Guy Fraser Wins Championship Round

A couple Sundays ago, I decided to visit our second city because a Sprint event was being held there. I left early so I could travel at a leisurely pace and I wanted to get there ahead of the scheduled start time for the event. I am used to travelling from Kingston to Ochi and maybe as far as Runaway Bay, but beyond that, I am not familiar with the road that takes you to Montego Bay. As I drove from Discovery Bay to Rosehall, my eyes were green with envy. The road was smooth, wide, with an interesting mix of long straight sections, sweeping turns and quite a few elevation changes (almost like a circuit course). The view at several points along the road left me appreciating the beauty of my country even more. It reminded me of areas normally seen on Travel TV. The experience was almost therapeutic.

Early

As planned, I was early and when I arrived preparations were still being made for the event. Despite the time, Maurice Wittingham (President of the Montego Bay Motor Racing Club) provided pre- show entertainment, as he perfected his ‘ wheelie’ skills on his sport bike, on the roadway next to the track. It was a laid back atmosphere. Several drivers played dominoes, while others just milled about chatting and joking around in an attempt to settle nerves before the event began.

Personally I wanted to see Richie Rerrie in action, because of his flamboyant driving style and his ability to keep the Subaru Impreza WRX on a knife’s edge as he powerslides out of the hairpin turn on the Ironshore track. When I spoke to him before the event he indicated that he would not be competing and I expressed my disappointment. My disappointment was short-lived, however, once the event began and the drivers completed the various rounds.

Record Time

Dean Corrodus knows how to extract and use all the power his Honda Civic Type R has to offer and he did just that. Dean kept ahead of his class (if you know him -no pun intended) with impressive times. There were quite a few ‘big guns’ present and they lived up to expectations. Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore, Junior ‘Fletty’ Barnes and Guy Fraser all driving Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions thrilled the crowd each time they drove out. Junior Barnes’ style brought precision and finesse to the track. Guy Fraser on the other hand, had everyone at the top of the track clearing the way when he went through. His aggressive style was a pleasure to watch, late braking and locking up the tyres before a few of the corners. Junior Barnes and Guy Fraser mastered the hairpin turn. The Evos would break free at the rear, corrected in a hurry then sent on their way in a force-fed fury to record jaw dropping times. Guy Fraser drove away with Championship honours despite being hounded by Junior Barnes. Doug had several problems during the course of the day but when he actually got going, it was clear why he is still one of Montego Bay’s finest. Doug’s car is scary. It has a wide menacing stance and in the hands of Doug Gore it is a beast. Hollywood directed his wild horses and drove the Evo to a record time at the Ironshore track, despite damaging the control arm at the hairpin before the approach to the finish line!

The event ended early in the afternoon and after the prizes were handed out, the rear wheel drive cars were brought out for their moment of glory. ‘Donuts’ were handed out to everyone (the rear wheels of the car completing a circle under acceleration). With no script to work with, the drivers employed their creativity and put on a show which was well received by the remaining spectators.

As I left the event, I was actually looking forward to the drive back to Kingston.

Cecil Munroe, Gleaner On-Line Writer