With the third staging of the JN Racers Grand Prix now 11 days away, organisers of the highly anticipated event is giving patrons a delight with a 48-hour extension to online ticket sales, while physical tickets will go on sale this weekend.

Online ticket sales had closed on May 25 and physical tickets were initially scheduled to go on sale next Monday in the week of the meet.

But according to Cynthia Cooke, general secretary of the Racers Track Club, the early closure of the online portal provoked the ire of athletics lovers, who vented their disgust and as such the decision was taken to extend the closing date.

The 48-hour timeline means that online tickets will again be available for sale from midnight until Wednesday.

Admission to the JN Racers Grand Prix is $6,000 or US$50 for grandstand finish line and $3,500 or US$29.20 for other areas of the grandstand, while patrons will pay $1,000 or US$8.35 to access the bleachers.

Online tickets can be purchased at racersgrandprix.com and mysticonline.com.

“Patrons have called us and are upset that it was closed already and stating that they forgot and asking why the online portal was close and so we decided to extend it by 48 hours,” Cooke told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

She added that tickets will also be available at various outlets to include Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, JN Half-Way Tree, JN Duke Street, Knutsford Money Shop, Barbican, Spanish Town and Portmore on Friday June 1.

Ticket sales at the Jamaica Pegasus will start at 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.

Cooke pointed out that most interest surrounds the Grandstand finish line tickets for the high class event dubbed “Stars, The Next Generation”, and used this platform to encourage patrons to ensure they secure a ticket before the June 9 event.

“People are buying mostly the finish line tickets, which means other areas have not been as much, so I encourage patrons to get those tickets before they are gone,” she said.

Despite the absence of the legendary Usain Bolt, the Racers Grand Prix promises another spectacular showing with a number of the world’s finest young local and international talents set to converge for what should be another memorable night inside the National Stadium.

Fresh from competition at the recent 21st Commonwealth Games down under, the Jamaicans are set to renew rivalries with their international counterparts, who are certainly expected to excite those in attendance with over four hours of exhilarating action.

Currently, Yohan Blake is set to go up against compatriots Kemar Bailey-Cole and Julian Forte, with Japan’s Aska Cambridge and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes also in the mix for the 100m.

Meanwhile, Shericka Jackson, Sashalee Forbes and Sherone Simpson are set to do battle against inform Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, with Americans Kyra Jefferson and Candyce McGrone also provisionally lined up for the mouth-watering women’s 200m.

The men’s 400m is also among the enticing events with Jamaicans Javon Francis and Demish Gaye set to battle Americans Michael Cherry and Tony McQuay. Trinidad and Tobago’s duo of Lalonde Gordon and Machel Cedenio are also provisionally lined up along with Commonwealth Games silver medallist Karabo Sibanda of Botswana.

Athletes from more than five countries are expected to compete at the meet that will be held to aid in the development of Jamaica’s athletics and that of the Racers Track Club.

A total of 13 international events — six on the men’s side and seven for the women’s — will be contested to be complemented by four Olympic Development events. The women will compete in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m as well as the triple jump and shot put, while the men will lock horns in the 100m, 200m, 110m hurdles, 400m, as well as the discus and high jump.