Thompson set for CMRC Group 2 fight at Williams International

At the wheel of the Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio Beauty/SLAM 101.1FM/Automotive Art/Berger Paint/King Ocean Honda Civic, Thompson will be playing catch-up; he missed round one in Jamaica, then scored a disappointing, by his high standards, 23 points at Wallerfield (T&T). Now eighth in the table, Thompson has a good chance of moving up, as a number of drivers who scored in earlier rounds will be absent. With 29 race wins in 66 races, along with nine podium finishes, Thompson is comfortably the most successful driver in CMRC Gp2, but nothing is a given in this highly competitive category.

The only non-Bajan to have won the Gp2 title, T&T’s Gill (Liqui Moly Civic) did so despite failing to win a race in 2015, although he scored points in every round – no other driver did so - including three second-place finishes to Thompson at Bushy Park. In 2016, he finished second to Thompson at year-end and was again the Bajan’s strongest challenger at Bushy Park, winning race one, before following the local driver home in races two and three. This year, a hat-trick of race wins at his home circuit has placed him second in the standings to fellow-countryman Luke Bhola, but Bhola will be focusing on the Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup at Bushy Park and not racing in Gp2.

Joining Gill from T&T are Justin Sanguinette (Auto Center Civic), who is currently fourth in the Gp2 standings, and Daryl Ali (AutoNation/Valvoline Civic). Sanguinette finished fifth in Gp2 last year after only two race meets, his better weekend being an impressive hat-trick of second places to Thompson at Bushy Park, while Ali finished second in 2017, a consistent points-scorer, his best results a race win and two-second places in Jamaica.

After campaigning in Gp3 in recent years, Thompson’s brother Kurt, who won the CMRC Gp2 title in 2013, returns to the class in the Glassesco/NKM Clothing/Bio-Beauty/King Ocean/Berger Paints/Slam 101.1FM Honda Civic which he has been rallying this year. Drivers currently confirmed for CMRC Gp2 also include Guyana’s Rameez Mohamed (BM Soat Auto Sales & Spares Honda Civic), plus local drivers Andre Corbin (CA Autobody Repairs/Twenty2 Bar/Ince-Line Design/Hi-Speed Performance Parts/Treda Rentals Toyota Corolla SR) and Darren Lashley (Hi-Speed Performance Parts/C A Autobody Repairs/Sky Drive Rentals/Turk Lashley Motorsport Honda Integra).

Organised by Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc (BPMSI), the Williams Industries International Race Meet will run on the 2.01-kilometre International Circuit; in addition the CMRC categories, Groups 1 to 4 for cars and Superstock 600 Bikes, which will include BPMSI’s points-scoring classes, the meeting will also feature the Radical Caribbean SR3 Cup’s third round and the BMW Challenge. While it was originally announced that the first sequence of races would be run on Saturday afternoon, a revised timetable now shows all 22 races on Sunday, when the track action will climax with the traditional Hilti Handicap for Cars.

After the first two rounds of the 2018 CMRC, at the Jamwest Raceway in Jamaica in May and the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway (T&T) last month, the early host nations are ahead, following the established pattern of recent years: T&T leads the Country Championship standings with 905 points, ahead of Jamaica (526), Antigua (205), Barbados (150), Guyana (108), CAMS (80) and the Cayman Islands (32).

Williams Industries International Race Meet details: Friday, August 31 (gates open at 11.00am) – Testing: admission free Saturday, September 1 (Gate 3 and North ticket booth opens at 11.30am) – Practice and Qualifying for all classes: admission free to patrons who purchase tickets for Sunday Sunday, September 2 (gates and ticket booths open at 10.45am) - Race Day: Coolers welcome, except in Clubhouse. General Admission Bds $25; Clubhouse (food and drink on sale) Bds $50; 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 online at www.bushyparkbarbados.com and at the Bushy Park Circuit Office, also CS Pharmacy (Broad Street, Bridgetown), Fresh Market (Coverley) and Sol Warrens, St Michael

For media information only. No regulatory value

For more information on Bushy Park Barbados: www.bushyparkbarbados.com or Facebook.com/BushyParkBarbados For more information on Bushy Park Motor Sports Inc: www.bushyparkmotorsportsinc.com or Facebook.com/BPMSInc

For further media information, contact Bushy Park Barbados Media Team: e-mail: media@bushyparkbarbados.com