GMR&SC sets sights on turning Berbice into Guyana’s drag racing hub – News Room Guyana

The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) is aiming far beyond another race weekend in the Ancient County, laying out bold plans to establish Berbice as the country’s drag-racing epicentre.

Ahead of Sunday’s Berbice Invasion Drag Race Meet on October 11 at the Rose Hall Canje Airstrip, the club has revealed a long-term vision to build a dedicated, permanent quarter-mile facility in the county.

GMR&SC President Mohamad Shairaz Roshandin believes Berbice’s strategic location offers a unique advantage, particularly given its proximity to neighbouring Suriname, where drag racing is immensely popular without circuit racing.

“Berbice, because it’s next to Suriname, we want to develop Berbice to be like the major hub for drag racing within Guyana,” Roshandin said. “Suriname… they’re big on drag racing; they don’t have circuit racing there. So now when we’re ready in Berbice, you’ll have more cars coming across from Suriname.”

The permanent quarter-mile drag strip is designed to create a natural cross-border circuit, attracting driver entries and travelling supporters while delivering a major economic boost to local businesses.

Roshandin emphasised that previous stagings have already demonstrated the commercial impact on the regional economy.

“We’re doing the events up there for the government and the people of Berbice to see what there is to gain out of it,” Roshandin explained. “Because whenever we go up there, all the hotels are sold out, the food places are getting business, the supermarkets, everywhere is getting business… if the team comes over from Suriname, they’re going to bring following, and this will help Berbice in a positive way too.”

He added: “The business people up there, they’re already enthusiastic about having this entertainment happening probably three times per year. Once we have a strip up there, it’s going to work.”

The enthusiasm isn’t confined to commercial vendors, with local motorsport fans actively buying and tuning everyday road vehicles to take to the track.

“It’s more of excitement for the people of Berbice rather than excitement of GMR&SC,” Roshandin noted. “A lot of people in Berbice, they went out and bought cars; some of them are fixing their everyday car to come out and drive and have fun up there.”

Sunday’s event has already drawn massive interest across the region, with more than 100 drivers registered and organisers expecting the final grid to approach 120 competitors following a late surge in online entries.

Setup teams are already on site at the Rose Hall Canje Airstrip preparing the venue and calibrating timing systems ahead of the 10:00 local time start, which will feature a full day of head-to-head action across high-performance and modified vehicle classes.

“We are elated to see the large support for this Berbice event from competitors,” a GMR&SC spokesman said. “The fan support already in the ancient county is tremendous. People are stopping us on the roads and in shops to ask about tickets, and it’s really heartening to see the love that Berbice has for us.”

To manage the anticipated crowd and address delays experienced at previous events, organisers have restructured spectator logistics in partnership with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

Four designated parking zones have been established—including three free areas provided by GuySuCo and a paid parking section—serviced by dedicated shuttle buses that run directly to the venue gates and pick up fans walking along the roadway.

“The last time we had some delays, and we’re trying to fix all the problems as we go along,” Roshandin said. “One of the problems was that the spectators took a little while to get in; parking was a problem. This time around, Guysuco has given us three parking spots to park for free; there’s also a paid parking area down there.”

“You can utilise any of the four spots to park, and we’re going to have shuttle buses… if you park along the roadway and you’re walking, the shuttle buses can pick you up and bring you straight into the venue.”

Major sponsors for the meet include ENet, Tropical Shipping, Castrol, GuyOil, and KFC. GMR&SC officials have confirmed that strict security protocols will be enforced throughout the day, including prohibitions on outside food and drinks, unauthorised vending, and reckless driving near the circuit perimeter.

Source: NEW ROOMS SITE