Seaboard Marine 2011 Caribbean Motor Racing Championship Statement

After consultation with the stakeholders in each country, the organising committee of the Seaboard Marine Caribbean Motor Racing Championship has confirmed by majority vote that the results of the third CMRC race staged in Barbados last Sunday (August 28) will not be made official; the race will be re-run in Guyana at the CMRC final in November.

The Seaboard Marine CMRC is jointly administered by the Barbados Auto Racing League (BARL), the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) and the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club (JRDC). The clubs nominate a CMRC representative for each leg, with the Chairmanship of the committee rotating: in Barbados, the committee comprised Mahendra Boodhoo (Guyana, Chairman), Hilary Jardine (Jamaica) and Kurt Seabra (Barbados).

Last weekend’s BARL-organised Williams Digicel International Race Meet was run in challenging conditions, following heavy rain over a period of days, which resulted in Saturday qualifying being abandoned. Sunday’s final CMRC race was run as light was fading over the island’s Bushy Park racetrack.

BARL Secretary Kurt Seabra said: “In the strictest sense, proper race procedure was not - and could not - be followed. Our races are controlled by flag signals and, in this instance, drivers, by their own admission, could not possibly see whether any such flags were waved. This led to the confusion of drivers slowing, because they could not see, or because they thought the race was over. Some cars were bumped, forcing them to retire from the race, and neither officials nor drivers can correctly say by whom.

“After speaking to Mahendra Boodhoo, the Guyana CMRC representative and Chairman of the Barbados leg, as well as all the drivers of Team Barbados and Team Guyana, there is a consensus that it would make a bad situation worse if we make the results of this race official. Unfortunately, Team Jamaica is not in favour of our decision.”

The solution endorsed by Barbados and Guyana is that the race will be re-run prior to the qualifying session for the final round of the CMRC at the South Dakota racetrack in Guyana on Saturday, November 12. The grid positions will be as they were for the final race in Barbados, and competitors will be allowed two additional slick tyres over the eight already allocated for each CMRC round.

Positions after two rounds

Driver

1              David Summerbell Jnr (JAM)       44
2              Mark Maloney (BAR)      31
3              Roger Mayers (BAR)       20
4              Doug Maloney (BAR)      20
5              Stuart Williams (BAR)     19
6              Paul Vieira (GUY)             16
7              Barry Mayers (BAR)        12
8              Chris Campbell (JAM)     7
9              Peter Rae (JAM)               7
10           George Bayley (JAM)     5
11           Andrew King (GUY)         5
12           Ryon Gayadin (GUY)       5
13           Andre Anderson (JAM) 3
14           Mark Vieira (GUY)           1

Country

1              Barbados             102
2              Jamaica                64
3              Guyana                27