Jamaica Observer going full speed with local motor sports coverage

AUTO

Kyle Gregg wants to regain top spot
Second-generation Racers
Friday, May 18, 2012

YOUNG gun Kyle ‘Speedy’ Gregg has been making waves in both circuit racing and on the dirt track.
Son of Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC) Rally Champion Gary Gregg, the 22-year-old took top honours in 2011with five championship titles. They are: Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC) Overall Drivers Champion; JMMC Overall Sprint Champion; JMMC Overall Rallysport Drivers Champion; JRDC MP2 Champion; and, JMMC JA2 Class Sprint Champion.

GREGG… making waves in both circuit racing and on the dirt track

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“Motorsports is something I was born into. Growing up and seeing both my parents race go-karts, I was immediately sucked in. It’s like a drug, once you touch it you can’t stop and nothing else matters. There’s no feeling like it in the world,” Gregg told Auto.

Gregg first got his feet wet racing go karts in Jamaica in 2005 and by 2009 he was karting in the United States. That year would also see his Dover Speedway debut. And after only three years of successful racing at Dover, Gregg became the first driver ever to win both the JRDC Drivers Championship and the JMMC Rallysport Championship in the same season. Yet, while circuit racing does have its appeal Gregg says his heart lies in rallying.

“Circuit racing is fun, don’t get me wrong. But it’s one track, with the same corner, the same breaking places and going around in a circle. With rallying there are different stages and when it’s on the dirt it’s even better,” he said.

“When you come around a corner and you’re on the edge, and you have your navigator in your ear telling you which way to go that gives me a sweeter feeling. You have to be so much more focused in a rally, one bad move and you’re out and I enjoy that challenge. I would really like to rally but circuit racing is on a high right now so you just have to ride the high and go with it,” he continued.

The last circuit racing event saw an ongoing rivalry between Gregg and Alan Chen ending in a collision that knocked them both out of the second dry MP2 race and with only four meets per year every meet counts. In order to defend his Championship title, Gregg will have to earn the points to keep him in the game. He will be driving the Total-sponsored Honda Civic in the Front-Wheel Drive series at this year’s Caribbean Motor Racing Championship dubbed ‘Caribbean Invasion’ set to kick off on Saturday, May 26 at Dover Speedway in St Ann.

AUTO

Dover invasion
Friday, May 18, 2012

JAMAICA Race Drivers Club launched the second race meet of the circuit-racing season at Sports Development Foundation headquarters at the Phoenix Avenue in St Andrew yesterday.

The event — dubbed the Caribbean Invasion of Speed — is scheduled for May 26 and 27 at the Dover Raceway in St Ann. It will be the first round of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) and will see four countries vying for the 2012 title.

Neilon Barnett celebrates his victory in his Toyota Starlet.

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“I like to thank the competitors here and abroad for their participation,” said Marck Carey, president of the Jamaica Race Drivers Club. Carey also used the opportunity to also thank the sponsors.
The event will see Andrew King and Harold Hopkinson representing Guyana; while Mark Thompson, Kurt Thompson, and Stuart Williams driving under the Barbados flag. Junior Hyde and Andy Bodden will compete for the Cayman Islands.

David Summerbell Jr, Peter Rae, Kyle Gregg, Andre Anderson Chris Campbell and Allan Chen are all up for contention to representing Jamaica.

With the revised rules, Douglas Gore with Audi TT-R DTM also stands to represent the island.
“I feel good about being able to participate in the meet,” said Gore. The reliability of the Audi is key to collecting points towards the CMRC for Jamaica.”

The Audi showdown between Gore and Barbados’ Doug Maloney’s Audi Quattro will not be happening as Maloney will not be making the trip. Also missing is the 2011 defending champion, another Bajan Roger Mairs.

AUTO

SKUNK NATION — DRIVEN BY PASSION
BY RORY DALEY Observer writer daleyr@jamaicaobserver.com
Friday, May 18, 2012

NICK Lue is driven by his passion for ‘well-tuned’ rides. And to fuel this passion, he formed Skunk Nation: a group of like-minded car enthusiasts who all believe in tweaking their cars to street perfection.

“We’re not about illegal racing on the streets and causing problems. This is a mature, responsible crew trying to highlight the fact that the Jamaican car scene can match that of the rest of the world,” the 28-year-old told Auto.

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“We’re all about cars … setting them up, making them look good, and making them make a statement,” he said.

Formed in March this year, ‘the nation’ started with four core members — Lue, Peter Anguin, Eddie Bond, and Stephen Wong. However, their Facebook page lists over 1,600 members. Through this social media, the group plans driving trips, photo shoots and hang out.

Lue, the younger brother of local tuner/drag racer Craig Lue, said it was not hard for him to develop a passion for cars.

“My brother helped to pave the way for my passion,” he said. “I grew up seeing my brother setting up cars… and transforming them into high-performance vehicles. I remember going to races at Vernamfield with him. It’s not something I could escape.”

Today, the younger Lue said he has acquired the skills to transform any import.
“I set up my yellow car,” he said.

