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1 GEAR st
Hi folks, it has been way too long since you’ve had your hands on these paragraphs – feels good doesn’t it. Despite our absence in print we’ve been battling the social media megatron day after day. Not only that, but our presence has been extended and in the usual JTM fashion, our content has become even more diverse. What does that mean? Well, let me run through the gears slowly; swaps, search, smoke, smiles, songs, sunny and before I forget – like that’s even possible… sexy. Jamaican Tuner, not limited to earth’s paradise – Jamaica; sends our folks just about anywhere there’s piston pounding racket. SEMA saw us cramming memory cards with more photos than you’d find in the family albums of the Brady Bunch. Not slowing down, Formula D was up next! Special thanks to John Pangilinan who gave us the opportunity to witness one of the most uncontrolled manner of guiding over a thousand horses through unchartered, smoke-filled territory. John Bridge was ring side and proceeded to drain my phone’s battery by incessantly sending voice notes of Michael Essa’s BMW playing the songs of us car people. After which I deleted one by one in fear of future technicalities as experienced by Mr.Palmer. Nigel Wilmot from Wilmotorsports has joined us to present some of the most breath-taking views captured with his iphone #ikidyounot – the pictures are astounding. He is currently spearheading the off-road movement in Jamaica and Tuner Mag thinks it critical to publicize this effort in our eclectic package. The dynamic duo of Rory Daley and Leroy Spence puts a new spin on things where they go jab for jab at weighing the yaay’s and nay’s of controversial issues. Life without music is almost as pointless as cars without clutch pedals and for that we have resurrected a crowd favourite: Tunes for Cruising. In fact, we wanted to resuscitate the column with Rhianna. However, after blocking 5 of my cell phone numbers and a restraining order; I figured she was probably busy and went for the team of Craig and Kevin from voicemail. Versatile musicians who gave use a lil peek into the mechanics of the group. Move over Miss Universe, #tunersexy is here to steal the show! Robert Davis from Divas unlimited assembled a bevy of beauties who took over cyber-space for a whole week. If chaos looked this good then all the Cold War needed was David Guetta to have a blast – it was crazy to say the least. Whilst all the ladies were Ferrari-esque gorgeous, only one would be the lucky winner. Mentioned thus far is but a fraction of what’s captured in our latest issue, from hereon in, you’re on your own. Before you depart on your journey though automotive ecstasy, mark your calendars for Dyno Day! While the average Joe may think it obnoxious; the rest of us will find the harmonic notes of ceramic blades humming through an open exhaust, quite soothing. Happy Reading friends, and as always… #staytuned.
D.Lewis Chief Editor
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The three Karting events at Palisadoes were on schedule, with another 6 meets to go for the year. JKA president Neil Williams and company seem set on continuing to ensure that the grass root level of motor sport continues to groom our youngsters, ensuring that other genres continue to reap the benefits of this organization. It must be also noted that, coming from this same organization, are the likes of Andre Anderson (featured in our last issue) and Kyle Gregg, circuit champions on top of their respective classes. Further, on any given event day, you will most certainly run into the likes of David Summerbell Jr., Peter ‘Zoom Zoom’ Rae and Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore...in notably different capacities. While Rae is intent on having an adult class in Karting, his major role on Karting day is that of a very respectable trainer, fully involved in training and preparing youngsters for the Go Kart track. He has, without a doubt, one of the most respectable Go Kart stables on the island. Summerbell is also heavily involved in the sport with youngsters from his immeiate family among others. Gore’s main focus is his son, Tommy, who is very competitive on the track in his own right, when he is able to escape the grasp of his doting Dad. While not a crowd-puller, these Go Kart events are certainly entertaining and are definitely seeing more in terms of entrants and spectators of late. Truly, quite entertaining racing...
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Daryl King and Ramesses McGregor paused for a photo after collecting their award
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From left-to-right Mrs. Chen (mother of the current president of the JRDC Charles Chen), Wayne Chen and Hilary Jardine shared a moment of laughter at the recently held Carnival of Speed at Dover raceway.
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TOP GEAR FESTIVAL
BARBADOS The Barbados Tourism Authority and Top Gear Festival has announced that 2008 Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, is set to join the star-studded lineup of world famous presenters and motor sport legends at the inaugural Top Gear Festival in Barbados, from May 17-18. The British Grand Prix ace will appear on the track behind the wheel of his MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One car during an adrenaline-fuelled motoring weekend. Fans can expect to hear the spine-tingling roar of the F1 W04’s MercedesBenz Formula One engine as the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS car makes history with its Caribbean debut by appearing at the newly renovated Bushy Park Circuit. Hamilton, 29, joins an illustrious list of F1 supremoes, World Champions and race winners to appear at a Top Gear Festival including David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Mika Hakkinen, Jody Scheckter and Eddie Jordan.
“I cannot wait to touch down in Barbados for the Top Gear Festival,” commented Hamilton. “I love the island and have been on the TV show a few times and always have a lot of fun, so I’m excited to experience the spirit of Top Gear at a live event”. Formula One aficionados and motoring enthusiasts alike will see Lewis in action, doing what he does best, as he tears around the track in this extraordinary car. Petrol-heads are in for a thrilling weekend of high-octane motoring action as Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond take part in a non-stop schedule of motoring antics that will see The Stig and the Top Gear Live Stunt Driving Team take to the track in a series of thrilling stunts, races and challenges as well as legendary drivers from Global Rally Cross compete in the first round of their 2014 season. Visitors are encouraged to book early so as not to miss the most exciting new event on Barbados’2014 entertainment and motoring calendar. Bushy Park is a short drive from the island’s capital Bridgetown and from the international airport.
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Tickets are on sale and priced at BBD$75 ($37.50 USD) for a general admission ticket, BBD$200 ($100 USD) for a Club House ticket and BBD$500 ($250 USD) for a VIP Marquee ticket. Children’s tickets are available, and start from BBD$50 ($25 USD) for a general admission ticket. For more information on ticket packages or to book visit www.topgearfestivalbarbados.com
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Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide, commonly known as NOS is considered as one of the easiest ways to make power in the automotive tuning world. After all, it’s just running a few lines and strapping down a bottle that can add up to 150 horses with the push of a button. Awesome, isn’t it? Despite a lot of engines being turbocharged, nitrous continues to be the best bang for buck and eliminates the technicality of extreme setups. However, a lot of people fear Nitrous as a power adder because it can destroy an engine in a matter of seconds. But as with any performance modification or power adder it has to be done properly, and of course, once done properly the results will be pleasing. However I believe it’s due to a lack of understanding as it relates to nitrous application for this induced fear.
How Does Nitrous Work?
Nitrous Oxide is a combination of an oxygen molecule with two nitrogen molecules in a chemical process to form nitrous oxide. It is then stored as a compressed liquid in an approved container (bottle), when released the compressed liquid returns to a gaseous state into the combustion chamber of the engine. The oxygen molecule separates from the nitrogen molecules due to its exposure to heat of combustion. This separation of the molecules introduces additional oxygen for combustion which allows you to add more fuel, thus increasing power output. Nitrous also cools the intake charge which can drop air intake temperatures approximately 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit!! For every 11 degrees that the intake temperature is lowered, 1% of horsepower is gained! All that spells is more horsepower, as denser air-fuel mixture/charge creates more power!!!! Ha!!! Eat that you fearers! Nitrous Systems Nitrous Oxide systems are classified as Dry and Wet Systems. Dry systems only inject nitrous into the intake stream of the engine. The additional fuel required is supplied by the injectors of the engine. This means the fuel system must match the requirements for this system to be fully effective. Wet Systems inject a mixture of fuel and nitrous into the intake stream, and additional fuel required is supplied from the injectors of the engine. With this, system fuel and nitrous is injected in a specific proportion so that the mixture is efficient and stable to be used by the engine.
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There are four ways of introducing Nitrous into the engine: Single Fogger-Dry System
This system injects only nitrous into the intake stream of the engine before the throttle body. Additional fuel must be supplied by the injectors of the fuel system to properly compensate for the added oxygen that is being introduced to the cylinders.
Single Fogger Wet System
With this method, nitrous and fuel is mixed at the fogger and injected into the intake system before the throttle body. This system is easier to tune as fuel and nitrous is mixed in appropriate proportionality (metered), which means there is a good match between air and fuel to keep the mixture ideal for engine conditions. Additional fuel required can be supplied by the injectors of the engine.
Direct Port Fogger Wet System
Direct Port injection systems uses one fogger per cylinder, meaning, if it’s a four cylinder engine four foggers are used. One intended for each individual cylinder/intake runner. Nitrous is injected just prior to each cylinder. This system is highly accurate as even distribution is among all cylinders which results in more power gain as compared to other nitrous systems, because each cylinder has its own set of foggers/jets. However, because each fogger requires its own nitrous and fuel lines it is more complex to be configured, compared to other nitrous systems.
Plate Systems Wet system
Plate systems use a plate with a spray bar which hosts a series of small holes through which nitrous and fuel is injected. The plate is fitted between the throttle body/carburetor where fuel and nitrous is injected into the intake stream at the throttle body or directly into the carburetor. This system also creates big horsepower gains due to the precision engineering of the spray bar system. These systems are mostly used on big displacement motors like v6/v8 type engines which uses a centralized manifold system.
Tuning of Nitrous Systems When nitrous is added to an engine it must be tuned to be safe and reliable. Nitrous increases the burn rate of the engine, therefore, ignition timing must be retarded to prevent “knock/Detonation� which can hurt or destroy an engine. The fuel curve of the engine has to be adjusted to meet the desired air fuel ratios, especially in the case of Dry Shot nitrous systems. Nitrous systems can also be tuned manually especially in the case of carbureted setups which doesn’t use fuel injectors. Instead the jet sizes have to be matched in a combination to get a desired mixture, and the distributor is retarded to reduce ignition timing. However it is recommended that an experienced person with nitrous experience perform tuning of your nitrous system.
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Chris Forsberg’s Nissan 370z stood at attention at the recently staged Formula Drift held in California, USA
DRIFTING Words n pix: J.K. Bridge
When we hear the word drifting, we automatically think of japan and going sideways up and down some road way or another. I have always been fascinated with going sideways even before I knew there were actual competitions held all over the world. USA is no exception, in June of 2003, Slipstream Global Marketing organized a qualifying event in the USA with top drifters from Japan and by April of the next year the first Formula D event
was held at Road Atlanta. Fast forward to 2014, Long Beach CA; my SoCaliYAADIE senses were going of the charts with the smell of burning rubber and race fuel. Not to mention the sound of those heavily tuned machines, the sound only comparable to those the Gods make when they are angry. I got more than I was expecting, heck I didn’t even realize that there was more to judging the competition than just sliding around a corner side by side. Jamaican Tuner Magazine |
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the So here are some of basics I learned; I. LINE , and it is the This is determined by the judges ough the course path the vehicle should take thr and is marked by clipping points.
