FULL THROTTLE 4 – RACE AGAINST THE RAIN ! Part 1of 3

The meteorologist will tell you that 2017 has displayed uncanny weather-related phenomena. Our tropical marine climate dictates that we are familiar with a wet season, but we were definitely in wet-overtime mode! The ‘rock’, being porous, was on the verge of dissolving into a useless pile of discarded minerals!

I will concede that our land of wood and water title suggests the prevalence of showers of blessings, but when showers transform into raging vehicle-assaulting floods, as witnessed in the second capital recently, we were yearning for days of brilliant oppressive sunshine! God’s work must be an incessant task, laden with absurd difficulty! Lol.

FULL THROTTLE 4

Prior to Full Throttle 4, the top brass at the NDRC maintained a rather intimate relationship with all the avenues which dispensed rain data. Knowledge enhanced foresight, which prompted the repeated rescheduling of the speedfest. Should the NDRC take a nod for being proactive? HELL YEAH! Pause for the applause.

So when the synoptic charts revealed favorable conditions the NDRC grabbed the Sunday which promised sunshine – Nov 19th.

Gleanerblogs rolled through Vernamfield at about the usual time – 2 to 3 hours beyond midday. The drag strip was in overdrive! We did our usual recce but it was somewhat evident that things were moving at a rather hastened pace. Why?

BRYN MORGAN

During the paddock-walk the usual suspects were spotted, but out after an absence from the 1320, was the Rail Man himself – Bryn Morgan. If ‘balls’ increased in size, based on  bravery, Bryn Morgan would need forklift to carry his! I could tell you a story about Bryn launching a force-fed, V8-powered project in a tiny garage – mere meters from the retaining wall. I will not share the tale, but  I am still certain that the wall moved to avoid the charging machine! Much respect Bryn!

The announcer’s voice and rapid-fire bursts from a tuned weapon at the line, suggested that track-side was the place to be. We scurried to the live action. Eliminations were in full swing and if you were not quick enough, defeat was kept rather industrious, hollering at machines that finished second in the 2 machines race!

As I said, the pace was supercharged and the message rang home that the game has changed. The status quo is a thing of the past. Do not expect respect because you drive an all wheel drive turbocharged beast. And even if you are hitting a few shots of NOS -  who cares? Come prepared. Bring your A – game or you will definitely have your a.. handed to you !

I will provide proof to support my theory. I heard a certain black Subaru fuming and fussing. It was at idle, apparently impatient. It was on a blood collecting campaign. It was paired against a Honda Integra. GREEN! The Subaru alighted like a gazelle and charged like an enraged , possessed, Spanish bull.

The Subaru slapped time, rebuffed VTEC’s challenge and left the Honda haemorraghing. The Subaru waltzed into the finals. Stick a pin.

Michael Allijohn who is known everywhere as ‘Cabbie’ is an overwhelming crowd favourite. In Toyota-speak, a Caldina GT-T a machine! ‘Cabbie’ encountered a colleague, a Corolla, in the finals. One would think they were not in the same league. When both machines left the line Andre Brown’s Corolla appeared stunned, dazed even, as ‘Cabbie’ summoned his machine’s advantage and went for gold!

But, Andre’s ancestral lineage stirred the pot and delivered a potion labeled Cabbie Dead! Vernamfield thought it was all over, but mid-track and beyond, the Corolla grabbed the Caldina GT-T. The flashing lights on the ‘tree’  in Andre’s lane confirmed that the ambush was a success. CABBIE DEAD!

Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer