Preparations are in high gear for the season opening “Carnival of Speed” event, the first of four meets in the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club national circuit racing championships.Not only is the venue at Dover Raceway in St. Ann being readied at a feverish pace, but race teams across the island have been working assiduously to prepare competition vehicles for the challenges to be faced in the various categories.
Word on the net is that David “The King” Summerbell’s Total/Cariburst/Motorcraft sponsored Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII has been fully sorted out now with a 2.3 litre AMS engine, sequential gearbox, upgraded brakes and a possible new aero package. His main rival, Douglas “Hollywood” Gore, who turned the tables on the King in 2011 to win both the Modified Production Class 4 and Thundersport Class 2 titles, has received a new widebody kit for hi L Automotive/Petcom/Wata/Boom Energy Drink Audi TT DTM racecar, as well as a new gearbox with ratios better suited for the undulations and twists of the Caribbeans most challenging and daunting track. An engine tune up is just about the only other task left to ready the championship winning Audi for the season.
Defending Drivers Champion Kyle Gregg and young hotshot Andre Anderson have joined the Total team as well as Samantha Summerbell, teenage daughter of the King (thats makes her a princess, doesn’t it?). She will be driving the ex Chad Phillips 5 Zigen Honda Civic.
Chris “Bossy” Campbell” is reported to have acquired and installed a new V8, normally aspirated engine in his Fruta sponsored BMW, while Dane Chuck has acquired Campbell’s former Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV. Team member Joslyn Crawford has been seen testing his immaculately turned out Ford Escort at the track as well.
Guy Fraser, the humble cane farmer from Westmoreland, is set to return to Dover in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, as well as Team Mobay Racing’s Gary Williams in a similar car and Dean Corrodus in the Automotive Performance Centre Ltd/Maxxis Tyres/ATL Automotive Honda Civic Type R.
The Bayley brothers, Charles and Alan Chen, Don Gilbert, Peter Rae, Peter Thompson, the Causwells, Teddy Burton, Richard Martin, Marck Carey, Cressmore White, Team Speed Factory, the Williams brothers, the Browns Town crew, Tarik Minott, Big Rat, Peter Jaggon and Team Outkast Racing, Raymond Donaldson, Charles Maxwell plus a slew of participants in the Bracket 45 category have all been known to be making ready for the big day.
Bikers Adrian Blake and Richard Chung have been seen practicing at the track in recent weeks, and this popular section of racing should have good representation at the Easter Carnival.
Extensive improvements to the infrastructure at the facility continues with the erection of hundreds of feet of chain link fencing and gates to seperate the spectator areas from the racing surface.
Food court facilities and VIP lounge areas will also be at the peak of readiness come Easter Monday
