Shane Munroe Photo
Doug Gore leading Peter Rae and David Summerbell in one of the modified production races at the Dover Race Track on Easter Monday. Gore took the checkered flag in the event.
Mario James, Gleaner Writer
After the successful staging of JamWest, the fans of round-and-round racing weren't going to be left out, No! Hilary Jardine JP, OD and the Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC) staged a humdinger of an event, attracting bumper crowds and lots of sponsors. The roundy pounders got their fix.
Dubbed Carnival of Speed, it lived up to its name and then some. The drama started early, when during the qualifying/practice laps, Matthew 'The Magnet' Gore oiled down the Tyre Warehouse Corner by spectacularly and catastrophically grenading his engine. The resulting oil slick took some time to clean and, hence, set back the programme about an hour. This set the stage, and indeed the tone, for the rest of the day. The racing that followed was fast and furious with no quarter asked or given. Here are some of the highlights.
Improved Production RACE #1 (IP27)
From the start we were treated to the diminutive Honda Civic of Tedroy Burton beating up on the four-wheel drive platforms of Bansie (Subaru) and Fraser (Evo). Where the Subaru, and, to some extent, the Evo, had the power planted in the corners, the Civic hung it on the motor on the straights and just pulled away for four of five laps. The Honda had so much power that Burton cut a little grass between corners eight and nine heading towards Carib Cement on the third lap, allowing the Subaru to catch up. But again the almighty horsepower of the Honda asserted itself after swapping paint with Bansie in the back esses and he was able to power away on the front straight. A mistake in the same area again allowed Bansie to come real close on the last lap, but the turbocharged K20 was just too strong and the Civic was able to drag race the Subaru for the win.
Modified Production Class 3 RACE #1 Field 6 cars
It was a classic battle between an RX7 Special (tube frame chassis) and the brute horsepower king, an Evo Six. Peter 'The Brand' Rae had problems in all through qualifying and race prep, but he managed to snag pole with a 1:25:1 to Doug Gore's 1:25:333. But a running lap is one thing; the problem with a set-up like this is that, 1) it is naturally aspirated, and 2) it has no torque on the bottom end. So where the RX7 has to run in its power band to be effective, Doug Gore's instant boost out of the hole negated any advantages the balance of the RX7 might have given Rae. Still, it was an awesome race, the skill of these two wily veterans coming to the fore. The battle was so intense, the RX7 lost its head (err, bonnet), again between corners eight and nine. Gore had too much car on the day though, and in the end sauntered to an easy win.
C&W Broad Band Thunder Sport RACE #1
This is the race the fans came to see. Peter 'Bull' Thompson, Doug 'HollyWood' Gore and his brother, Mathew 'The Magnet', with David Summerbell Jr mixing it up at the hallowed ground. Again, the Mother of all Evos (HollyWood's Evo Six) against the devil's own chariot, Thompson's gazelle like '93 Spaceframe RX7. On the overrun, the RX7 belches fire like no other. Although Thompson posted the quickest lap time in qualifying, it is a naturally aspirated beast. Dover's slow rolling start favours the Evos with their broader torque curve. So predictably, Doug took the lead from the get go. Bull bided his time, though, knowing he had the more balanced steed, and out-braked HollyWood into every corner, harrying the Evo like a hawk pouncing on a pigeon.
Eventually, because of driver error, daylight opened between the cars with HollyWood seemingly winning the battle. Drama unfolded, though, when HollyWood seemingly made an error of his own, missed the apex at the Tyre Warehouse corner and giving Bull all the chance he needed. But his car had let him down; Automotives will go out on a limb and say that his fuel system developed a leak and the car lost power. It eventually caught fire. In a flash, Bull was through. Gore pulled his car over, his mount done for the day, handing Thompson victory on a silver platter. Bull, though, rejected his gift, his Rotary having ingested foreign material, ground itself to halt in front of the entry to pit lane on the penultimate lap - to the dismay of the fans. The roar that went up when he got the better of Gore warmed the cockles of fans' hearts, a testament to the popularity of this gentleman. In an anti-climactic finish, Matthew Gore finished first, ahead of Peter 'The Brand' Rae, who ended the race a lap down on the race winner, having had to start from the pit lane. As they say, that's racing!
The next race meet would involve international drivers. Let's get it on!
MP3 and Thundersport Final
The day was winding down; there was precious little daylight left, so the event organisers lumped the final events into one grand finale. Again the excitement was in the C&W-sponsored Thundersport and Modified Production 3 classes; Peter 'The Brand' Rae wrested the top spot from David Summerbell Jr, and it was on, like popcorn! The finesse of the RX7 pacing the old master. The smoothness of Summerbell was not enough this day, however, and his Evo 6 let him down losing power and relegating him to the back of the pack. The Evo 6 of Gary Williams took up point duty for the Evo fans, though, and took Rae unaware grabbing first. The resulting melee was fascinating to watch, with the wily Rae using every trick in the book (and some that were not) to unseat Williams. It was not to be, though, and a risky manoeuvre caused The Brand to lose his bonnet once again! This time the bonnet took with it a portion of coolant hose, so Rae had to ease the pressure off Williams, who deservedly drove to the chequered flag. A fitting end to the day's racing.
For more indepth results, click on 'Dover Cliffhanger at go-localjamaica.com.
