Easter racing could be on the cards
JRDC chairman needs restart to keep the lights on
Published:Thursday | February 24, 2022 | 12:13 AMRobert Bailey/Gleaner Writer
CHAIRMAN OF the Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC), Junior Barnes, said anticipation is very high ahead of the return of motor racing at Dover raceway in St Ann on Easter Monday, April 18.
According to Barnes, his organisation submitted all their relevant COVID-19 guidelines to the Government for the safe return of the sport, and he is confident that they will receive the go-ahead for the return of the sport on this date.
“I am feeling very good about this date because this is the closest that we have ever been and I think that is going to be one of the biggest race meets at Dover ever,” said Barnes.
“The drivers and riders have been waiting for two years and therefore they are ready for this and they are looking forward to just going out there and competing against each other,” he said.
“They have been coming out every first Saturday and first Sunday of the month to practice and just bonding with each other and there have also been some very fast times on a grey track, meaning that the track hasn’t been used, and the cars are one to two seconds faster,” Barnes said.
The last JRDC race meet was staged in Jamaica in 2019.
Barnes pointed out that he is also quite confident that they will be given approval for spectators to attend the race meet.
“We have applied for spectators, and based on what is happening now, we are almost certain that we will get the go-ahead for the spectators and we are targeting over 3,000 spectators,” he said.
“I am feeling very upbeat, and I am feeling excited because I am feeling like I am finally getting somewhere,” Barnes said.
“I have done this eight times in the last two years, which is getting the place ready and spending millions of dollars just hoping that we would have some competition, but it never happened,” he said.
Barnes also mentioned that the JRDC was desperate for the resumption of the sport because the association has been experiencing major financial challenges over the course of the sport’s hiatus in Jamaica.
“I think this is the closest that we have been, and I am positive that they (Government) will grant us a favour for this race meet,” he said.
“Our lease is going to be up in March, and so we need this meet in order to pay our debts, and so it is very vital and very important for the JRDC that this meet come to fruition,” Barnes noted.