The Richard Stewart Memorial Rally Jamaica is scheduled for this this weekend, beginning with a 6:00 p.m. opening ceremony on Friday (Dec 6) at B.D. Gregg & Bros South Camp Road store.
The rally will feature 12 teams fighting over a 159-kilometre spread across 22 competitive stages for two days in Bog Walk, St Catherine.
The teams are:
- Kyle Gregg / Marcia Dawes
- Lee Vaz / Michael Fennell Jr
- Joel Jackson / Dmitri Dawkins
- Timothy Stewart / Stephen Gunter
- Thomas Hall / James Lechler
- Leslie Madden Jr / Sean Williams
- Bobby Marshall / Marcel Brandon
- Raynor King / Rameses McGregor
- Harold Morley / Terry Hamilton
- Derrick McDowell / Matthew Isaacs
- Roan Jones / Taneica Jones
- Colin Whittingham / Jameil Dunkley
Saturday, December 7 sees the first car turn its wheels in anger at 9:48 a.m. at New Hall. The other stage for day one of Rally Jamaica 2019 will be Bybrook, known for its high-flying jump. These two will be run back and forth for a total of 11 stages. According to the organisers, both have been modified significantly to make them more spectator friendly and challenging for the teams. Day two starts earlier at 8:43 a.m. and uses the Mickleton and Wakefield stages. Rally fans will recognize the Wakefield stage as the signature water splash stage that has defined the December rally for decades. The New Works stage was dropped due to rain damage.
The Richard Stewart Memorial Rally Jamaica 2019 will see a strong JN8 class led by 2018 winner Kyle Gregg. Gregg will be trying to fend off challenges from the likes of Lee Vaz, 2016 winner Joel Jackson and Timothy Stewart, who came the closest to winning in 2018.
Gregg has won the only other rally on local soil and took Rally Trinidad earlier in the year. Vaz has upgraded his car and finds himself partnered with legendary navigator Michael Fennell Jr in a bid for victory. Jackson skipped the whole Rallysport season to focus on rebuilding his Subaru Impreza STI for Rally Jamaica. Stewart, who ended up in a river last year, received a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX for 2019.
Day one – December 7
SS# NAME FCO
MTC 1 Sports Club 9:30
1 New Hall 9:48
2 Bybrook 10:19
3 New Hall 11:00
4 Bybrook 11:31
5 New Hall 12:12
MTC 2 Sports Club 12:36
MTC 3 Sports Club 13:46
6 Koorby 14:13
7 New Hall R 14:44
8 Koorby 15:22
9 New Hall R 15:53
10 Koorby 16:31
MTC4 Sports Club 16:49
Day two – December 8
SS# NAME FCO
MTC 5 Sports Club 8:30
11 Mickleton 8:43
12 Wakefield 9:01
13 Mickleton 9:39
14 Wakefield 9:57
15 Mickleton 10:35
16 Wakefield 10:53
MTC 6 Sports Club 11:28
MTC 7 Sports Club 12:31
17 Wakefield R 12:59
18 Mickleton R 13:17
19 Wakefield R 13:55
20 Mickleton R 14:13
21 Wakefield R 14:51
22 Mickleton R 15:09
MTC 8 Sports Club 15:29
— Article written by Nichola Beckford
