Wants to revamp current business model

Leighton Levy, Star Writer

Norman Minott, the interim president of the Jamaica Race Drivers Club, the JRDC, will not seek to be re-elected as president at the club's annual general meeting set for early next year. Minott, an attorney, was a vice-president of the JRDC until September this year when he was appointed president to replace Christopher 'Teach' McFarlane who suddenly resigned citing personal reasons.

But having overseen the running of the JRDC since that time, Minott said he has no interest in remaining president.

"None whatsoever," he said.

"I got on to the executive because I had promised to lend my assistance to change the whole business model and reorganise the club in such a way that it would consistently be able to deliver quality motorsport entertainment to the public and at the same time make a profit; but not to become president of the club. So I accepted the position of vice-president and, lo and behold Chris resigned. In situations like these you step up to the plate, but I made it plain that at our next annual general meeting I will not be offering myself for office."

Minott said his legal practice requires much of his time and besides, there are some excellent candidates within the JRDC who are more than capable of doing a good job as president.

Future viability

But even though he will be vacating the role as president, Minott believes the business model he intends to present will ensure the future viability of the club. The business model that is being set up is being written by Charles Chen, who he said has a full understanding of what is required, and he hopes the club will agree with the plan when they present it to them next year. "The essentials are that the model must allow the club to operate in such a way that it is profitable," he said, revealing that the JRDC lost money at the August meet. "That is not going to happen again, sorry. If the club agrees with me, if you can see where you are likely to lose money, then, to my mind, it would be foolhardy to go ahead."

He said what the club then needs to do is to cherry-pick to ensure that events that they are staging are not competing with other major events that have the potential to draw patrons away from racing.

Another element of the new business model being proposed is to ensure that there is international competition that will spice things up at the respective race meets. Throwing new elements into the racing will make it less predictable and more appealing to fans. "I am satisfied that we need to have international competition at our meets," he said.