Ian Edwards leads the pack in this red car, minus bonnet and windshield, in the Rally Cross Demonstration event at the Spot Valley/Turnkey Productions Racing Extravaganza in Spot Valley, St James, on Sunday. Edwards topped the field. - Photo by Richard Morais

SPOT VALLEY, St James:

It was total excitement at Spot Valley/Turnkey Productions Racing Extravaganza in Spot Valley, St James yesterday.

When the dust literally settled, Jeffrey Panton emerged overall winner, lifting the Championship Trophy over Doug 'Hollywood' Gore, who finished in second place on this dirt track.

In the most exciting event, there were actual side-by-side racing - called the Rally Cross Demonstra-tion. Ian Edwards took the crown.

The Rally Cross winner lost his bonnet early in the race and then his windshield when his brother, Nigel Edwards, who was racing in another car, chipped a stone onto it.

Challenging

"When I lost the bonnet it was nothing but after the windshield splintered I had to half-close my eyes because I did not have on any goggles," admitted Ian.

"It was challenging, but I stood the test and won," he added.

In the big showdown Gore, this time, was no match for Panton, who had the advantage of his gear-changing mechanism on his steering wheel in his Subaru, which the more powerful Evolution 10 could not counter.

Gore, however, is expecting to turn the tables come November 1 at the same venue, where the second such event will be staged.

Other top performers

Other winners in the various classes were Matthew Gore in the JA 2, Dean Corrudus who ended as the JA 3 champion and Thomas Hall, the JA 4 champion.

Sebastian Rae came out tops in the JC 1 and Charles Maxwell in the JC 2. In the JN 8 and 9 classes, Dave Green and Jeffrey Panton were the respective winners.

This Gleaner part-sponsored event is already being hailed by marketing manager of Turnkey Productions, Marcia McDonnough - the company responsible for the very successful Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.

"We feel good as it is the first event of this nature and the support is good," she said. "We are marketing this as a family event."

The event was facilitated by the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club.