Ryan Tuerck weighing in on the action in his Scion FR-S
II. ANGLE ays you can get This is basically how far sidew l. the car while maintaining contro III. ST YLE forms aggressive This is how well the driver per wall, angles, flicks, how close they get to the and how close degree of difficulty, fluidity in the case of they can get to the lead car head to head.
Last year entry speed was crucial to getting points, but that was changed for this year’s series. CHRIS FORSBERG, one of the three heavy hitters I knew about prior to the event, placed first followed by KENNY MOEN and MICHAEL ESSA. Other competitors included Vaughn Gittin Jr., Ryan Tuerck and Dai Yoshihara. At the end of it all, it was a great first time experience and look forward to continued coverage of the rest of the 2014 Formula D season.
Kenneth Moen doing a nice drift pattern in his Nissan 240SX walked away with 2nd
Michael Essa came 3rd with his BMW M3
Special thanks to John Pangilinan and the rest of the Formula D team for allowing me the opportunity to cover the event. It was most definitely an opportunity of a lifetime and I look forward to future coverage of the series. 16
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the path
less
travelled
Words n Pix: D.Lewis
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The specifics often play an important role in critical matters that plague us on a daily basis. We may choose to create mountains over mole hills while others go with the flow that generally is an easier path. Alex Bromfield is not the latter. In fact, Alex tends to border the OCD lane of the drag strip. Function over form tends to be the jargon of older folks these days. Alex displays extensive knowledge of function – no reference to age, most if not every aspect of modification lends itself to purpose. His 91 Nissan Sunny was bought in 94 from Fortune Corporation, and intended for daily wife duties, not toll tearing terrorism. However, a twist in the plot revealed that what started out as a round town rodeo, became a body of boredom; a body in need of a heart transplant. Mrs. Bromfield cited that the SR18 was bitterly slow and that the car needed a bit more, umph; Nissan zero, Honda one. Alex then embarked on a journey that would lead him to what some would define simply as “absurd”.
Despite the missus’ discomfort in the Sunny’s speed, or lack thereof; Alex only did minor upgrades up to a few years after purchase. The usual suspects were sought, rims, brake pads etc. With that going in the foreground, the analytical Alex locked himself away in his secret chamber reciting chants from the ancient scripts of SCC – inserts dramatic creepy music here, tum tum tummm. During that period the Sport Compact Car and Turbo magazine spoke of several SE-R builds that greatly influenced the engineer. Next move, boost; a T-25 turbine from a diesel pickup was then added to the list of parts which sought to evolve the Sunny’s speed, or lack thereof. Alex, being an engineer, attempted most of the build himself through pragmatic application and extensive research of similar builds. Fabrication matters were mostly handled by Don Lee, with the few exceptions being offered to AC Coke and Clevie. Within a few months the compressed air brought the car to life. Alex estimated 170 horses, and a hundred times the pleasure to drive. “It was very nice,” stated Alex. The only problem that arose lurked deep within the synchros of the Sunny. Like most modified Sunny/Sentras, the transmission tends to be an area of concern. An upgrade of some sort was imminent; however, disaster had struck before then. A leak in the crank case led to a loss of lubricating fluids that ultimately led to the demise of the little SR18 causing it to spin bearings. Through this tragedy, the journey of modification took a rather alienated path. The daily driver was down and Alex needed a motor. His addiction to boost was crippling, but being without the family work horse was even more immobilizing. A GA15 became available, a carburettor motor with high economic value but little to no credulity for boost. Very unappealing but very necessary, thus, it became the heart of the Sunny. Alex then began some snooping around online for the specifications on the GA15, he discovered that being an iron block, there might be some potential
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to accommodate forced induction. Within the midst of speculation, a friend had made a remark saying to Alex that nothing less than an SR20 could match the power of his own SR20 powered Nissan. It was then that Alex decided to get his hands dirty to clean up the competition; work began to prove that the GA15, impractical for power, could match strides with the mighty SR. The trouble with the GA motor is that no one opts to trouble them; it is just impractical, even Alex admits, “it’s very uneconomical, the money spent to extract power could have purchased at least 3 Sr20 motor swapped in and looking to make more power”. Nevertheless a man’s pride cannot be bought and he welcomed the challenge.
First up, the block; the motor was sent to DPR Racing where it was machined and fitted with custom sleeves. The motor had to be re-sleeved in order to provide an increase of about 100cc in displacement; simply boring the block would have left it vulnerable when required to sustain pressure within the cylinders. Further stroking could have been obtained but Alex felt it best to remain at 1600cc for higher rev capabilities. George Sheerwood from Sheerwood Machine Shop did a ‘port and polish’, as well as valve grind to accommodate oversized valves. Webb Cams supplied a 272 degree camshaft, whilst Ferrae offered a set of custom made valve springs and retainers. In the end the head’s flow capability increased two folds and unlike Tony Braxton, it was able to breathe again. The unpopularity of Ga15 was a major obstacle in progression. Unlike Hondas whose aftermarket parts list tremendously outnumbers the amount of Bob Marley’s offspring, there was literally nothing shelved for the GA15 motor. Therefore, everything had to be custom built. Bob Legre aka ‘Rally Bob’ was a pioneer in GA15 builds, one of the few individuals who decided to tinker
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with the motor. Alex and Bob, sounding as if two characters from Mother Goose; actively conversed where Bob had imparted his knowledge from trial and error onto Alex. It was Bob who had demonstrated, among many other things that ARP bolts from the Datsun L15 motor found in the 510 was capable of being customised to fit the GA15 block. Rod design came from Pauter after discussions with Alex about the specifications of the motor. Ross racing pistons did a customized set of pistons based on the design used for the Infinity Q6’s motor. Due to the expense to manufacture 1 set of pistons, it was not practical for Ross; wit that said, Alex had to purchase 4 sets to obtain the unique design in addition to the desired 11.5:1 compression ratio. At this rate, Alex would have had a professional race car by now. The fuel system garnered excessive attention from Alex. Facet Posi Flo lift pump, Carter GP 4070 feed pump ran fuel through full 3/8” hoses. A pump voltage booster was added for the extra surge needed to power the pumps during periods of inconsistencies. Alex ensured that the power supplied to the pump remained constant, consistent fuel pressure equals happy power. Fuel used is 90 Octane with Toluene and an upper cylinder lube added, a mixture mastered by Alex’s ingenuity. Warning! Do not try at home. Toluene is very corrosive and possible carcinogenic…leave to the professionals. The final octane rating is approximately 94.
Under the bonnet sometimes plays host to unwanted temperature rise. The stock single core radiator was rather marginal for a setup of this magnitude; however, with Alex, there is always a method to the madness. He insisted on retaining the stock unit in order to maintain a good distance of the fans from the exhaust manifold to prevent premature failure of the cooling units. Instead, he opted to improve efficiency of the cooling core by designing a methanol/water mixture that is activated by a sensor. At a specified temperature, pumps attached to a reservoir of methanol/water, sprays a gentle mist onto the cooling cores of both the radiator and the oil cooler. There is actually a thin line between genius and insanity, Alex stresses that the mixture must be right in order to prevent any combustion under the hood, outside of the engine that is. The mist optimizes cooling through a rapid heat exchange process and reduces the temperature of the overall system.
There are no drastic modifications outside the bonnet. The front bumper was swapped for the 94 version, outer fog lamps from the 91 GTS were included through a custom fit. The body kit is from factory while the headlamps are from the 97 Nissan Tsuru, same as the Sunny whose shape has remained the same for over twenty years in Mexico. With no intentions to race, Alex simply wanted to defy the odds. For him it was more of a personal challenge, after all, he is an engineer; this is what he does for a living, why not make it into a project. Again the car was built to be very practical; every piece of material added has its purpose. From heat exchange systems to power adders, the car was built with one intent, sustainable power. Despite the custom parts and the DIY fuel mixture, the car is intended to perform optimally at all times, even when on the path less travelled.
The increase in power became fatal for the Nissan’s transmission. Alex wanted his Sunny to remain an automatic, all the other cars in his stable were manual and he exclaimed that the clutch pedal in his R33 GTST was, “a pain in the ass,� for lack of better words. Level 10 Transmission supplied a shift kit for the automatic to give it tip-tronic capabilities. A high-stall torque converter along with clutch components acted as supplements for the transmission to flex its muscles.
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Words: T. Salmon Race of the Champions Tara Salmon Karting has been the starting place for racecar drivers in Jamaica. After competing successfully for
maica Karting Association’s (JKA) season kicked off at the Palisadoes International Raceway in Kingston on February 2, with a full complement of racers. The season promises to be one of non-stop action, and has proven to be very entertaining since the beginning.
Karting has been the starting place for racecar drivers in Jamaica. After competing successfully for some time the Karters would normally branch out into circuit racing, rally driving or drag racing, some even tackle tarmac and dirt events. The Jamaica Karting Association’s (JKA) season kicked off at the Palisadoes International Raceway in Kingston on February 2, some time have race champions with a full complement of racers. The season promises the putKarters on a show at the end of karting meets?’ The new president to be one of non-stop action, and has proven to be very would ‘It’s supposed to be a crowd , and that is indeed ofstimulator’ the association entertaining since the beginning. normally what it was, with Eaton finishing first and all the others coming pass flag side by Eaton, side. ‘It wasis outthe checkeredHeather The new president of the association Heather Eaton, is the first branch fun’, continued Rae. ‘I plan the to hostfirst this race at every female female president of the association in its 52years of operation. into circuit meet, hoping more camps will come on board.’ president of She promises that that her plans to revamp the popularity of the racing, sport are proving successful. ‘Gerald Tyndale suggestedthe it as aassociation joke while comrally drivin its 52years mentating and I raced with the idea. Karting is not the The favorites for this season are Mattea Issa who has been tearing ing or drag most popular motorsport but it is fun and entertaining’ of operation. She . up the 50cc class with no one to be seen behind her on the track. racing, Rae explains also that he makes his karts available at lunch Ryan Chisolm tops the Rotax Minimax class with Zander Williams promises that that time ‘so that should also be a crowd puller’ . some even right behind him battling for first place. Justin Sirgany is also topher plans to revamp ping the MiniMax class and his brother Joshua topping the 125cc tackle tarRae hopes that once the word out about theofrace, the gets popularity Rotax Junior class, who is competing greatly with Marc-Anthony mac and it will become a part of the anticipated events Eaton of the same class. Thomas Issa seems to be the favorite of the sport are on the calendar. With the help of Maxxis Tyres, dirt events. the Rotax Seniors. However, he only has Spencer Whittingham proving suc-the distributed Limited, Ja- by Chad-ad Distributors and Aaron March to contest. Though there is no Rotax Masters, The price allows the cessful. Peter Rae has provided some entertainment by introducing The spec tires at the lowest possible Karters to continue doing what they love despite The favorites Race of Champions for persons who would qualify to contend in how many persons are in the stands. the class. for this looks forward are Jamaica Tuner caught up with Circuit racer Peter ‘Zoom Zoom” Rae Jamaican Tuner Magazineseason to the rest of the season at the Palisadoes Mattea to hear how he feels about the sport’s popularity, and what he has International Raceway, as we are anxious to done to help boost the crowd. Issapromised. who has see who will be the new faces and of been tearing course who will pull through the final checkered Reggae Racers’ Peter Rae has recently started a Race of Champions up the 50cc event. This race included the likes of David Summerbell Jr., Doug flag. ‘Hollywood’ Gore and Guy Eaton-the winner. ‘The Jamaica Karting class with no Association’s (JKA) is the starting flag for our drivers, explained one to be seen beRae. ‘What better way to motivate our upcoming drivers than to
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Shanika #tunersexy
The Jamaican Tuner magazine launched its Tuner Sexy competition in March 2014 that saw 9 beauties vying for the top spot. The competition was strictly online based and the winners were to be determined by votes brought about by Facebook and Instagram likes. At the end of it all, Shanika Nelson arose the winner, with Crystal Mason and Chevell Powell walking away with 2nd and 3rd respectively.
