Circuit Racing:Lime Carnival of Speed

The Lime Carnival of Speed appropriately named because of the current carnival season invading our tropical paradise introduces the 2010 circuit racing season at Dover Raceway today.

Last season’s races delivered on their hype and in the off- season, teams were kept busy preparing their weapons of speed, as plans were laid to secure or retain championships in the various classes.
The true test for all the money and time spent begins today, when the drivers take the grid for each race.

I spoke to some of the drivers at the official launch of the circuit racing season – Peter Jaggon, Marck Carey, Chris Campbell and others and not only was their enthusiasm evident, but they all have a one track mind – to win the championship! Nigel Edwards (IP37)of Brown’s Town Racing is aiming for the scalp of current champion Brian Foster and a qualifying incident last season which saw Brain Foster wrecking one of the Brown’s Town Racing machines only serves to strengthen his resolve.

Don’t allow title name ‘Carnival’ to mislead you .The only ‘flesh’ which will be shown will be invisible to the naked eye because it will occur as air rubs against fuel and a willing spark will get the gyrating going as the machines hustle to cover the 1.6 miles at light speed.

Team Mobay’s Evo X has acquired AMS power and if the figures are anything to go by, this Evo X should go like the wind! Potentially potent machinery has also been added to the cache of weapons in the camp. A Toyota Starlet sporting exotic organs -F20C (Honda S2000 engine) attached to a 5 speed sequential gearbox, if it makes an appearance in race mode, should be intoxicating to say the least.

David Summerbell

King David Summerbell and his well oiled machine,TA1, with new livery will seek to bludgeon his opponents into submission. Alan Chen who has restored Toyota’s pride at Dover, promises to excite with his M.A.D. prepared Corolla GTS – be on the lookout for a car control clinic, conducted by a master who has honed his skills in the cool hills of Mandeville.

Motorcycle races will see a new format for this meet. Slower class riders will be gridded in front of the faster riders and start 30 seconds ahead. If the knee dragging, leather scraping band of riders live up to their usual standard of MotoGP like riding, you may need a special device to keep your heart rate in check as the adrenalin may threaten to devour you!

If you are fortunate enough to visit the track today, here is a suggestion. Find a comfortable spot, relax and prepare for some fantastic racing. Stay focused though, I wouldn’t want you to miss a race changing moment –for example, Peter Jaggon’s car flipping incident last season, when he tried to become one with the landscape at Pinky’s Bluff. In a conversation I had with him, when asked what he learnt from last season he said, “I have learnt to be patient”. His Honda CRX has been lightened and given a new power-plant. Jaggon’s car is a giant killer, it was fast then and it is possibly even quicker now. In such a rapid machine we will see how patient he is, wont we!
And now for the most famous words in motor racing – “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer