FORMER?Motoring Club Barbados Inc. (MCBI) Acceleration Test Champion Cedric “Bugs” Shepherd is one of three drivers coming out of retirement for the Barbados Association of Dragsters and Drifters (BADD) next drag warz event at Bushy Park on June 19 starting at 10 a.m.
Shepherd, who has not seen competition in almost 20 years, is returning to action with a 600 HP Nissan Cedric, but is also preparing a 700 HP Ford Capri for the longer runs which are scheduled for later in the year.
The other drivers returning to active competition are Edwin “Sharky” Taitt and Colin Goodman.
Taitt has put together a Dune Buggy, powered by a Subaru WRX 2000cc engine and fans will be hoping for all to go well as a result of the “power-weight-ratio” of the vehicle, while Goodman will be making his return in a Suzuki Samurai Jeep, which will be powered by a turbo charged Suzuki Swift GTi engine.
Goodman says he is using the Suzuki Samurai to “shake off the rust” but is sending a warning to all that he would be returning with a potent Leeson Moe prepared Suzuki Forsa for the next event to show that he may be “old but not cold”.
In what is billed as a Father’s Day event, Corey “Tom” Stanford, in his Dennis Heath prepared Toyota Corolla AE 86, who currently holds the two-wheel drive title with a time of 7.844 seconds, has completed remedial work to the car. He has added new drag racing slicks and is expected to run head-to-head with the four wheel drive cars, while Shawn “Short Man” Eversley, Ryan Mings, Peter Morris, Curtis Lee and Duane “Shabba” White, will help to deepen the level of competition on the day.
Competition in the popular Eight Second Group will now be keener than ever, since the decision has been made to split the group in two; one class from 8.00 to 8.49 seconds and the other from 8.50 to 8.99 seconds.
BADD’s chairman Nicholas Harrison said it would be a day filled with many activities, one of which would be to give interested persons a chance to get close to all the cars participating in the event to chat with the drivers.
Of interest, he added, was that spectators would also get the opportunity to show off their knowledge by correctly answering motorsport general knowledge questions during the day’s proceedings.
Around 50 competitors are expected to face the starter and 14 of them will be new members of the club, in what is expected be a keenly contested day of racing.
Harrison said it would give the competitors in the class a better chance of vying for the Driver of the Year Championship.
Asif Suleman will make his debut in a Westfield, which will be powered by an 1100c Honda CBR motorcycle engine.
Suleman managed to clock in the lower eight-second bracket and with a few tweaks, is expected to be a serious contender.
On race day, patrons will also be treated to an ATV Stunt Display by the R.D. Motorsport Imports, who have promised to leave the crowd begging for more action, after their performance.
Official scrutineering will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the SLAM 101 FM car park, Haggatt Hall, St Michael.
