Rally champ Powell in Jamaica race

CHAMPION Trinidad and Tobago rally driver John Powell heads a three-man team at the two-day Petcom/Jamaica Motoring Club 2003 International Rally beginning today.

The other local drivers are Peter Morris and Ainsley Lochan who are all expected at the wheel of Mitsubishi Evolutions. The Trinidad fans will match their rally skills against five drivers from Barbados, two each from Japan and England, one from Sweden along with the host country. Defending champion is Jamaican Jeffrey Panton who steered his Toyota Celica to victory. But he will be under stiff competition this time from fellow-Jamaicans David Summerbell and Doug Gore, Bajans Trevor “Mice” Manning and Paul Bourne and the Trinidadian challengers. Meanwhile, the Trinidad and Tobago Rally Club held their annual awards ceremony recently and voted Powell “Driver of the Year,” Dr Surendra Dhanraj “Navigator of the Year.” Among the others to receive awards were Fawaz Mohammed and Ishwar Patel.