Heroes of Speed "Fallen Heroes" 2009 report
Heroes of Speed race report.
I said it was going to be exciting.
I said there would be close racing.
I said drivers would literally be racing down to the wire in the bid for championship honors.
I can now apply for my prophet license. LOL.
What I couldn’t predict however was just how high the attrition rate would be in practice in the weeks and days preceding the event as well as in qualifying and just how much each crew would go through to ensure that their drivers made it to the track on race day; but I’m getting ahead of myself here, so let me observe protocol and do the official stuff.
The 2009 season of circuit racing organized by the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club (JRDC) at Dover Raceway came to a thrilling climax on Heroes Day, October 19, when the final race meet of the year was held there. The club has much to boast about this season, having seen the successful staging of the first three events, with record attendance, improved facilities and amenities, very close racing, greater exposure in the media and an increasing number of competitors with better prepared cars and bikes being some of the more significant achievements this year, which sees the culmination of title sponsor LIME’s three year sponsorship deal.
There is so much to report on I hardly know where to start, so a quick look at the results may be helpful here. There were a total of 15 races scheduled for the day to be culminated by the Lime “Fallen heroes” Thundersport race. An on time start after the formalities of introduction, welcome and the playing of the national anthem after the customary driver lineup saw the fans delve into the action in the bright morning sun, which was to be followed at lunchtime by persistent overcast conditions, but the rain that threatened never came and the clouds simply made things cooler and more enjoyable for those in attendance.
Of the three motorcycle races run on the day, all were dominated by champion rider Stephan Chin on his Holey Bulla sponsored Honda CBR 600RR race machine. He made it look easy and established his conquest of the other competitors early on, posting a fastest time of the day of 1 minute 23.521 seconds. Dennis Chin Quee on a Yamaha 600 R6 secured a 2nd place and two 4th place finishes, with Halquin Rodney placing 2nd twice and placing 4th in the 1st race. Adrian Blake was the other podium finisher with three solid 3rd place finishes on a Honda 600 RR.
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In the Improved Production Class 27 category, points leader Stephen Bansie in the Scotia Group Subaru Impreza WRX Sti Spec C romped to victory in Race 1 after qualifying on pole, and was also first across the line in race 2, but was demoted to 5th place after receiving a penalty for breaking out of the time bracket. With the results gained, Bansie has won the IP27 championship for the 2nd year running. Neil Gore in the Team Mobay Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X was 2nd in race 1 and was set to repeat that placing for race 2, but was gifted the win with bansie’s breakout. 3rd place in race 1 was George Bayley in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII while in race 2 Charles Maxwell in the CRC Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was 2nd and debutant Joel Jackson 3rd in the Jetcon Racing Subaru Impreza. Neil Gore has placed 2nd in the 2009 championship in this category while last year’s winner, Gary Williams, has placed 3rd.
The Improved Production 33 category saw rising star Peter Jaggon in the Jaggon Gases/Horse P Racing Honda Civic CRX cross the line first in Race 1, but was demoted to 5th place because of breaking out. Last year’s overall Dover Champion Gary Barrett driving the Jump Fence Racing/Car City Honda Civic was promoted to 1st place, closely followed by young Kyle Gregg in the BD Gregg & Bros. Honda Civic and Heath Causwell in the Blue Waters Mitsubishi Mirage 3rd. In race 2 it was Barrett completing the double with Dean Corrodus in the Kumho Tires Honda Civic Type R in 2nd followed by Chris Wright in Horse P racing’s Purple Turtle Honda civic coupe in 3rd. This after breakout penalties were applied to Gregg, Jaggon, Sebastian Rae and Andy Bodden while Charles Maxwell was disqualified.
Peter Jaggon set a new front wheel drive track record in qualifying on Sunday of 1 minute 26.932 seconds.
Raymond Donaldson, Charles Chen and Nigel Edwards.
The Improved Production 37 class was keenly contested between class leader Brian Foster in another Horse P Racing creation, the Sherwin Williams Honda Civic hatchback and past champion Rohan Clarke in the Team Xpress Racing Nissan Pulsar, who was eager to retain his throne. They were both upstaged by Peter Jaggon who also ran in this class and won race 1 followed by Raymond Donaldson in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Nigel Edwards in a turbocharged Volkswagen Golf out of the Team Brown’s Town camp. In Race 2 it was Charles Chen’s turn to score a maiden victory followed by Edwards in 2nd and Jaggon in 3rd place.
IP45 competitors in action.
