CMRC November 24 Meet…Past year’s achievement means nothing if I don’t perform well on Nov.24 – Jeffrey

Nov 06, 2013 Sports

---

 

By Rawle Welch
No one in motor racing could refute the fact that Guyana’s No.1 driver Kevin Jeffrey has enjoyed a wonderful year in terms of his personal performance, but according to the ace driver, that will mean nothing if he doesn’t do well at the upcoming final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) set for November 24, at the South Dakota Circuit.
Jeffrey, who underwent a hip surgery earlier this year, was speaking with Kaieteur Sport yesterday at the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) where he was seen going through some stretching exercises as part of his fitness regimen ahead of the anticipated showdown against the rest of the Caribbean.

“Definitely I’ve had a good year or so and the car has been consistent and reliable and our focus at the last Race Meet was to ascertain its reliability. We had some issues with the suspension and we managed to sort it out, while we’ve also refreshed the no.1 engine which we’ll use at the upcoming Meet,” Jeffrey disclosed.
Jeffrey said that they will have to be almost perfect to compete with Jamaica’s Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore’s Audi TT, a car that is regarded as one of the fastest in the Region.
He added that he is eagerly looking forward to the challenge because he believes that the South Dakota Circuit is one he knows well and offers him the best chance of beating Gore.
According to Jeffrey, who raced against the Jamaican in ‘Reggae Land’ earleir this year in the opening leg of the CMRC, they raced side by side in the one of the races and it presented him with the opportunity to identify Gore’s strength and weakness as well as his own and he has studied the information since and will use it to good effect come race day.
Jeffrey regarded the qualifying sessions as vitally important towards the outcome of their highly anticipated duel, informing that his wish is to qualify on the front row.
“Presently the car has been stripped by my team of mechanics which is headed by Brian Ten-Pow and they are in the process of rebuilding it to ensure that come race day, it will perform consistent and reliable as was the case throughout the past year.”
Though not desirous of placing the burden of Guyana’s chances on himself, Jeffrey felt that because of his past performances the onus is on him to lead the country’s charge for the overall title.
“Our quest for the championship crown depends on my personal performance and this is not to downplay or even deem inconsequential the presence of drivers such as Andrew King, Mark and Paul Vieira or Vishok Persaud and Irfaan Kalamadeen, our chances will also rest of their performances as well,” Jeffrey said.

Rather, Jeffrey stated that they are all very important and their performances are just as vital, especially if Guyana is to successfully defend home turf. He pointed out that the return of Mark Vieira, who is highly respected among his Caribbean counterparts is an added boost to their chances and he feels that Guyana have an excellent opportunity to defeat the visiting contingents.
Not prepared to divulge much on a possible surprise addition to the team, the experienced would only say that they’ve acquired a similar Mitsubishi Evolution 8 to his and should the mechanics be able to finish both cars then there is a real possibility of him making a public disclosure sometime shortly.
Jeffrey urged fans to come out in their numbers since their support will be crucial, especially when it is considered that Jamaica and Barbados has dispatched to these shores four and five 40-foot containers respectively loaded with the competitors’ cars which mean that they are both fully subscribed for the relevant categories.
Touching on a disappointing issue, Jeffrey revealed that defending champion Jamaican David Summerbell Jr. will not be coming to defend his title in Guyana and this he referred to as an upsetting development.
Pressed to disclose the nature of the issue, Jeffrey would only say that if he was in Summerbell’s position his decision to not attend the Meet would have been similar.
He, however, conceded that even in the absence of Summerbell the races are going to be highly competitive and exciting with the strong contingents that are coming to attempt to upstage Guyana on home soil.
“This is why the fans support is crucial it sets our adrenalin flowing and adds that much needed impetus to our performance,” Jeffrey mentioned.
He extended gratitude to the following sponsors for their continued support and they are: Doosan, Infab, Automotive Art, Naipaul’s Auto Body, Shivo and Ways Performance and Tampa Bay Tuned.

 

 

---

---