Glenroy Sinclair, Assignment Coordinator
Doug Gore … the man to beat on Easter Monday. - contributed
WHILE DAVID Summer-bell and the other Kingstonians will not be able to match the powerful Mitsubishi Evolution engine of Doug Gore on Easter Monday, the man everybody is looking at to take on the MoBay team is Peter Thompson.
The 12-race card is expected to get under way at noon, following the qualifying session for grid positions on the challenging Dover track. "I will be competitive as usual but at this meet I am coming to have fun. I have not done many changes to the car, just some minor things and I hope that is enough to stay close to Gore," said a smiling Thompson, who celebrates his 57th birthday on Saturday.
'Bull', as he is popularly called, is the local hero of May Pen, Clarendon, where he has been living for many years.
Easter Monday is the Jamaica Race Drivers' Club (JRDC) season-opening meet and is sponsored by Cable and Wireless.
According to Dean Corrodus, word coming out of the major race and speed stables is that all competitors have corralled more ponies in an effort to have the highest horsepower machines to unleash come race day. He said the 1.6-mile Dover track, equivalent to 12.8 furlongs, may look more like a horse race with a couple hundred horses under each bonnet battling for position.
New cars
Christopher 'Teach' McFarlane, who is responsible for the Dover Racing School, said at least 15 new cars will be there.
"Dover will be awesome. We are expecting about 10 new competitors in the IP45 Class, plus some long-time competitors like Junior Barnes will be coming back," said McFarlane. Jamaica and Caribbean champion driver Gore will be equipped with a lighter and more powerful version of Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution series, having sold his championship winning Evolution 8 in Guyana last year.
The MoBay team comprises Guy Fraser (2007 Jamaican Circuit champion), who has a more powerful Evolution 6, and Matthew Gore, who is now racing professionally in the United Kingdom.
In the meantime, Summerbell stressed that for this meet, he will be just competing for points.
"This meet I will be racing my rally car and the Magnum Prototype car," said Summerbell.
Another driver to watch is Peter Rae who, according to reports, has upgraded his car.
SCHEDULE
Qualifying & Race Day, Monday, March 248:00-10:15 a.m.: Late Drivers Entry & Registration
9:00-10:00 a.m.: Free Practice
10:00-10:20 a.m.: Improved Production Qualifying
10:20-10:40 a.m.: Thundersport Qualifying
10:40-11:00 a.m.: IP45 Qualifying
11:00-11:20 a.m.: Modified Production Qualifying
11:20 a.m.: TRACK CLOSED
11:30-11:15 a.m.: Mandatory drivers meeting11:20 a.m.: Blessing of the Meet and Opening Ceremonies11:30-11:50 a.m.: Improved Production, race one (five laps)
12:00-12:20 p.m.: Modified Production Class 3 race one (five laps)
12:30-12:50 p.m.: Modified Production Classes 1 & 2 race one (five laps)
1:00-1:20 p.m.: IP 45 race one (five laps)
1:30-1:50 p.m.: Cable and Wireless Broadband Thundersport race one (five laps)
1:50-2:00 p.m.: Lunch2:10-2:30 p.m.: Improved Production race two (seven laps)
2:40-3:00 p.m.: Modified Production Class 3 race two (seven laps)
3:10-3:30 p.m.: Modified Production Classes 1 & 2 race two (seven laps)
3:40-4:00 p.m.: IP45 race two (five laps)
4:10-4:30 p.m.: Cable and Wireless Broadband Thundersport race two (seven laps)
