to get it over with, waiting until the end of the race can allow a driver to gain places before the finish