Hassan shines amidst the gloom

GMR&SC National Race of Champions…

Rain certainly did not dampen the competitive spirit of Group 1 driver Azad Hassan, who expertly piloted his machine to win all six of the races in which he competed at the National Race of Champions at the South Dakota Circuit on Sunday.
Driving his Toyota AE 91 like the maestro he is, Hassan won all three races in his usual Street Tuner (1500cc) category, before pitting his skills against those of the drivers in the Sports Tuner (1600cc) category and obliterating the competition to win all three races in that category, in the process thrilling the small but jubilant crowd in attendance.

Team ER Racing driver Azad Hassan flanked by his crew in the pits

Group 3 was literally owned by Vishok Persaud in his Lotus machine. He won three races, while Group Two honours were shared by Ramez Mohamed, Chet Singh, Adrian Fernandes and Shairaz Roshandin.
The rain restricted the Super Stock Motor Bike races to a single event, which was won by Heemad Boodhram ahead of Matthew Vieira and John Bennett. In the attempt to have another such race staged, tragedy struck when Boodhram fell off his bike and onto his face when he had just existed the gooseneck. He was immediately flown to the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at Ogle, ECD, from whence he was rushed to the Woodlands Hospital at Carmichael Street in Georgetown to undergo emergency treatment. Up to press time, this publication was made to understand that the rider was undergoing CT scans.
Biker Kevin Persaud likewise had a fall at the gooseneck, but was still able to race after wards.
The rain also forced cancellation of many of the crowd-attraction Group Four races and hampered the progress of many other races.
This race meet was used as a warm-up activity for the second round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) slated for July 30 at the Frankie Boodram Wallerfield International Raceway in Trinidad and Tobago.
Organised by the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC), the meet was sponsored by ANSA McAL, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio, and Choke Gas Station.