Scintillating Kevin Jeffrey annihilates Group 4 competition at South Dakota GP

Kevin Jeffrey rolled back the years on Sunday, powering his Mitsubishi Evo 8 to a clean sweep of the Group Four category at the South Dakota Grand Prix, staged by the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club.

Aboard the famous ‘Bush Cow’ bearing #161, Jeffrey pulled off three scintillating victories, entertaining patrons with bold driving in a fascinating duel with old-time rival Mark Vieira and his Mazda RX-8.

Jeffrey started the day by qualifying fourth on the grid behind his son Kristian (pole), Andrew King and Lennard Samaroo, but hours later when the sun disappeared in the distance, he was the undisputed king of South Dakota.

After race favourite Kristian encountered mechanical issues in the opening race that prematurely curtailed his day, it was the patriarch of the Jeffrey clan that took matter in his own hands.

Kevin stormed to victory in all three Group Four encounters, staving off a spirited challenge from Vieira, as the duo rekindled a rivalry that has for decades produced countless memorable moments at the country’s lone race track and beyond.

Kevin Jeffrey leads Mark Vieira during one of the Group Four races (Photo: News Room/Shaconeil Burnette/March 19, 2023)

“After a long time, wow,” Kevin told News Room Sport after his three from three.

It was “surreal” feeling for the veteran driver, who highlighted that at the start of the day a third place finish would have given him satisfaction.

“In my mind, I said Kristian and Mark are going to dominate; I would be the bridesmaid.”

The defining moment of the day, Kevin related, was the race two when he claimed Vieira “jumped the start” and the race had to re-run.

“After the false start in the second race, something happened and I said ‘this is it.’ We’re either racing fair or we not racing at all.”

According to Kevin, that was the moment that “awoken the beast” in him.

“I didn’t spend one day in the car (in the lead-up), because I was not really in race mode. Everybody you talked to before (race day) would say I’m ready to graze in the pasture, I’m ready to retire. But I think Mark kinda light some fire under me after that second race,” Kevin said.

The veteran race car driver was modesty personified after his exploits, showering praises on his mechanical team for facilitating a perfect day of racing.

“These guys worked tirelessly. This was a total team effort- I was just the pilot. In a long time we didn’t see the ‘Cow’ working like this, but I don’t take any of the credit for it, it’s the crew,” Kevin asserted.

Also turning in dominant performances were Azaad Hassan with a clean sweep of the Sport Tuner category and Stephen Vieira with two victories and a second place finish in the Superbikes.

Editor’s Note: The full list of results will be compiled and added to this article