2019 has been a good year for Jamaican racecar driver Fraser McConnell.

The 21-year-old spent the year showing off his skills in the Americas (ARX) and World Rallycross (World RX) series, ending both on a strong note. In America, he was crowned the ARX2 champion while on the international scene he was fourth in the points in the RX2 on his debut in the class, and snagged the RX2 Fan Favourite Award.

“Winning the Fan Favourite (Award) was a true testament to the dedication of TeamFrazzz fans. I can say, without a doubt, that I have the best fans in the world of rallycross. When I heard the numbers from the voting polls, I could not believe it. I received 67 per cent of the votes for the Fan Favourite, more than two times the votes for second place. I’m crediting this one to all of the TeamFrazzz fans around the world, but special thanks to the day-one fans at home. I don’t know how to express my gratitude,” McConnell told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

Fraser finished second overall at the WRX finale in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 9.

“I thought my performance in South Africa was my best performance to date in RX2. Our pace was good, very good actually. During the practice sessions, only six-10ths of a second separated the top nine, and in the final I lost many places during the first two corners, due to contact, but was the fastest car by two-tenths of a second per lap and was able to climb back to second by the time of the chequered flag. The OMSE (Olsbergs Motorsports Evolution) team did a great job with giving me a great car and unfortunately second was the best I could give them. The South African crowd was also by far the best! Such a great atmosphere at the track and it wasn’t long before the TeamFrazzz energy spread throughout the entire grandstands. I feel so blessed to be able to represent a country as likeable as Jamaica, and I hope that I get the opportunity to continue in the future,” he said.

And that future is where McConnell is focused now as the ARX series has been cancelled. Days after his performance in South Africa, IMG, the Americas Rallycross Championship organisers, announced that they would not be extending the series beyond 2019.

“We are planning to compete in the FIA RX2 International Series again as I feel that I have the potential to bring home another Rallycross championship to Jamaica. We also plan to do some supercar tests/events but as we all know it is all dependent on what funds can be raised,” he said.

Ironically, McConnell was given a supercar test drive as part of his prize ARX2 package, where he impressed ARX driver and Loenbro Motorsports Team Manager Steve Arpin. With the ARX Championship now scrapped, this means that McConnell won’t be competing at home as he sets his eyes on international competition.

“Right now, my management team and I are focused on fixing a budget for 2020. This time of year I am normally preparing for Rally Jamaica, but unfortunately, this year I must sit back and try to secure some more sponsorship for next year.”