Karters face off today

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator

After yesterday's spills and thrills at the Palisadoes Raceway in Kingston, the two-day international karting carnival climaxes today with an action-packed 17-race programme.

Four Americans karters will be competing in the event with a view to qualify for this year's Pan American Rotax Challenge Finals.

The Pan American Rotax Challenge Finals is scheduled for New Castle, 40 minutes outside of Indianapolis in the United States, between September 22 and 25.

Interested karters from the 32 participating countries must compete in at least four Pan Am Rotax qualifying events to meet the criteria and compete in the finals. On that basis, Jamaica was chosen as one of the venues, and today's international meet is one in which karters can qualify.

"The qualifying session is expected to begin at 9 a.m.," said Peter Rae, president of the Jamaica Karting Association (JKA).

The list of United States-based karters includes twin Annie and Toni Breidinger, who are from San Francisco, California.

The 12-year-old girls, who have under three years of experience in competitive racing, began their driving career at the Jim Russell Karting School in 2008.

"I am going out there to do my best and just hope for a podium finish," Annie (Breidinger) told Automotives on Friday. Sebastian Sierra, another of the visiting American karters, has two and a half years experience under his belt and has aspirations to become a Formula One racer.

championship meets

Sierra has competed in a number of championship meets across Florida and he, too, will be taking the grid in the Mini Max class.Today, those visiting karters will be severely tested by Jamaica's Joshua Sirgany and Jonathan Law in the Mini Max class. The Rotax Junior class is expected to produce some exciting showdown between Collin Daley Jr, Thomas Issa, William Myers and Matthew Williams.

Carlos Duenas, another American, is a 29-year-old karter who got hooked to the sport 15 years ago. He was runner-up in the Shifter Class at the 1998 and 1999 Florida Winter Tour championship. He was also the 2005 Easy Kart National Champion. He will be challenging Justine Jackson, Martin Anderson and Phillip Myers.

In the meantime, Bill Wright, owner of Formula Kart Production, arrived in the island Thursday to continue discussion with the JKA, government officials and other motorsport interest about the staging of the Pan Am Rotax Max Finals in Jamaica next year.

"I have been in discussion with the JKA about the possible date of staging the event here," said Wright, who will also be attending today's meet.