Demotion due to breakout penalties applied were pretty much the order of the day in the Improved production 45 category, where cars are allowed to race without roll cages if they go no faster than one minute forty five seconds around the track, The popular category of racing has seen many racers getting their first taste of competition before plunging full time into racing, offering a great introductory platform to the sport. Many have argued for and many against the idea, but one thing is for sure, the record shows that many current champions in other classes got their start right in IP45. Raymond Donaldson won race 1 followed by Nigel Thomas aka “The Druggist” in a Mitsubishi Lancer affectionately called “Lancerlution” and Kayde “Preacher’s Son” Walker 3rd in a VW Golf from Team Brown’s Town Racing. This after a total of nine competitors broke out of the time bracket. In race 2, nine competitors again broke out, 8 of them being disqualified, resulting in the three podium places being won by Neil Blenham in a Peugeot, David Senior in an Acura Integra and Walton Small in a Toyota Corolla taking home the glory.
The different moods of Kyle Gregg
Brian Foster, Gary Barrett and Dean Corrodus.
The Modified Production categories feature flat out racing as opposed to the Improved Production where participants keep one eye on the clock to stay within a certain lap time requirement, and many consider these categories a purer form of racing. In Class 1 (MP1), for cars with an engine displacement not exceeding 1800cc, Kyle Gregg raced ahead of his rivals to take the win, followed by Brian Foster and Gary Barrett…all in Honda Civics. In race 2, it was the same story again, the results sheet reading the same, except that Dean Corrodus claimed 3rd, but also in a Honda Civic. He was one of the drivers who had arrived late at the track due to staying up all night Sunday rebuilding an engine and having to start from dead last on the grid for each race…but more on that later, as this seemed to be standard procedure for several drivers at this event.
Teddy Burton’s fast Honda Civic and Dean Shaw’s improving Prochallenge truck.
The drifting antics of crowd favorite Alan Chen.
In Modified production 2, Teddy Burton in the Xavia Murray prepared turbo-charged Honda Civic put on a fine performance to win both races, followed by stable mate Alan Chen in a turbo-charged, rear wheel drive Toyota Corolla, who drifted his car, much to the delight of many spectators, around several corners of the track. 3rd in both races was Dean Shaw in the Wilshaw Racing Prochallenge truck, possibly his strongest performance to date.
Doug Gore being closely followed by Chris Campbell and then taking his turn at following his father Neil Gore.
Douglas Gore won the first Modified Production Class 3 race, sharing the limelight with Chris Campbell and his father Neil Gore in 2nd and 3rd. In Race 2, it was a come from behind win for David Summerbell, literally driving on the road all the way from Gore’s Team Mobay Racing garage in Montego Bay to cross the line first after an all nighter to replace a damaged engine block. His benefactor (Doug Gore) was close on his heels however, but not in his usual Evolution 5, as that car damaged its engine too, but in the Evolution X, which in turn was to finish the day by the side of the road with suspected engine damage as well! Third across the line in this class was K. Marston in a Mazda 323.
David Summerbell arrives at the track minus front bumper and then promptly winning, but followed closely by Doug Gore.
The LIME Thundersport category sees the fastest cars on track at each meet, and Chris Campbell wrapped up a fine second season of racing by not only winning race 1 but the championship as well in his blue and white Casa’s garage prepared Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV. 2nd place went to a hard charging David Summerbell in a thrilling “start from the back of the pack drive because I was late and never qualified and stayed up all night to change my engine so I’m gonna show you how this is really done”. 3rd went to Peter “Bull” Thompson in his turbocharged Mazda RX7. In race 2, “King” David turned the tables on Campbell and crossed the line first, with Campbell and Thompson following him across the line, albeit some distance behind.
As Jamaicans would say: “Donkey lengths” margin of victory for David Summerbell.
Thundersport champion Chris Campbell and Peter Thompson fending off a strong race-long challenge from Stephen Bansie & Peter Rae.
This was such an epistle, I’ll leave the 2009 championship positions to the presenter at the prize giving function, which takes place on Friday, October 23 at the Pegasus Hotel starting at 7 p.m. Be there to support your favorite drivers and celebrate with the champions.
The meet was sponsored by Lime, Pegasus Hotel, Power 106, KLAS Sports Radio, IRIE FM, National Supplies, TVJ, D&G’s Malta, Tropical Battery, Tyre Warehouse and The Gleaner.
For further information, call Daneisha Morgan at the Jamaica Race Driver’s Club office at 924-JRDC or visit the club’s website at www.jrdc.org.
