Rallysport: Why Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson lodged a protest.

It takes a lot more than money to prepare a race-car. Ask all the individuals who have race-car projects at different stages of completion. The obstacles, which inhibit the realization of the dream – the machine exiting your favorite section of the track/circuit/stage, 8000 rpms deep in a WRC crackle and pop symphony –  may be aptly described as multi-faceted!  But wait, there is more, the dream continues. An unsympathetic right foot ignores the combustion-chamber driven riot and demands more! The army of jostling, yellow flames which congregate at the 3-inch sewer main – the exhaust pipe –  entertains the sun-drenched, intoxicated, cheering mob perched atop any structure willing to provide accommodation!

Before the fans lift you, wrapped in the checkered flag and hurl you on their jubilant shoulders, to express their appreciation for your sublime display of Colin McRae-type exploits, you have to, first, complete two arduous tasks : 1) complete the build/preparation and 2) compete – duh!

Your moment of clarity, like money, will not arrive immediately.

Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson

I will have the discourse re- Rally Jamaica, but this will be addressed first. If you are a fan of the sport, you will be fully aware that at the end of the two-days event in Bog Walk, Kyle Gregg and his team overcame what was thought to be gargantuan odds and rose to P1! Sensational stuff, according to the fans who were present on the stages. Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson – thanks to ‘rally-drama’ landing on Kyle’s bonnet, which prevented him from completing a Stage – got what appeared to be a Rally Jamaica-winning Christmas present.

But Santa Claus had other plans. ‘Shifter Kart’ mis-shifted (machine battled gremlins). Kyle rebounded, produced an inspired ‘run’ and clawed his way pass Shifter’s wounded Subaru! Kyle Gregg won Rally Jamaica –  or so we thought!

The year 2014 introduced game-changing rules in F1. Individuals with responsibility for Rallysport in Jamaica saw it fit to introduce their version of a game-changing rule. We are fully aware that Rally Jamaica can be compared to 100 ‘bodyman’ swinging wrecking-balls at the machine! It is a brutal rally and it has a tendency of claiming too many scalps! Rally ‘bigwigs’ wanted none of it this year! The rule which was implemented is explained by someone posting as Shifter Kart on wheelsjamaica.com -”very first stage, car nearly drowns going through the water in New Works. same water crossing stopped Kyle and caused him to not finish the stage. Luckily for him and Hutch, new rules this year say you can miss a stage and take a time penalty of the slowest car in class plus 60sec, hence kyle being in second”.

Essentially, prior to 2014, Kyle’s Rally Jamaica would have ended at the water crossing, but thanks to the new rule as explained by wheelsjamaica’s Shifter Kart, he was allowed to continue. Unfortunately for Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson, Kyle ‘Speedy Gregg’ collected his cojones and did what he does best – he sped by everyone, including Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson and won the Rally – unofficially.

Gregg

But the carnival-like atmosphere at the Gregg residence was brutally disturbed by worrying news. Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson’s team lodged a protest! Why did they protest? I spoke to Joel ‘Shifter Kart’ Jackson’s father. What he said will surprise you!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer