by TREVOR THORPE

FORMER local karting champion driver Orry Hunte is among a five-member Barbados team to take part in the Caribbean International Karting Carnival to be held in Jamaica this weekend.

Hunte, currently among the top ten karters in the Frutee Championship, will lead the team made up of the father-son combination of Allan and Mark Kinch, Luke St John and Mathew Noel and will have the experience rally driver, Geoff Noel as its manager.

Drivers from Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Colombia, Barbados and host-country Jamaica are lining up for the three-days of keen competition.

"We feel pretty confident of turning in a good performance . . . the youngsters are eager and ready, but we expect to be faced with some tough competition as a result of the quality of the competitors, but our boys are looking forward to the competing", the manager explained.

The Kinches, Hunte and Mathew Noel, left Barbados yesterday to join St John who is already in Jamaica accompanied by a strong support team which included former Barbados Rally Club (BRC) champion driver, Don Hunte, to the drivers to the Land of Wood and Water.

Hosts the Jamaica Karting Association, will be holding a drivers' briefing tonight at Curphey Place, Swallowfield, Kingston, ahead of the weekend's action which will include some of the big name drivers such as reigning Easy Kart World champion Frederico Montoya, Dore Chaponick, the 2008 Florida Winter Tour Minimax champion, Jordan Perry, the 2007 Homestead Florida champion and Mathew Mair, the 2008 Florida Winter Tour Shifter Champion.

Jamaica's Minimax champions Colin Daley (Jr) and Thomas Issa are also included among the competitors entered.

Trinidad and Tobago's Shifter Champion Ravi Singh is at the head of that country's team to the event in which drivers will compete in the Baby kart 80cc, Rotax MiniMax, Yamaha, Rotax Junior, Rotax Senior, Easy Kart, Rotax Masters, Shifters classes.

It is the first International race meet to be held in Jamaica since the upgrading of the Palisadoes International raceway to International Standards.

The event which is endorsed by the Jamaica Tourist Board, has attracted 90 drivers from five countries and starts tomorrow with official practice followed by two days of "bumper to bumper" racing.