Guyana is set to make history as the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to host the prestigious GT Challenge de las Américas, with organisers targeting a massive influx of international visitors to the South Dakota Circuit this July.
The event, scheduled for July 11-12, represents a seismic shift for motorsport in the region as it marks the first time since the culmination of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) that an FIA-sanctioned international series will touch down on Guyanese soil.
The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) President Mahendra Boodhoo has set an ambitious target: attracting 5,000 foreign visitors to the Georgetown circuit.
“We are targeting at least 4,000 to 5,000 foreigners to come in for this event,” Boodhoo told News Room Sport in a recent interview.
The numbers are backed by the sheer scale of the series, as up to 18 teams are expected on the grid- each bringing a minimum of 10 technical staff plus families. The paddock alone will represent a significant international community.
Franklyn Boodram, the series’ Caribbean franchise holder, believes the ripple effect will be felt across the capital.
“It will fill the hotel rooms,” Boodram predicted, citing the series’ deep reach into Central and Latin American markets.
While the economic impact is the headline for the government, for the fans, it is all about the hardware.
The South Dakota Circuit will host a “full-factory spectacle,” featuring the kind of high-performance GT3 machinery usually reserved for Silverstone or Spa.
The grid is expected to boast iconic machines from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Audi
“People react more to the cars and what they know,” Boodhoo explained. “From the time you are a kid, you grow up liking these cars.”
Safety is the top priority
Hosting a series of this magnitude requires a radical rethink of Guyana’s racing infrastructure.
Safety has long been the Achilles’ heel of the South Dakota Circuit, but a government-backed five-year development plan aims to change that.
“That [safety] has always been one of our challenges and that is one of the reasons we have not attracted many series before. We have committed to a five-year plan for developing the circuit and facilities”, the GMR&SC President pledged.
Work is already underway to meet rigorous international standards and recent visits have triggered a race against time to install new barrier walls, widen curbs and overhaul the pit lane and boxes before July.
The ultimate goal is to secure FIA Grade 3 status, with a long-term eye on Grade 2- a move that would officially crown the 1.6-mile circuit as the premier racing facility in the Caribbean.
The Guyanese leg will serve as the crucial third stop in a high-octane continental tour:
- Panama: March 22/June 7
- Guyana: July 11-12
- Dominican Republic: August 30
- Mexico: October 4
- Costa Rica: November 29
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