His 1995 Honda Civic with its purple Mugen RNR wheels was the inspiration for Skunk Nation.
“After I finished setting up the car, I put it up on Facebook. Everyone was like ‘Yow, di car look stink’,” he chuckled. “My stink ride. I then thought of a skunk, in addition I wanted to create unity among car enthusiasts like myself. Hence, Skunk Nation.”

Lue said his recent attendance at an import performance show in Florida sealed the deal.
“I loved the unity they displayed. The quality of the cars were amazing. I felt that is what is lacking in Jamaica when it comes to performance car building.”

Lue said he plans, however, to organise events across the island, and have a line of car care products.
“After our Import Night Show on June 2 in Michi Supercentre, we will also make the move into motorsports with branded drag racing events in the future,” he added.

Sunday’s rally off till June

BY RORY DALEY Observer writer daleyr@jamaicaobserver.com

Friday, May 11, 2012

RALLY drivers and enthusiasts will have to wait until June 24 for the next event as Sunday’s meet in Lydford, St Ann, has been postponed.

Marcia Dawes, executive secretary of the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC) explained to Auto the reason for the decision.

WHITTINGHAM… no major changes

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“Unfortunately, the rally clashes with Mother’s Day. So, we decided on June 24,” she told Auto. “We looked at the following week, but then it would have clashed with the Jamaica Karting Association’s meet on the 20th as well.”

The JMMC is the regulatory body governing motorsports in Jamaica as appointed by the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA). The organisation provides sanctioning for all genres of motorsports.

Sunday’s second round of the Jamaican National Rally Championship would have seen a four-way tussle among Jordan Powell, Daryl King, Matthew Gore and Spencer Whittingham.

Whittingham, in his yellow Mitsubishi Evolution V, powered his way to victory in the season opener — the Tru Juice Rally — in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

“The competition was very close at the last event,” Whittingham told Auto. “I expected this one to be even closer given the speed of the stages. My only changes will be visual. I’m trying to get a new sponsor onboard so the car might have a different look. It’s going to be a rough rally.”

For Montegonian Powell, he is happy with the new date as he is still awaiting suspension parts for his Toyota Corolla FX. He came second to Whittingham but had won his class.

“I’m also going to spend the time trying to figure out why my engine is making the low power figures it currently has,” he said.

Gore said he was raring to go as his machine was battle ready and was prepared to win the event in honour of his mother who passed away in 2002.

“I finally got my dogbox,” said Gore. A dogbox is the term for a manual transmission that allows clutchless shifting due to its more robust internal design. It also contains more performance-oriented gear ratios for faster speeds.

“We were also down on power, so we’ve refreshed the engine so I was ready,” he said.

King had major repairs to his Honda Civic as it had overturned during the previous meet.

“We built the car back from scratch. Straightened it, seam-welded it, added some extra bars to the roll cage and dropped some weight,” he said.

King also installed a dogbox in his machine.

“It [the car] should be a lot easier to drive. I’ve also overhauled the brake system to avoid a repeat of what happened in stage one in Bog Walk,” he said.

Daryl King eyes racing supremacy

Second-generation Racers

BY Jarmila Jackson Observer writer

Friday, May 11, 2012

DARYL King, son of the late racing legend Raynor King, owes much of his inspiration to his father. However, the 27-year-old admits that with so many members of his family actively competing in the sport, it is something that is in his blood.

King, who has been racing since 2006, says he prefers rallying to circuit racing because of the unpredictability of the course.

Daryl King gives Auto the thumbs up. (Photo: Jarmila Jackson)

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“Racing is my life, I could never imagine a world without it. I was brought up in a family of racers and I’ve always looked up to my dad. I still think he’s the greatest thing that has ever happened to rallying in Jamaica and I know he really enjoyed what he did,” King told Auto.

“This is something I’m very passionate about. The rush you get from it is something I can’t describe and the only thing that’s on my mind when I’m on the track is winning. I try to push myself to the limit at all times. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but it can also be very rewarding,” he continued.

Driving the Thrifty Gas, Pay Now Investments and Network Automotive-sponsored Honda Civic in the JA 2 Class King is currently ranked third in the drivers championship points standing.

After his car turned over due to break failure in the last rally event in March then having to miss the recent sprint event for health reasons, King and co-driver Rameses McGregor have a lot of catching up to do. However, he says he is more determined now than ever to prove being in an accident should not hinder one from continuing on with the competition.

“When you enter the world of motor racing, you have to expect these things. Nobody said motor racing was safe and that there wouldn’t be accidents. So when you have one, the best you can do is brush yourself off and go at it again to prove that life goes on and an accident can’t stop you,” King told Auto.

Armed with a reconstructed car, complete with an improved roll cage, an upgraded break system, a new dog box, and a fresh paint job, King says he is coming back with a vengeance. His mission: to finally walk away with a victory (be it overall or class) at the annual Raynor King Memorial Rally (in memory of his father) set for June 24 in Lydford,

St Ann.

Sunday’s rally off till June

Daryl King eyes racing supremacy

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