The first speed event of the 2012 season was held at Jamwest Speedway, Old Hope, Westmoreland on Sunday, January 15, 2012, under ideal sunny skies that made for perfect opportunities to capture colorful images of the cars entered in the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club’s National Sprint Championship, this event being the first of six rounds on the 2012 calendar.
The patrons on hand were treated to an expanded, shaded seating area with a commanding view of the facility, with a new competitor paddock area and the smoothest, widest 2.3 km dirt track surface on the island. The rooster tail dust clouds thrown up by the cars on track was a sight to see and photograph, but it didn’t do any favors for the drivers and course workers lungs and clothes!
Overall winner.
Posting the fastest time of the day at only his second dirt sprint event was 2nd generation racer Spencer Whittingham, driving the Megamart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V. He was able to stay ahead of Team Challenger Racing’s Richard Chan in the Excel Electronic Security Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV and they were followed in the JN8 class by the husband and wife pair of Peter and Jackie Jaggon driving the Island Gases Subaru Impreza WRX.
Alan Chen won the JA4 class in his rear wheel drive Toyota Corolla while Dean Corrodus, driving the Maxxis Tyres /Automotive Performance Centre Ltd/Superior Auto Parts/ATL Automotive Honda Civic Type R, won the JA3 class ahead of elder statesman Keith “Slicks” Saunders in a Chevrolet Chevette that was a crowd pleaser from the day started with his aggressive, sideways driving style for a man of his age!
JA2 class battle
The closest battles of the day occurred in the JA2 class between a group of five Montegonians: Jordan Powell in the R & B Auto Parts Toyota Corolla FX; Daryl King in the Thrifty Gas Hondas Civic SIR; Matthew Gore in the WOW Cran Wata Team Mobay Racing Toyota Starlet; Maurice Whittingham in the Carz Rehab Toyota Corolla Levin and James march in the Team Mobay Racing Toyota Corolla FX. Powell got the better of the field with a scorching 2nd run time of 3 minutes 19.833 secs. to be followed by King in his first competitive outing in this car with a time of 3.20.24 set on his 1st run and Gore in 3rd with a best time of 3.24.45. Whittingham and March were a bit further behind at 3.29.22 and 3.29.70 respectively.
Top 10 Championship run.
Daryl King won the battle between Powell in the 3 lap championship section of the event, posting a time of 5.01.01 a mere .06 seconds ahead of Powell who posted 5.01.07. They were followed by Gore, Whittingham and Corrodus as the sun set in the western sky to end a day of close racing.
For further information on this event and other events, visit our Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/events/202549919839715/, the club’s website at www.jamaicamotorsports.com or call Dean Corrodus @ 940-0000.
Results Car 1st run 2nd run 3rd run Best
JA2
1. Jordan Powell Toyota Corolla FX 3.22.64 3.19.833 3.21.94 3.19.833
2. Daryl King Honda Civic 3.20.24 3.22.46 3.21.46 3.20.24
3. Matthew Gore Toyota Starlet 3.25.06 3.24.45 2.25.63 3.24.45
4. Maurice Whittingham Toyota Corolla Levin 3.44.05 3.30.34 3.29.22 3.29.22
5. James March Toyota Corolla FX 3.31.62 3.29.70 3.33.89 3.29.70
6. Tony Fu Toyota Corolla GT 3.42.02 4.30.86 3.45.32 3.42.01
7. Marvin Porteous Toyota Starlet 3.42.81 3.43.31 3.42.73 3.42.73
8. Kenji Lee Toyota Starlet 4.09.12 4.06.69 4.07.10 4.06.69
JA3
1. Dean Corrodus Honda Civic 3.23.17 3.23.79 3.25.78 3.23.17
2. Keith Saunders Chevrolet Chevette 3.39.03 3.39.72 3.42.16 3.39.03
3. Ricardo Scott Toyota Corolla DNF DNS DNS
JA4
1. Alan Chen Toyota Corolla 3.28.28 3.29.15 3.29.83 3.29.15
JN8
1. Spencer Whittingham Mitsubishi Lancer Evoltion V 3.20.99 3.17.80 3.37.71 3.17.80
2. Richard Chan Mitsubishi Lancer Evoltion IV 3.20.77 3.34.95 3.25.50 3.20.77
3. Peter Jaggon Subaru Impreza WRX 3.25.52 3.23.17 3.28.57 3.23.17
4. Jackie Jaggon Subaru Impreza WRX 3.55.94 3.51.57 3.56.05 3.51.57
Championship Run
1. Daryl King 5.01.01
2. Jordan Powell 5.01.07
3. Matthew Gore 5.12.08
4. M. Whittingham 5.17.48
5. Dean Corrodus 5.19.51
6. Alan Chen 5.23.35
7. Keith Saunders 5.28.20
8. Tony Fu 5.37.13
Video highlights here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3_f9kZfzV3U
The next event on the calendar will be Dirt Race/JMMC Sprint #2 at Badda Badda Raceway in Priory, St. Ann on February 5, 2012.
