JMMC/Petcom Rally Jamaica 2010 set the stage for the beginning of the three-day Invitational Stages event between December 3-5 with a Wednesday evening Drivers’ Meeting and Cocktails at the Knutsford Court Hotel Courtyard in Kingston.

Following MC Errol Anderson’s welcoming address and Craig Plunkett’s (Petcom) headline sponsor’s statements along with remarks from Supreme Ventures’ Julian Walker and Larry Henriques, it was clear the tremendous marketing effort to ensure the Rally took place did not adequately produce the financial cushion needed to raise the level of participation among drivers to more than 24 this year.

The event has, in the past, attracted many more drivers for the end-of-year event, but according to event organiser Henriques, the downturn in the global economy caused a major fall-off in attendance.

Despite this, however, this year’s event is not one to be missed as the lack of participants will be compensated for with quality performances.

Seven WRC racing machines will be taking part for the first time, including two super wheels in the 2008 Subaru Impreza N14s, which are among the fastest world rally cars to be on display.

Said Henriques: “Despite the fall-off in numbers this year, Rally Jamaica remains an important event on the calendar for overseas entrants and the idea that the event is attracting this level of fast cars is an indication of the interest that is steadily growing in the Jamaican event.

“By next year we’re expecting to see a much larger field… with probably even better quality cars,” he added.

Following a drivers’ scrutineering exercise at the Knutsford Court Hotel’s Ruthven Road Car Park between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm yesterday, the three-day event gets underway in this afternoon in New Kingston when Knutsford Boulevard will be blocked at about 5 o’clock for the official opening ceremony to welcome entrants and their rides.

The evening is structured to be a convivial and socially relaxing atmosphere accompanied by music.

The fireworks begin tomorrow when the town of Lyford, St Ann will be awakened to the sounds of anti-lag and the smell of race gas in the morning at about 8:00.

It will be a full day of racing in St Ann where the alternating stages will be in use in the vicinity of Lydford, Moneague and surrounding areas.

On Sunday, the final day of competition, competitors will be a little closer to Kingston when they tackle the Tru-Juice Orange Grove of Bog Walk, St Catherine, and surrounding areas at about 8:00 in the morning.

They will then return to Kingston for the Super Special Sunday evening where they will do three stages along the waterfront in downtown Kingston with only two of the stages offering points.

The closing event will have a very entertaining super special stage where all fans can view from where they stand. Following this, there will be an elaborate after-party for competitors and fans to mingle and dance up a storm.