‘Car 160’ driven by Rasheed January to debut at Vitz Cup 2025

…Rookie driver ready to turn up the heat on April 27

Rasheed January, who attains the age of 24 years in a few months’ time, is set to make his debut at the first-ever Vitz Cup Championship slated for the South Dakota Circuit on April 27, 2025.

Set to complete against several newcomers to the motor racing fraternity – including Luis Kumar and Kunal Persaud, among other well-skilled and talented debutants – January will be driving his 2013 Toyota Vitz RS which features the number ‘160’ on Race Day. This being the first time he would be involved in a competition of this magnitude, his main intention is to learn as much as he can while soaking in the full experience.
“I’m excited to see how I perform under real race conditions, and how I stack up against others. Of course, I want to do well, but more than anything, I’m focused on gaining confidence, understanding the flow of competition, and identifying areas where I can improve. I know this is just the beginning, so I’m aiming to grow from every lap and every challenge on the track,” he told Guyana Times Sport in a recent interview.

Besides competing in the highly-anticipated Vitz Cup and the Rookie Series for the first time, January wants to increase his seat time and have a better understanding of the track, having conceded that the lack of experience could become a major challenge for him.

“One of (my) biggest challenges would be the lack of experience in an actual race environment, since I have little experience with racing around other cars. The advantage is that I am coming with a fresh mindset, eager to learn and plan to use this experience to improve with every race meet,” he told Guyana Times Sport.
This young man has had a passion for racing cars from a tender age, and having attributed that calling to the movie sequel “Fast and Furious”, is not in the least intimidated by the competition.

“Most of the other drivers in the class I am already very familiar with. Some I know before getting into the sport and some I met while in the media fraternity. However, that does not mean that the heat isn’t on, since all of the drivers are very eager to get on the track to dominate,” he disclosed.
Heading into the race later this month, his best lap time is 1:41 with stock weight and street tyres. “On race day I will have the required track tyres, and (I) am using a smaller wheel size, which should help to shave that time down by at least three seconds. I also plan to drive a bit more aggressive to keep a pace and position,” he disclosed.
While he intends to eventually join other categories, his focus in performing well in the Vitz Cup. “After I complete my rookie year, I may get into Group 1 racing with another vehicle; but I will still be competing in the Vitz Cup,” he disclosed.
Asked whether he is nervous ahead of race day, his reply was, “Definitely! There are some butterflies! I think it’s completely normal, especially since it’s my first time. There’s that mix of excitement and nerves: wondering how everything will go, how I’ll handle the pressure, and if I’ll perform the way I’ve trained to. But at the same time, that nervous energy fuels me.”
January recognises that motor racing is evolving around the world, and he feels that getting women involved in this male-dominated sport would bring some excitement on the track.
“I think this is great! I love to see female drivers on the track competing; there are some that race against males and won. It is always exciting and thrilling to see women racing, and I would love to see that expand, hopefully in the very near future,” he detailed.
January thinks that females should be treated as equal to males on or off the track, and nobody should be sidelined or be discriminated against.
“In February, we (saw) at the Drag Race Meet that a female competitor raced against a batch of males and won the 16-second companionship. The entire crowd was cheering every time she went forward. The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) is also working on increasing the number of women involved in racing, and are finding new ways of recruiting to improve that aspect of the sport,” he declared.
He added that motor racing in Guyana has its length to go, but with support from the racers and the motor racing committee, the sport would be able to grow and possibly attract the largest crowd for any sporting event in Guyana.
In regard to his personal growth, January related that, in the next five years, he would like to compete in two other classes.
He has commended the GMR&SC for doing a great job at recruiting passionate young drivers to the sport.
“The Vitz Cup serves as an example of this, since it brings close to 10 new drivers into the sport. Once the club continues to do things like this, new drivers will definitely be attracted to the sport,” he opined.
January has disclosed that while racing is an exciting sport, it is also one of the most expensive sports – if not the most expensive sport – to be a part of; and he would like to express his heartfelt gratitude to the several individuals and companies who have thrown their support behind him. Among those are Sankar’s Auto Works, Best Buy Auto Sales, Ramah’s Auto Sales, Tokyo Motors, Adamanthium Holdings, Elian’s Trucking Service, and N Persaud Auto Deal.
“Acquiring sponsors (is) a bit tough, since I am a new face to racing; but I am extremely grateful for the ones that responded and assisted me with getting into the sport, and I intend to promote them to the best of my ability on race day,” he related.
Meanwhile, asked whether the absence of seasoned drivers has left a void in the motor racing fraternity, the young sport fanatic responded that while it is unfortunate that some of the fastest bikers and racers are no longer competing, there is still plenty of competition available.
“It’s true that seasoned racers are leaving, but let’s not forget that new drivers are coming as well. There are many events scheduled for race day, which proves (that day) to be very exciting,”
He has said.
His advice to young persons who want to join the sport is to follow their dreams, but, at the same time, “Go in with patience and dedication”.
“Racing isn’t just about speed; it’s about discipline, learning the craft, and respecting the process. Start by building a strong foundation, whether that’s through karting, simulators, or just learning about the mechanics of racing. Surround yourself with people who know the sport and aren’t afraid to push you to be better…,” he detailed.
Apart from racing, he works on cars and plays video games – mainly simulator racing games – such as Assetto Corsa & Forza Motorsport.