Grand plans for Grand Prix

Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Co-ordinator

The dream of staging a downtown Kingston Grand Prix later this year is still on the agenda of the Jamaica Race Drivers' Club (JRDC).

"Last year, the previous administration had endorsed the event and wanted it to become a part of the rebirth of downtown Kingston.

With a new administration in place, we have put it back on the agenda and hope it will be a part of Jamaica's 50th Independence Celebration," president of the JRDC, Captain Mark Carey, told Automotives on Friday.

Captain Carey said he and his team are in discussions with the Government about plans for the event.

"We are concerned about some of the streets in downtown Kingston. Though they have been paved and are now smooth, the roads are too narrow. We have identified a surface near the Causeway, St Catherine, but we are still in discussion with the agencies," Carey said.

Automotives understands the Grand Prix has been scheduled for August 8 and local stakeholders are excited at the prospect of the inaugural staging.

Automotives made attempts to contact Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna Hanna about the Grand Prix being part of the Jamaica 50 calendar, but was unsuccessful. However, Minister of Sports Natalie Neita-Headley explained that all projects for the upcoming Independence celebrations will have go through a process.

"At the moment, I cannot say if the Grand Prix will be a part of the celebration. There is a committee that is reviewing all the projects. As for me, I have not seen anything come to my desk about the JRDC," Neita-Headley said.

The event had received the blessings of former minister of youth, sports and culture, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, who was upbeat about the project, which she believes will benefit the nation's capital, both in revenue and goodwill.

"I endorse this event because it is one of the many things that are set to take place in support of sports tourism," the former minister told Automotives in a previous interview.