The Richard Stewart Memorial Rally Jamaica is scheduled for this this weekend, beginning with a 6:00 p.m. opening ceremony on Friday (Dec 6) at B.D. Gregg & Bros South Camp Road store.

The rally will feature 12 teams fighting over a 159-kilometre spread across 22 competitive stages for two days in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li] Kyle Gregg / Marcia Dawes[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li] Lee Vaz / Michael Fennell Jr[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Joel Jackson / Dmitri Dawkins[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Timothy Stewart / Stephen Gunter[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Thomas Hall / James Lechler[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Leslie Madden Jr / Sean Williams[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Bobby Marshall / Marcel Brandon[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Raynor King / Rameses McGregor[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Harold Morley / Terry Hamilton[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Derrick McDowell / Matthew Isaacs[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Roan Jones / Taneica Jones[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Colin Whittingham / Jameil Dunkley[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]

Saturday, December 7 sees the first car turn its wheels in anger at 9:48 a.m. at New Hall. The other stage for day one of Rally Jamaica 2019 will be Bybrook, known for its high-flying jump. These two will be run back and forth for a total of 11 stages. According to the organisers, both have been modified significantly to make them more spectator friendly and challenging for the teams. Day two starts earlier at 8:43 a.m. and uses the Mickleton and Wakefield stages. Rally fans will recognize the Wakefield stage as the signature water splash stage that has defined the December rally for decades. The New Works stage was dropped due to rain damage.

The Richard Stewart Memorial Rally Jamaica 2019 will see a strong JN8 class led by 2018 winner Kyle Gregg. Gregg will be trying to fend off challenges from the likes of Lee Vaz, 2016 winner Joel Jackson and Timothy Stewart, who came the closest to winning in 2018.

Gregg has won the only other rally on

local soil and took Rally Trinidad earlier in the year. Vaz has upgraded his

car and finds himself partnered with legendary navigator Michael Fennell Jr in

a bid for victory. Jackson skipped the whole Rallysport season to focus on

rebuilding his Subaru Impreza STI for Rally Jamaica. Stewart, who ended up in a

river last year, received a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX for 2019.

SS#         NAME

                  FCO

MTC 1   Sports Club         9:30

1             New

Hall              9:48

2             Bybrook

              10:19

3             New

Hall              11:00

4             Bybrook

              11:31

5             New

Hall              12:12

MTC 2   Sports Club         12:36

MTC 3   Sports Club         13:46

6             Koorby

                 14:13

7             New

Hall R          14:44

8             Koorby

                 15:22

9             New

Hall R          15:53

10           Koorby

                 16:31

MTC4    Sports

Club         16:49

SS#         NAME

                  FCO

MTC 5   Sports Club         8:30

11           Mickleton            8:43

12           Wakefield            9:01

13           Mickleton

           9:39

14           Wakefield            9:57

15           Mickleton

           10:35

16           Wakefield            10:53

MTC 6   Sports Club         11:28

MTC 7   Sports Club         12:31

17           Wakefield R        12:59

18           Mickleton

R        13:17

19           Wakefield R        13:55

20           Mickleton

R        14:13

21           Wakefield

R        14:51

22           Mickleton

R        15:09

MTC 8   Sports Club         15:29

— Article written by Nichola Beckford