Gregg leads regional invasion for CMRC International

Jamaica’s Kyle Gregg is targeting a new Bushy Park Barbados lap record as he heads into round three of the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) at the Williams Industries International Race Meet (September 2/3). Races for all five CMRC categories on two and four wheels are the headline events on the 25-race programme organised by Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI), which will welcome more than 20 racers from six regional territories.

  After the first two rounds of the 2017 CMRC, at the Jamwest Raceway in Jamaica and the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway in Trinidad & Tobago, all four car groups are being led by Trinbago Soca Racers – Group 4 (4wd), Cristian Bourne; Gp4 (2wd), Franklin Boodram; Gp3, Paul Vieira; Gp2, Daryl Ali – while Guyana’s Bryce Prince leads the Superstock standings. All except Bourne will race in Barbados.

  Gregg won both CMRC Gp4 (4wd) races at Jamwest in his 3-litre Suzuki-powered Radical RXC – the third was abandoned following an incident involving Doug Gore and David Summerbell Jnr – and currently lies second in the points, 15 behind Bourne (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII); Gore and Summerbell will also miss Bushy Park, opening the door for Gregg to move ahead.

   The Jamaican is looking forward to racing the Radical in Barbados for the first time: “We believe the car will do very well, as the SR3 Cup has proven that the Radicals are very quick. With sufficient practice, we believe we can set a new track record. I’m now fully adapted to the car and I know the circuit well, so it just comes down to what needs to change on the car, suspension, springs and so on.” On his last visit in 2014, Gregg raced a Honda Civic on his way to fourth in Gp2 at year end; having started at the back in race one, he fought through to finish second, then won the other two races.

  The current CMRC lap record is held by Barry Mayers (Suzuki SX4), who claimed a hat-trick of race wins last year; his time of 1m 01.178s (73.49mph/118.28kmh), however is some way off the Outright Lap Record, set earlier this year by Suleman Esuf in his Radical SR3 RS, which stands at 58.256s (77.18mph/124.21kmh).

  In addition to Team Barbados, Gregg’s Gp4 (4wd) opposition will include T&T’s Kristian Boodoosingh in the Evo VI in which he twice finished fourth in Jamaica, and Guyana’s Andrew King, who will be racing his Mazda RX-7 at the redeveloped Bushy Park for the first time. Regional entries for Gp4 (2wd) are T&T’s points leader Boodram (Renault Megane Trophy) and Jamaica’s Peter Rae (RX-7), last seen at Bushy Park in 2014.

  CMRC Gp3 Champion for the past two years, Guyana’s Paul Vieira (RX-7), who races under the T&T flag, has won four of his six races at Bushy Park in the past two years and leads the title chase again. Just 1.5 points behind, however, is T&T’s Ronald Wortman (Civic), who made an impressive Bushy Park debut last year, finishing second twice and fourth. Third-placed Rameez Mohamed of Guyana (Toyota Starlet), Cayman Islander Gary Barrett (Civic) and Boodoosingh (Civic) complete the Gp3 regional contenders.

  The top four places in the Gp2 standings are all held by T&T drivers in Honda Civics, led by Daryl Ali, 11 points ahead of Luke Bhola, with Bridget Singh and 2015 Gp2 Champion Marc Gill completing the quartet; fellow-countryman Justin Sanguinette, also driving a Civic, will make his Bushy Park debut.

  On two wheels, with a perfect record of six race wins on his Yamaha R6, Guyana’s Bryce Prince enjoys a comfortable lead in the CMRC Superstock Championship; filling the next three places in the standings, T&T’s Warren De Nobrega (R6), Bushy Park debutante Rossi Joseph (R6) and Nicholas Gonzales (Kawasaki ZX-6R) will be hoping to find a chink in his armour.

Williams Industries International Race Meet details:

Admission to Testing on Friday, September 1 (gates open 11.00am) and Practice and Qualifying on Saturday, September 2 (gates open 11.30am), is free Race Day on Sunday, September 3 (gates and ticket booths open 7.30am): 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. Hammer 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $25, Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $40, plus General Admission pass for each occupant Tickets are now available on-line at www.bushyparkbarbados.com and at the Bushy Park Circuit Office, also at CS Pharmacy (Broad Street, Bridgetown) and Sol Speightstown and Warrens. Patrons can buy their advanced tickets using the Massy Card at the Bushy Park Circuit Office

Williams Industries International Race Meet Overseas participants at August 23, 2017

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 4 (4wd)

Kristian Boodoosingh – T&T (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI) Kyle Gregg – JAM (Radical RXC) Andrew King - GUY (Mazda RX-7)

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 4 (2wd)

Franklyn Boodram - T&T (Renault Megane Trophy) - 2017 Championship leader Peter Rae - JAM (Mazda RX-7)

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 3

Gary Barrett - CAY (Honda Civic)

Kristian Boodoosingh – T&T (Honda Civic) Rameez Mohamed – GUY (Toyota Starlet) Paul Vieira – GUY, rep T&T (Mazda RX-7) - 2017 Championship leader Ronald Wortman – T&T (Honda Civic)

Seaboard Marine CMRC Group 2

Daryl Ali - T&T (Honda Civic) - 2017 Championship leader Luke Bhola - T&T (Honda Civic) Marc Gill - T&T (Honda Civic) Justin Sanguinette – T&T (Honda Civic) Bridget Singh - T&T (Honda Civic)

Seaboard Marine CMRC Superstock

Warren De Nobriga – T&T (Yamaha R6)

Nicholas Gonzales - T&T (Kawasaki ZX-6R) Rossi Joseph - T&T (Yamaha R6) Bryce Prince – GUY (Yamaha R6) - 2017 Championship leader tba - T&T (tba)

Suzuki Challenge Series

Pascal Calvel – MTQ (Suzuki Swift Sport) David Coelho - T&T (Radical SR3 RS) Ryan Gonsalves – SVG (Radical SR3 RS) Kristian Jeffrey – GUY (Radical SR3 RS) Ryan Peyrau – T&T (Suzuki Swift Sport)