President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Wednesday evening signalled his intention to make Guyana the motor racing capital of the Caribbean, as he hosted the leadership of the Guyana Motor Racing & Sport Club (GMRSC) and organisers of the 2026 GT Challenge de Las Americas for a dinner at State House on Main Street.
The event brought together private sector partners, diplomatic representatives, racing officials, drivers, and mechanics.
The president described the dinner as “the beginning of something great in motor racing” and made it clear that the government’s investment in the South Dakota Circuit was an economic strategy.
“We are spending a lot of money, and we are not spending this money without understanding the linkage to the economic spinoff it brings,” he said.
He said the government’s goal is to reach EP3 status and eventually attract E1 races to Guyana.
The numbers back the ambition. Globally, sports tourism is valued at approximately US$667.2 billion. The commercial motorsport market alone was valued at around US$9.5 billion in 2024. The Miami Grand Prix reportedly generates hundreds of millions annually for its host city.
Against this backdrop, the president reasoned, those same economic principles apply in Georgetown.
“When there is a major motorsport event, restaurants fill up, taxi drivers smile, mechanics work overtime, food vendors do brisk business,” he said. “This is the right thing for Guyana and the people of this country.”
The 2026 GT Challenge de Las Americas, described by President Ali as the Caribbean Premier League of motor racing, is scheduled for July 11 and 12 at the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri.
It will be the first international motor racing event ever held in Guyana, drawing GT3-spec machinery from Porsche, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, along with drivers and teams from across Latin America.
GMRSC President Shairaz Roshandin promised the event would give Guyanese something they have never experienced before. He said the July dates are already drawing a massive influx of competitors and support teams, with hotels filling up rapidly just from the racing contingent alone.
GT Challenge Director Eduardo Aguilar and Franchise Holder Franklyn Boohram were also present.
President Ali credited Boodram for trusting Guyana’s readiness when others were not convinced.
The president said that when a visiting team inspected the South Dakota Circuit they said Guyana needed two years of work to prepare for an event.
“When they came back six months later, they were blown away. They wanted to know how we got it done in six months. We got it done because of hard workers — the membership of the motor racing family,” President Ali said.
He went on to say that something of this scale to be accomplished requires teamwork, patience and more importantly, belief.
“We are building a Guyana where tourism is an important pillar of economic transformation and growth.”
The event also featured an auction of sporting memorabilia, including signed cricket bats and other pieces, to raise funds in support of the event. This, the president said, reflects the unity of Guyana’s sporting culture.
Some $81 million was raised during the auction, of which $12.5 million will go towards a charitable cause.
Also at the dinner were First Lady Arya Ali, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. and other stakeholders whose presence underscored the regional interest the event is already generating.