Doug Gore (left) and David Summerbell battle on track.
From Motorsports writer Dean Corrodus
The Jamaica Race Drivers Club staged the Cable & Wireless Broadband “Caribbean Invasion 2008” at Dover Raceway on May 24 & 25. Sponsored primarily by Cable & Wireless and now with associate sponsorship from South Beach Adrenaline Rush energy drink and Seafreight Line, the two day event was the first leg of the Caribbean Circuit Racing Championship, contested in host countries Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana, with some competitors from the Cayman Islands in the mix.
“Exciting” hardly does the days activities justice as a description of what went on, as from early as Friday, large numbers of spectators were already at the track to see the competitors acclimatizing themselves to what has been described as the most challenging track in the English speaking Caribbean. First to impress was Guyana’s Andrew King in his tube framed Mazda RX7, its 320 horsepower achieved at a 12,000 rpm wail sending shivers through the spines of the Wankel motor aficianados. This was to be shortlived however…it lasted only as long as it took Barbados’ Doug Maloney to bring out his turbo-charged Audi Quattro A4 Touring car, which had an explosion somewhere around the exhaust pipe every time the 61 year young driver flatshifted through the six forward gears. One barely could get used to that treat before his son Mark, driving a 3 rotor Mazda RX3 custom built racecar, appeared to break in his new engine. At first he drove multiple laps at a low 6,000 rpm, then he gradually stepped up the pace till after 40 or so laps, experimenting with race lines and braking zones, he went to 8,000 rpm. Eventually, when he was to sink his right foot to the floor and get near the redline zone, Jamaicans were presented with good reason why this car has been called “the sweetest sounding car in the Caribbean”. It would be hard to find a worthy challenger for this title short of the Red Bull Formula 1 car that visited Jamaica 3 weeks ago.
“King” David Summerbell returned to his winning ways at Dover after a long spell where he was hounded by car reliability problems. His new acquisiton, the Flow/Motor Sales & Service Ltd/Ciclon Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8, debuted on a winning note, capturing the first two Caribbean Circuit Racing championship (CCC) races of the day, with Motor Sales & Service Ltd team mate Douglas “Hollywood” Gore second in both races in the Slam Condoms/Amsoil/Sherwin Williams Paints/Walkerswood Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5
Team Barbados’ Mark Maloney in a blue and silver Mazda RX3 overcame several problems throughout the day (including 2 small fires and contact with Douglas Gore’s Evolution 5 that would put that car out of the final race, Gore borrowing team mate Gary William’s Evo 6 ½ only to be struck down with driveline problems on the 3rd restart of the race) to capture the third CCC race, an epic battle that saw him hold off the challenge of Guyana’s Andrew King in the Singer Caribbean Mazda RX7 in the cool of the evening under overcast skies, as both rotary warriors made up for the absence of Jamaica’s Peter “Bull” Thompson who had gone home with a damaged engine on Saturday and Guyana’s champion Mark Viera, who had rolled his Shell/Digicel Mazda RX7 in a practice session on Sunday morning. He was to repair the car and join the first CCC race, but finished at the back of the pack. Summerbell thus leads the 2008 championship with 28 points, with King in second and Gore on third with 16 points.
Not to be overshadowed by the headline Caribbean Championship contenders, newcomer Christopher Campbell in a Team Mobay Racing built Lancer Evolution 4 was to impress many with his 3rd place finish in the 2nd MP3 event and a best time in lap three of that race of 1.24.120. Peter Jaggon also set a personal best time of 1.27.998 in Saturday qualifying driving his green normally aspirated Honda CRX, but was to suffer engine failure in his first race on Sunday. Teddy Burton was sitting in second place in his turbo charged Honda Civic hatchback after qualifying, but he too would suffer several problems, as in two successive races he would break an axle and only make it as far as a favorite parking spot in the first corner, where he would have a good view of the rest of the race as his compatriots passed him by.
Motorcycle racing had its return to Dover raceway, as several riders from across the island put on an impressive show. Both races were won by Haliquin Rodney riding the “Money Bike”, #111, a 600cc Yamaha R6, with Adrian Blake on a Honda RR 600cc, bike #16 in 2nd place in both races. Third in race 1 was Dennis Chin-Quee on a Yamaha R6 while Andre Norman was third on a Yamaha R1 600cc in the second race.
Other race winners were the BMWs piloted by Chris, Desmond & Glenford Bowla, who had 1, 3 and 1 win respectively, with Glenford placing second twice and third once. Stephen Bansie accomplished his goal of capturing the top spot by winning the second Improved Production Race in his immaculately prepared Subaru Impreza WRX Sti spec C.
