Low turnout, high excitement at Dover

Chad Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Despite the absence of a large crowd at the Dover Raceway, St Ann, last Sunday, the organisers were satisfied with its overall staging. President of the Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC), Christopher McFarlane, said that a number of elements contributed to the event's success.

"It was very, very, very good. It was, according to the spectators and the racers who were there, probably one of the best meets held, ever. We didn't get a big spectator turnout, but with all the other events taking place this weekend we knew that going in," he said.

"In terms of the on-track racing excitement, the in-between shows, the general spirit that was in the air, it was amazing and we were very satisfied with the race weekend," McFarlane continued.

He also pointed out that on the track there was an amalgamation of all the racing brackets, which proved to be quite successful and very exciting, as the spectators enjoyed it thoroughly. Star of the Race titles were awarded to Andre Anderson, who had the most spectator votes, along with George Bailey, Natasha Chang, Samantha Summerbell and Noel Golding Jr.

McFarlane acknowledged that there were a few issues which could have been improved. One of these was putting on a better advertising campaign before the meet. "We could have possibly started the advertising two weeks earlier, instead of waiting two weeks. Our budget doesn't allow us to advertise at the same level as the parties," McFarlane mentioned.

In addition, he said, "we could have had a few more competitors but there was a boycott and this reduced us a bit, but nobody really missed anyone because the racing was so great."

Contributed Photos