“World-class show” promised as Guyana Grand Prix officially launched

In just under two months’ time, the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri will be almost unrecognisable, transformed into an international-standard track as Guyana prepares to make its debut in the GT Challenge de las Americas.
Dubbed the Guyana Grand Prix, the 3rd leg of the series will be hosted at South Dakota on July 11 and 12.
During the launch at State House on Wednesday evening, President Irfaan Ali described the event as much more than racing, highlighting its economic potential.
“This is not only about racing; this is about economics. We’re building out infrastructure; the hotels and sport tourism is an important part about what we’re building for. So, this event is part of that holistic vision to situate the investments from the Private Sector with investments from the Public Sector. It takes a lot of resources; we’re spending a lot of money at South Dakota, and we’re not spending this money without understanding the linkage to the economic spin-off that it will bring. Massive economic spin-off,” President Ali emphasised.

He added, “For a matter of fact, at the end of this investment we’ll be Level 3, and then we will be continuously be making investment because our next goal is first to continue this series here and then move towards E1 races.”
The Head of State went on to opine that Guyana can push to become the home of motorsport in the region.
President Ali posited, “We should aspire to become the unchallenged home of motor racing in the Caribbean, and why not Guyana? We already possess one of the strongest motorsport cultures in the region; we already have passionate fans, already attract regional competitors, already have skilled mechanics, engineers, tuners, drivers and promoters and, most importantly, we already possess something priceless: history. The South Dakota Circuit is not merely a track; it is part of Guyana’s sporting heritage.”

Meanwhile, GT Challenge de las Americas Marketing and communication lead Silvia Bermudez hailed Guyana’s inclusion in this year’s series as a milestone.
Bermudez noted, “The inclusion of Guyana in our calendar is a milestone that reflects the growth of the modern sports in the world. At the GT Challenge organisation, we’re pleased to be part of Guyana’s history and to share the Government’s vision for the potential of motor sports in the country. Mr President, thank you for making us part of your national pride.”
“For our part, we are committed to bringing a world-class show an to make this event the most important held in Guyana every year,” she further stated.
On the local front, Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) President Mohamad Shairaz Roshandin expressed their commitment to the growth of the sport.
“From racing on the sands of 63 Beach 70 years ago to international standards, we are not just focused on developing our sport, but our main objective is to create a tourism product that can benefit all of us. We are taking bold steps to lead the charge in this region,” Roshandin shared.
The GMR&SC boss continued, “GMRSC’s momentum will now accelerate and shift into high gear with the track development, safety requirements, meeting international standards; we can now seek to host more series and off-season testing at our facility. Guyana is on the stepping stone to greatness, and we at GMRSC will be side by side at every positive action.”
According to organisers, six Lamborghinis, one Mercedes GT3, one Renault, one McLaren, and four Porsches are amongst the line-up of luxury cars for the event in July.