Jamaican driver Fraser McConnell was presented with the Motorsport Men’s Athlete of the Year award for the third consecutive time. He received the award at the RJR/Gleaner Sportsman and Sportswoman Awards 2023 last month. His competition for the award included Hansle Parchment, Wayne Pinnock, Tajay Gayle, Jaheel Hyde, and Antonio Watson. McConnell was also nominated for the Sportsman of the Year Award for the second time in just three years. These two nominations were viewed as especially significant because he was the only male nominee who was not a track and field athlete.
Honored to be recognized
Upon presentation of the award, McConnell said he was grateful to be named a top Motorsport competitor. He said it was amazing to have the chance to represent Jamaica on the global racing stage doing what he loves. He added that to be included among the best athletes in Jamaica was a “big honor and a huge motivation” for him, and he plans to remain focused, keep my head down, and continue to work hard and fly the flag high.”
McConnell’s career achievements
McConnell made his first appearance in the Extreme E racing series in 2023 and finished fourth in the Championship Finale along with his X44 Vida Carbon Racing team, which is owned by racing legend Sir Lewis Hamilton. He won Rounds 1 and 4 at the Nitro Cross Series in the United States and finished second in Round 5 in Oklahoma and Arizona, which served to enhance his status as one of the rising stars in motorsport. He has had the most competitive success of any Jamaican driver in the history of international rallycross, and his win at the Americas RallyCross Championship in 2019 was the first and only title won by a Jamaican driver in the history of the series. In 2021, he became the first and only Jamaican driver to win in the Rally X Nordic league. McConnell currently competes professionally with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the Group E class.
About Fraser McConnell
Fraser McConnell, 25, was born in Bog Walk, St Catherine, Jamaica in 1998. At age eight he started karting, motocross, and rally, marking his early successes by receiving the title of Jamaican Driver of the Year twice. He also won at Jamaica’s Dover Racetrack when he was 16. His rallycross debut was in 2018 when he competed in the North America ARX2 series, recording the fastest start and reaching the final four times out of five. In 2019, he made his debut on the international circuit with Olsbergs MSE and won the ARX2 championship.
Photo – Fraser McConnell