What type(s) of music do you listen to? Anything really, country, hip-hop and RnB
What type of girl are you, Candle light type or out n about chick? Definitely the stay home chill vibe, would definitely love the candle light dinner.
What attributes would you consider to be attractive about a guy? Definitely how he speaks. He has to be genuine with a sense of humour. I love to laugh so there has to be some vibes.
When you found out that you had won the competition, how did you feel? I had the confidence that I would’ve won after a while but I just wanted the confirmation. The last few hours were very hectic and so I was very relieved afterwards.
We met up with the winner, Shanika just to get the scoop on what the competition was like for her and to share with her fans a little about herself.
How would you define sexy?
There’s no one definition. It can be physical. It also can be intelligence, which I think is kinda hot.
What are your goals?
Possibly to go further in modelling, while finishing up studies in banking and finance. Investments seem like a viable career option as well.
Do you have any dislikes about doing promotions?
It is generally ok. The only dislike may be to work with different persons and having to change attitude/ personality to please clients etc. But a job is a job.
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Did you have any fears going into the competition?
Well, I had never been in a competition before now. I would normally shy away. At the time, I wasn’t on social media, and so I was a bit worried at the start, but still maintained confidence.
Do you have any regrets?
Definitely no regrets. It was fun even though I had to work hard to get the votes.
Did you fear any other competitor?
Marion took really great pix, I thought she was going to win. Also, Chevelle is very popular so……
How did you handle all the male attention?
It was overwhelming at first. All the good and bad comments. I was never rude though. After all, it comes with the territory.
How has the competition affected you?
Exposure has sky-rocketed and more promotional options are presenting themselves.
Do you have any words for our readers?
Work hard, stay positive and never, ever doubt yourself…
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the
DEFENDER By Rajendra Jadusingh
The Defender’s direct ancestor began life in 1948 out of the need in post war Britain for a rugged utilitarian vehicle that could be used in agriculture, commerce and industry or even the military. It was known simply as “Land Rover”. The basic premise then as now, was a very strong heavy duty boxed steel frame with light aluminium bodywork bolted together so as to allow various configurations to be derived from a common platform. Over the intervening seven decades this concept has stood the ultimate test; that of time. Today’s Defender is still hand built with a body-on-frame construction that allows utility of purpose unrivalled amongst its competitors. There are literally thousands of permutations of body styles that can be ordered from the three available wheelbases (90”, 110” and 130”) including pick-ups, station wagons and bare chassis that can have customised attachments. They are extensively deployed by various militaries all over the world as well as utility companies, emergency services, exploration societies, humanitarian aid groups and other organisations too numerous to list. The mechanicals have been steadily updated through the years, moving on from the original Land Rover’s part time four wheel drive and leaf springs. Defender, a name which came into being in 1990 (though the model was actually introduced in 1983), utilises permanent four wheel drive and coil springs. It currently boasts a six speed close ratio gearbox with high and
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low ranges, giving a total of twelve forward and two reverse gears. Large, powerful four wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS are mounted on solid axles. The standard limited slip differentials and the ability to mechanically lock the centre differential round out an impressive chassis that is ideally suited to heavy duty workloads and extreme off road all terrain situations. Defender models currently available are equipped with a modern 2.2L common rail turbo diesel engine producing 360Nm of torque, 90% of which is available between 2200 and 4350rpm. This allows Defender to have a class leading towing capacity of 3,500kgs. This engine has a neat (and unique) off road trick up its sleeve …. Anti-stall. The ECU automatically adjusts fuelling to prevent the engine from being overcome by loads, a particularly useful feature in extreme conditions like moving off on steep gradients and heavy towing. The Defender is proof that appearances can be deceptive. Looking at it, one might think that its tall, narrow upright stance would be very top heavy and unstable in extreme manoeuvres. Similarly, its live axle body-on-frame chassis would suggest poor ride quality and refinement. Surprise, surprise; that light aluminium body atop a steel frame gives a very low centre of gravity, despite its class leading ground clearance. Defender is able to cope with outrageous situations, tilting at over a “see it to believe it” 40 degrees lean angle when fully loaded. That long travel coil sprung suspension and tall sidewall tyres combine to give suppleness to the ride that has to be experienced to be believed. When you combine permanent four wheel drive with limited slip diffs, electronic traction control (ETC), six speed close ratio gears, variable ratio power steering and powerful ABS brakes, Defender can be hustled along at a pace that will bring a smile to any enthusiasts face.
