Demar Lee, alongside co-driver Ameer Johnson were the winners of the December Rally held on Sunday, December 3, in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

“This is my first rally win. Last year I came second; this year first, so it felt good,” Lee told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

December Rally Reboot was an event of attrition, as over half the field exited before the end due to mechanical maladies or driving errors. For many of the crews this was the first and only rally for 2023 and only the second rallysport event as the genre attempts to regain its footing post-COVID-19.

“This year I just tried to stay smooth and tried to keep it on track,” said Lee.

Finishing second was Lee Vaz, who made it a Subaru one-two after brushing off the rally rust.

“It was a stressful day behind the wheel. It felt like a lot of cobwebs, but we got through. We had a good team and without them we wouldn’t have been anywhere today,” said Vaz.

Completing the podium positions was Raynor King, another rally rookie. He was one of the three King family members taking part in the event and the top finisher amongst them.

“For me, my rally career has been a bunch of downs and ups. This is an up. It’s actually great to be in a four-wheel drive rally car. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. The car and the podium are a dream come true for me,” King said.

King dedicated his win to the late Daryl King, who passed suddenly in 2015.

“I watched Daryl doing a lot of tricks, driving from I was a boy coming up. I always thought he was the greatest thing with car control, he just needed the machine. I’m just here learning from him still, trying to remember what he used to do, and trying to fulfil his dream of driving a four-wheel drive,” King explained.

The team of Derrick McDowell and Matthew Isaacs were the fastest two-wheel drive competitors on the day.