- Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
The Mitsubishi Evolution 6 of Gray Gregg (driver) and Hugh Hutchinson (navigator) splashes through a ditch of water in Wakefield, St. Catherine, during one of the special stages of the Petcom/JMC International Stages Rally which started yesterday.
Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
JAMAICA'S MULTI-TALENTED rally driver Jeffery Panton and his young navigator, Justin Morin, were the provisional leaders in the JMC/Petcom International Stages Rally up to yesterday afternoon.
Reports were that Panton had a time of 35.70 minutes, followed by defending champion Doug Gore/Mark Nelson, 38.45, and the Barbados pair of Trevor Manning and Heath Hazel.
The 28 competitors, including eight overseas drivers, got off to a fine start yesterday at the Naggo Head Service Station in Portmore, St. Catherine.
The excitement and fun began at the Caymanas Stage in the dusty and bumping terrain. Among those who entertained the large crowd with their superb driving skills were Panton, Doug Gore, David Summerbell, Gary Gregg, Richie Rerrie and Roger Skeete.
Racing against the clock, the event became more challenging after leaving Innswood in St. Catherine. The competitors worst nightmare was again the water splash stage at Wakefield, St. Catherine.
Summerbell, who was doing fine up to that stage, got stuck in the ditch of water and had to be pulled out by fans. The cars of Rerrie and Leslie Madden also came to a halt after coming out of the water, but they were luckily saved by a group of fans who gave them a push start.
By then a number of cars had begun to succumb to the rigours of the rally. Among those who dropped out were Summerbell, Rory King, Kowesi Golding and Marc Evans.
There were no reports of any serious mishaps or accident involving any of the competitors. The first day of the Petcom/JMC organised event ended at the Hagley Park Road Petcom Service Station. It will restart today, 7:00 a.m. at the Petcom Service Station in Portmore, St. Catherine.