WINNERs
Garnett ‘Goofy’ Johnson entered this winning Evolution X
RX7 driven by Cruise Lewis came in at 3rd
Rhoniel Williams’ WRX took 2nd position
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Bad Breed from the Horse’s Mouth Adrian McClymont’s story
8.6
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Fastest doorslammer
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The Beginning I guess we all grew up watching the Gully Races, Lakes Pen, Vernam Field, etc., dreaming of one day being behind the wheel, so your first car would naturally be treated with some RIPSPEED stickers and a loud exhaust system at the very least, to announce that you were now the owner of a “fast car”. But my first real performance car was a 1986 Toyota Celica that started me off in street racing. I then deviated a bit to try my hand at customizing by lowering, shaving door handles and installing a hydraulic kit to make a dancing bed on my 1989 Toyota Pickup; but was again quickly pulled back into drag racing when I put a stroker kit in its 22R engine, added side-draft Webber carbs and direct port Nitrous oxide. It ran mid 13 seconds at Vernam in the mid 1990’s. I then had this brilliant idea of building a Mini, because it’s small and light it must be fast right? Wrong. The car was a beauty but the little Turbocharged Austin engine could not keep up with the abuse I asked of it and I was plagued with engine troubles.
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The Move I looked all over for help with my Mini troubles and my journey took me to Ricardo Hamilton known in drag racing circles at “Pretty Blue”. He was the man who told me to stop messing around with the Mini and go build myself a 5.0 Mustang. He showed me magazines of them in the States running 13 seconds with hardly anything done. The challenge however was that the Mustangs that were readily available in Jamaica were the 4-cylinder ones, so I had to go find the V8 engine and drivetrain and do the transplant myself. It meant I had to go buy books and start learning how to do things myself; because prior to that mechanics did everything and I got to just drive. The first Mustang was the “Silver Fox” (Fox as in Fox body mustangs, 1979-1992, all parts interchangeable). That car cost so little to make; it ran 13’s on engine alone in the late 1990’s at Vernam and low 12’s on 175 shot of nitrous, and we could beat on it every day without breaking anything. I was sold. I was never looking back, nothing but a Ford V8 from now on.
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The Team Over 11 years you can appreciate that a lot of people have given a hand. But just to name some:
Dennis and Raymond – Bodywork, Mark - Fiberglass Work, Bowah and Al – Painting, Skinny Kid – Chassis, Ackee – Welding, Brad – Sheet metal, Ronnie - Engine, Keith and Mackie -Transmission, Harvey – Rear end and Brakes, Howard – Dyno, Brian – Suspension, Robert – Power Management, Khamisi – Data Analysis, Bonish - Track Support and of course the other two thirds of my team, Barry and Nantwi. These two last guys are the backbone
of this car. We also have Pretty Blue and Cleevie on speed dial for when we get into trouble or for any other help we might need.
The Difference
The second mustang was “Psycho Bitch” (because that car could rev over 8,000rpm– for a V8! – and it had a mind of its own when trying to get it down the track). That was my first built engine; it ran low 11’s on engine alone and 10.0’s with nitrous. It went on to be the first Jamaican built car to run 9’s at Vernam Field in 2002.
The Build So having had all this success and multiple championships, I decided to build my last hurrah. How hard could it be? It would be a little bigger engine but still a small block (because I like the sound of the RPM’s), it would have to be a “Chassis Car” (Tubular – in order to fit big tires) and it would have to run 8 seconds at Vernam. This became the third mustang: “BadBreed RaceCraft” (because a mustang is a wild breed and we try to be craftsmen at racecar construction). This process started in 2002 and we just got our 8.9 time-slip at the end of 2013, 11 years. So it turned out to have been not such an easy task after all. Moving from 14.0 to 12.0 is a lot easier that moving from 9.9 to 8.9, even though the first move is 2 seconds and the latter is 1 second. That’s because in drag racing its gets exponentially harder to go quicker the lower you go on the ET scale. It may only take 200 hp to make the first move and drop 2 seconds, but the latter move may take 400 hp, a different suspension and chassis set-up only to see a 1 second reduction in ET. Somebody should have told me that earlier in life.
This car has input and technology from people in the United States. I will concede that much. But what separates it from every other car in its league in Jamaica, is that every bar in that car was welded here, every nut and bold putting it together was done here, the chassis and suspension was set-up and tuned here, the engine was dynoed and tuned here, it was all done by guys locally. That is why we are now proud to say we have the first Jamaican built motorcar to run 8 seconds ET. We had the 9 second distinction and now we have the 8 second milestone as well. Mission accomplished. So we are just proud to stand on the same stage with the other cars we compete against that were built in America. It’s a testament that Jamaicans can do it too.
