Colin Chambers Memorial Sprint hits the spot
Montego Bay celebrated one of the many motorsports icons from the western city recently with the Colin “Stuffy” Chambers Memorial Sprint held at the very venue he helped create, Spot Valley, Montego Bay.
“The drivers praised how amazing of a track was prepared for them to do battle on, and how well the event was run. They expressed their gratitude to Montego Bay Racing Association (MRA) and Spot Valley Raceway for creating the perfect conditions for a thrilling motorsport competition,” said Mark-Anthony March, event co-organiser.
Chambers was a significant root in the Montegonian motorsports scene, making his mark across all spheres of the genre, so it thought only fitting that a tribute sprint would be put on at Spot Valley.
“The track that was used at the facility was the brainchild of Chambers himself and Dave Lee, as a way to train drivers on rally driving, pace notes, and tactics in a safe environment,” explained March.
A large crowd, with attendees hailing from across the island came out to witness 12 drivers take to the circuit he helped develop. In the climactic battle amongst the top-fastest drivers it was Demar Lee in his Subaru Impreza STI who won.
Lee, in JN8, managed to not only survive and win his class, that saw multiple retirements from top names, but as usual he had been punching above his weight, battling with the JA8 winner Brandon King. Unfortunately, the showdown between both drivers, which everyone wanted to see, didn’t happen. King suffered from electrical gremlins giving him a DNF in the final run. This allowed another JN8 competitor Felix Headley to place second. Maurice Whittingham would complete the podium spots in 3rd position.
Marvin Porteous fought hard with Andrew King for JA2 class honours and claimed victory. Matthew Gore won class JA3, while the lone JC1 class competitor, Jeremy Groves, unfortunately ended his day early after hitting a tree.
“The Colin Chambers Memorial Sprint event at Spot Valley Raceway, jointly hosted by the MRA and Spot Valley Raceway, was a fitting tribute to a motorsport legend. It featured intense competition, unforgettable moments, and showcased the resilience of the drivers in the face of unexpected challenges.
“As the sun set on a day filled with triumphs, setbacks, and exceptional racing, the memory of Colin Chambers lived on in the hearts of all who attended, with sincere appreciation extended to the event’s sponsors for their invaluable support,” said March.
March added that the MRA is committed to keeping Chambers’ memory alive and aim of building better drivers going on to take top spots by hosting a series of events in 2024.