This event was sponsored by Cable & Wireless/b-Mobile, SoBe Adrenaline Rush energy drink, Seafreight Line, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi, Tyre Warehouse, Seaboard Marine, Sports Development Foundation, KLAS Sports Radio and Power 106FM.
The next event at Dover raceway will be held on Sunday, August 3, with the third of four events for the 2008 season set to again thrill the growing number of motor racing fans.
On Sunday, June 8, the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club in association with the Montego Bay Motoring Club will stage the 3rd round of the Jamaica Beverages /Kir-Dex Transportation Services National Sprint Championship, the Bearings and Seals Ironshore Tarmac Time Attack, at Montego Park Estate in Ironshore, starting at 10 am.
Official results of the Jamaica Race Drivers Club “Caribbean Invasion 2008.”
Improved Production, RACE 1, 5 LAPS.
IP 27
1. Guy Fraser Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6
2. Gary Williams Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 ½
3. Teddy Burton Honda Civic
IP33
1. Desmond Bowla BMW M3
2. Thomas Hall Toyota Starlet turbo
3. Glenford Bowla BMW M3
IP37
1. Rohan Clarke Nissan Pulsar
2. Brian Foster Honda Civic
3. Leroy Spence Honda CRX
Motorcycle RACE 1, 5 LAPS
1. Haliquin Rodney
2. Adrian Blake
3. Dennis Chin-Quee
Caribbean Championship RACE 1, 6 LAPS
1. David Summerbell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8
2. Doug Gore Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5
3. Andrew King Mazda RX7
SoBe Ad Rush Modified Production Class 3
1. David Summerbell
2. Doug Gore
3. Guy Fraser
SoBe Ad Rush Modified Production Classes 1 & 2 RACE 1, 5 LAPS
MP2
1. Chris Bowla BMW M3
2. Desmond Bowla BMW M3
3. Glenford Bowla BMW M3
MP1
1. Gary Barrett Honda Civic Type R
2. Paul Lee Honda Integra
3. Deon Gardner Mitsubishi Mirage RS
IP 45 RACE 1, 5 LAPS
1. Ronaldo Donaldson Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
2. Charles Maxwell Honda Civic
3. Carlton Thompson Nissan Sunny
Cable and Wireless Broadband Thundersport RACE 1, 5 LAPS
1. Matthew Gore Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 ½
2. Doug Gore Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5
3. Errol Bowla BMW M3
Improved Production RACE 2, 7 LAPS
IP27
1. Stephen Bansie Subaru Impreza WRX Sti Spec C
2. Gary Williams Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6 ½
IP33
1. Desmond Bowla BMW M3
2. Glenford Bowla BMW M3
3. Gary Barrett Honda Civic Type R
IP37
1. Brian Foster Honda Civic
2. Leroy Spence Honda CRX
3. Kawal Deosarran Lotus Exige
Motorcycle RACE 2, 5 LAPS
1. Haliquin Rodney
2. Adrian Blake
3. Andre Norman
Caribbean Championship RACE 2, 6 LAPS
1. David Summerbell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8
2. Doug Gore Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5
3. Andrew King Mazda RX7
SoBe Ad Rush Modified Production Class 3
1. David Summerbell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8
2. Doug Gore Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5
3. Christopher Campbell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 4
SoBe Ad Rush Modified Production Classes 1 & 2 RACE 2, 7 LAPS
MP2
1. Glenford Bowla BMW M3
2. Dieter Wilson Prochallenge Sport truck
3. Paul Chok Honda Civic
MP1
1. Gary Barrett Honda Civic Type R
2. Deon Gardner Mitsubishi Mirage
3. Brian Foster Honda Civic
IP45 Race 2, 5 LAPS
1. Raymond Donaldson Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8
2. Victor Handel Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7
3. Charles Maxwell Honda Civic
Cable and Wireless Broadband Thundersport/Caribbean Championship RACE 3, 6 LAPS.
1. Mark Maloney Mazda RX3
2. Andrew King Mazda RX7
4. David Summerbell Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8
Here is what was expected and what was delivered on May 24 & 25:
• It was all about the rotaries versus the piston engines,
• It was all about the normally aspirated versus the turbo-charged,
• It was all about the eastern Caribbean versus the western Caribbean,
• It was all about short, flat tracks versus longer, hilly tracks,
• It was all about the old versus the new.
• It was all about racing excitement like never before at Dover raceway.