The Issues This was learning how to make a turbo charged, V8, rear wheel drive, drag car run on the untreated concrete surface known as the Vernamfield airstrip. Logic tells you that because of the natural torque of a V8 engine combined with the turbo’s known ability to create even more torque that this was going to be a tuner’s nightmare. It has been a lesson in more power or less power at launch, do you need rpm to leave or do you need boost or what proportion of each, 4-link adjustments for different power levels, rear shock compression and rebound adjustments, rear spring rate choices, rear tire pressure, rear gear selection, weight bias, torque converter slip and lockup points - and the requirements of each of these change every time you throw more or less power at the car. It’s like solving a Rubik’s cube. Figuring out the front half of the track has been the biggest hurdle, and there I was thinking it would have been whether the chassis bars were welded in squarely, LOL. And of course, next up is figuring out the back-half, LOL! It never ends with these things.
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The Feels
The Goal Is to see how far into the 8’s we can push it and try win some races while we are at it. We accomplished our goal of running an 8 second pass by end of 2013. But as with a lot of things in life you now look to moving the goal post a little further because you have achieved one mark already. So now it’s about how quick can we make a 12 year old combination go, without even thinking about any new technology that has come forth in that time (better turbos, different fuels, more sophisticated engine management systems, better transmissions, etc, etc). We are going to wring all we can out of this very old set-up, see how far it takes us and then determine if that’s enough to ride off into the sunset with or do we really need to chase after another milestone (like first Jamaican built car to run 7 seconds). Maybe that’s something to leave for a younger generation, like we were when we started this journey. What I like about Vernam Field is that it’s the ultimate equalizer, because the surface forces you to actually use your brain and try to figure out how to apply your gazzilion horsepower unto raw concrete. So you don’t necessarily have to be the most powerful car to have the fastest time or to win the race. I just love it. That’s what has allowed us with only 1,000 hp and weighing nearly 3,000lbs to be in the same class with more powerful and lighter vehicles.
First our families, wives and children who have been a part of our struggles, they have lived through the time when a storm lifted the garage roof and soaked all the new parts turning them rusty, they have seen the disappointing days of going to the track over and over and over and returning home dejected because the car “would just not leave the line” or something broke or some other issue that made you just want to scrap the whole project and go fishing with Nantwi on his boat. They have had to live through our miserable mood swings when things would not come together with the racecar. And they share in the joy when things do. Thanks to Janice, Shauna and Marsha our better halves. Thanks to Anderson’s Haulage for being the first people to give us money to go racing. Thanks to Ricky for getting us started and to Robert for getting us across the line. Thanks Barry McKain, for having the patience and motivation that has taken us this far. Thanks Nantwi Coke, who gave up his dream of Cosworth powered Ford Escorts to instead channel all his energy and opening his wallet to realize this goal.
The Specs Engine - 351W V8 Ford Block, Scat Crank, Carrillo Rods, CP Pistons, Edelbrock Victor Heads, Ferrea Titanium and Inconel Valves, Triple Valve Springs, Cam Motion Camshaft, 160 lbs/ hr injectors, Weldon Fuel System, 100mm Precision Turbo, HKS 60mm Waste-gate, Procharger Blow-off Valve, Big Stuff 3 Engine Management, MSD Ignition, Speedwire Controls Transmission – Dedenbear case, 2-Speed Powerglide 1.80 first gear, maintained by Preston McLean Suspension – Rear is Skinny Kid 4-link with Wishbone and Anti-Roll, Strange Coil Overs. Front is Anthony Jones K-member with Strange GT Strut package. Brakes – Rear is Strange 4-piston dual Calipers, Front is Strange 4-piston Single Caliper, with Slotted Rotors all-round. Performance - Best E.T. to date: 8.380secs @ Wheels – Weld Aluma Star Rims all-round with Mickey Thompson 33 X 16 rear tites and M/T Front Runners. 147mph (March 2014 NDRC Test and Tune) Exterior –Bodywork by Raymond Howell and Paint is Automotive Art Rave Red by Alwin Morris Interior – Skinny kid SFI 25.1C Spec Chassis installed by Deleon Atkinson of AC’s Engineering, Tinwork (Sheetmetal Interior) by Brad Yap-Chung
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VERNAM Words: Stephen Gunter | Pix: D. Lewis
t B. It is a contest ; start at Point A and end at Poin It is auto racing in its purest form end first, wins. No ers. The one that reaches to the between two cars with two driv t up”. Perform the saying goes, “put up or shu time for excuses, no do-overs. As oes and the of 1320 feet winners become her or be beaten. In one single stretch to claim the top r day, so that they can try again vanquished vow to return anothe line. spot, to be the first at the finish Drag Racing is simple, yet oh so driving complex. On the surface it is just lions mil t tha in a straight line; a thing much so is it of people do every day. Yet ve, ner of test a more. For the driver it is acand n ctio of skill, of anticipation, rea te bru of test a tion. For the machine it is ple sim a like m ation. So many pieces of what see force, finesse, traction and acceler e. solv to y for it is very intricate and not eas puzzle, but that is its deception, ious; The appeal of drag racing is obv of tter ma a in everything is settled get ors ctat Spe . see seconds, for all to sh; fini to t star from to see everything crea the , ing the burnout, the stag g tion, the hard acceleration, flashin in pen hap all , line through the finish re The d. crow g front of the watchin is no escaping; drag racing is the the talk”. er, “walk the walk, not just talk ultimate pressure cooker for a driv
Vernam Field
