In a sport defined by speed and silverware, the Top Power Racing team, led by Chief Mechanic Brian TenPow, continues to set an almost unreachable standard in Guyanese motorsport.
At the heart of this success is Shan Seejatan, who recently clinched a staggering eighth Group Two Championship, a feat that firmly cements his legacy as one of the country’s most successful drivers.
Yet, despite an undeniable track record, TenPow highlights a frustrating irony. As he noted in a comment, Seejatan’s brilliance is often met with unwarranted critique rather than the widespread celebration it warrants.
Seejatan’s dominance in the recent Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Race of Champions was absolute, extending far beyond his signature Group 2 class.
- Group 2: Piloting the formidable Honda Civic prepared by TenPow and his crew, Seejatan was the outright favourite. He delivered with two wins from two races (the third was cancelled), but the accurate measure of their success was the team’s relentless pursuit of perfection. Seejatan unofficially shattered the class lap record, clocking a blistering 1:23.937, a significant improvement on the 1:24.681 set earlier in the year.
- Vitz Cup: Taking on the ultra-competitive Vitz Cup A class in a Toyota prepared by Balram Ramdeo’s team, Seejatan secured two wins and a second-place finish, engaging in thrilling, close-quarters battles with long-time rival Rameez Mohamed.
- Sport Tuner: The weekend started tough for the Sport Tuner class, with an unfortunate DNF in the opening race after contact. However, Seejatan demonstrated his championship mettle by fighting back in the stacked field. He clocked the fastest time of the second race (finishing second) and finally secured the elusive win in the final heat.
The Group two Honda Civic that reset the lap record (PHOTO: Mike Gonsalves)
The team’s results weren’t confined to Seejatan’s efforts, with teammates Naresh Alves and Zachary Persaud also delivering strong performances:
- Naresh Alves proved a force in the highly competitive Street Tuner class, consistently demonstrating the performance potential of the Top Power-prepared machinery.
- Zachary Persaud also represented the team effectively in the Vitz Cup B category, showcasing the team’s depth across multiple classes.
Speaking after the Clash of Champions haul, Seejatan immediately deflected the praise, stressing the importance of the crew.
“I, of course, have to thank Balram (Ramdeo) and his team for putting together the Toyota Vitz…I think the work that went into that car to get it where it was on race day was amazing,” Seejatan commented on his Vitz Cup success.
On the Group 2 machine, he praised his Chief Mechanic: “We knew that coming into this weekend, we would have a target on our backs and a lot of guys would be gunning for us, so we couldn’t afford to get it wrong. And that’s where Brian (Ten-Pow) and his team came in. We were able to ensure that we bettered our lap record from earlier this year by close to half a second, which shows that we found improvements in the car.”
Crucially, he gave credit to the whole crew: “Rajiv Rajaram, my tuner for the cars, was able to root out some key issues, and the other guys Ravi, Stefan, Anthony, Bomber, all of them put their heads together and made sure that we came out on top at the end of the day and I owe it to those guys.”
TenPow, a veteran who has honed his craft working with prestigious names like the Pro Drive Works WRC Subaru rally cars in Canada, as well as teams across the US, Europe, and the UK, voiced his disappointment over the attitude towards their dominance, noting that their success should serve to inspire growth and competitiveness in the sport.
TenPow emphasised that the technical knowledge fuelling their machines is not a secret, deriving from years of personal learning, mentorship from his brothers Errol and Elson, friend Gord Bush, and global motor racing experience.
“The knowledge I use comes from what I’ve learned over the years. A lot of that information is out there, freely available to anyone willing to look, read, and learn,” he noted.
In a clear message to rivals and critics, Ten-Pow concluded: “We’ll continue to let our results speak for themselves. Racing has always been about passion, performance and pride.”
Seejatan and Top Power Racing were supported last weekend by Special Auto the Filter Shop, Trans Pacific Motor Spares, and Blue Springs Water.
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