Nichola Beckford/Contributor

Brandon Shor is Jamaica’s top karter for 2022. The 10-year-old was awarded the title along with the Abe Ziadie Trophy by the Jamaica Karting Association (JKA) on Friday (February 17) at their Prize Giving Ceremony.

“It’s great to win this overall championship,” Shor said.

Shor began his career in 2018 to pursue a similar path as his racing idols, multiple Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton, and Jamaican karter Alex Powell. He explained that he hadn’t been trying to win the award.

“It’s something that really just happened. I’d just been practising and winning my races.”

Shor races in the Micromax class, which he dominated in 2022. He won seven race meets, gaining 287.5 points at the end of the season, confirming the gap between himself and fellow Micromax rivals, Kai Beecher and David Brown, who finished second and third, respectively. Having secured his class championship, he was set on the path for the Abe Ziadie Overall Championship, which is given to the karter who has scored the most points at the end of the year.

With the taste of success still in his mouth, Shor intends to contest for the title again in 2023.

“All my races have been tough, but the one that really stands out is the one where I came second on the final lap in the final meet against Kai. Going into this season I think my main competitor will be Paul Patterson.”

Following Shor, second in the standings was Zander Williams with 254.5 points. Williams competes in the Junior classification, and has been battling in what turned out to be the largest, fastest, and most competitive class of the championship, taking five overall race meet victories to the two of class rival Luke Spencer. So competitive was this class, Spencer was third in the Abe Ziadie Overall Championship, with his haul of 249.5 points.

The night was a long time coming as motorsport was brought to a standstill in March of 2020 due a moratorium on motorsport activity issued by Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The JKA was the first motorsport entity to be able to hold events as it pleaded its case to the Government and presented a proposal that met the COVID-19 protocols then outlined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Along with the trophies, the karters were lauded by Jamaicans, local and international, in the motorsports fraternity.

“Motorsport doesn’t exist without karting,” stated Stephen Gunter, chairman of the JMMC, in his address to the crowd.

He was followed by the likes of several successful former karters, Fraser McConnell, two generations of Summerbell — father David and son Senna, and video messages from Alex Powell and William Myers, to name a few. McConnell is one of the top rallycross drivers in the world while Senna, who recently made his transition to circuit racing, is now the fastest person ever at Dover Raceway, St Ann, while Powell is the first Caribbean driver to be signed to a Formula One team.

MISIR LED THROUGH DIFFICULT PERIOD

The event also saw the re-election of Rujie Misir. Misir, who took office in 2019, said he had not planned to stay for this length of time, however, when COVID-19 struck, he found himself having to lead the administration through the difficult period.

“I think it’s more important that we put together a team that flexes well together, understands each other, rather than a conflict of personalities. And the last board, everyone did very well, but yes, there were many a disagreement. I am going to move on, but let’s see if we can get some proper continuance for the executive for the karting association.”

Other JKA winners were:

Comer 50cc

1st Dillan Smith – 268 pts

2nd Nathan Sutherland – 258 pts

3rd Isabelle Fong-Yee – 166.5 pts

Minimax

1st Paul Patterson – 166.5 pts

2nd Kristian Lawrence – 117.5 pts

3rd Daniel Lawrence – 110.5 pts

Junior

1st Zander Williams – 245.5 pts

2nd Luke Spencer – 249.5 pts

3rd Edward Upstone – 177.5 pts

Senior

1st Brandon Finzi-Smith – 219 pts

2nd Zachery Lee – 148.5 pts

3rd Dominic Gordon – 125 pts

Super Rotax

1st David Power – 180 pts

2nd Michael Paisely – 166 pts

3rd Rafique Gordon – 160 pts