t was home to home of drag racing, a place tha In Jamaica there is one traditional e of legend that g racing took its first hold, a plac another form of racing before dra abroad, a s. A name that is revered here and covers three, even four, generation nd. Everyone ountable stories that are now lege place that has given birth to unc icon; it is the t have never been there. It is an knows its name, even those tha . Mecca of Motor Sport in Jamaica far from its orie known for drag racing, that is Although Vernam Field has becom il 1979. Closed by it was used for circuit racing unt gin. Once a World War II air base, ly 1980’s it was s dumped and blocked in the ear the government with all runway people that met racing unofficially by a group of eventually resuscitated for drag
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th. They were branded as rebel racers once a month on the last Sunday of the mon yet when presented with the opportunity who neither sought nor desired approval, g events until it was again closed by they organized and held sanctioned drag racin ed. the government and its runways re-dump am Field, Present day, drag racing has returned to Vern of Vernam in an entirely different manner. Now, the use stry Of Field for drag racing is approved by the Mini it being Circu g Racin Drag nal Natio Transport, with the s of appointed custodians of the facility, caretaker ts even C NDR d. bran its of s dian its legacy and guar of ns latio regu ant relev all with ply are staged in a professional manner and com m nniu Mille ica Jama the t, Spor r Moto Jamaica’s National Sporting Association for C. And corporate Jamaica has taken Motoring Club and are sanctioned by the JMM pany has embraced Jamaican drag notice. For the first time, a multinational com C and drag racing at Vernam Field. racing, demonstrating its belief in the NDR ica and the NDRC we now have Through a partnership between Nestle Jama the Nestle Supligen Drag Racing the Nestle Supligen Drag Racing Series, and ic alike have noticed the difference; a Championships. Already, racers and the publ tesy of the Heelz N Wheelz car show, special display at the National Stadium cour towns of May Pen and Ocho Rios, in increased exposure for racers in their home Supligen NDRC Promo Tour, the historic front of their home fans through the Nestle racing demonstrations on Knutsford Series Launch in New Kingston that saw drag t with 71 racers in attendance preparing Boulevard and the recent Test & Tune even racers is everywhere; the NDRC has for Drag Challenge #1. Added exposure for forged social media partnerships with Jamaican Tuner, TeetKickOut and Skunk Nation, enabling drag racing to continue to climb to new heights of awareness to the general public. In Jamaica drag racing is a non-traditional niche sport but g professional demographics. Nestle it has strong support from the youth and youn g main stream. For drag racing and Supligen and the NDRC aim to make drag racin that you can be sure. Vernamfield, this is only the beginning, of
WHEELZ
I
t was more than just another day when car fanatics gather to see cars. It was March 5, 2014, another staging of Heelz n Wheelz at the National Stadium, and Jamaican Tuner Magazine was there to represent, capture and enjoy the event. As in the past, cars and people alike were seen rolling in by the dozen to witness machines of all kinds. Heelz N Wheelz is specifically known for the unique cars it showcases event after event and this was no different.
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Paul Cole being interviewed at the premier of the movie
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The Ford Mustang : one of the cars featured in the movie
Pros + ‘n’Cons Rory Daley and Leroy ‘ice’ Spence
Welcome to Jamaican Tuner’s new feature, where we battle it out to offer professional opinion or figure out if you’re just being conned.
Will a one-make series work in Jamaica?
With anything new, there stands a chance of failure but it very well could succeed as well.
belief of equity isn’t realistic. A lot of us live in the pipe dream that - 1:weThis have the same talent as, let’s say, David Summerbell Jr., and if given the same opportunities we’d be just as fast. 100% fertilizer, some people are just better at things than others for a variety of reasons. You could have a whole field of equal machines and the best drivers would still dominate.
+ playing field so to speak. The argument put forward here implies that the The main rationale for a one make series is indeed for equity – an equal
‘equity’ of which we speak is about the driver. Actually, a one make series obviously has no bearing on the quality or equity of drivers; instead it is the cars that will be equitable. Sure, Joe Public may not have been blessed with the experience or skills of David Summberbell Jr., but I am sure every driver worth his salt would relish the chance to have a fair shot at David minus TA1. There is no better opportunity than in equal machinery that is inherent in a spec series.
brings me to the next point. Most one-make series have an alterna- 2:tiveThisreason, to provide exposure for fresh talent in a commercial racing setting. In Jamaica, motorsports isn’t a career. The large majority is racing for fun and to enhance their egos. No one is going to race in a series where his or her shortcomings as a driver will be on the forefront. After a few events of getting their asses kicked, entry numbers will start dropping like flies.
+ the sport, not too many who would invest in a one make car for racing will
Whatever the intended alternate reason(s) or the fragile egos that splatter simply park it after getting his pride handed back to him by David Sum-
merbell Jr. Excuses and bad behavior are more likely than to simply admit defeat by parking the car away and picking up spectating instead. Sure entry numbers would drop but assuming that they were large enough to get things started in the first place, the number of drivers will not dwindle enough to make the race unviable. The argument is thus, unrealistic.
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3: Who the hell is going to keep things equal? Jamaican motorsports suffers from in-fighting and volunteer shortages, which mean there will be few to police the series and those that do will find themselves accused of favoritism. As bad as we are, we are not the worst of the worst and if we are, we are not alone. This trait is not endemic to Jamaicans. Formula One is a spec series and at the pinnacle of motorsport, it suffers from this same ailment – but it does work, doesn’t it? Other than volunteer shortages, where there is a will there is a way. Therefore, the lack of success of a spec series in Jamaica will not be due to the fact that it is a spec series, but to other factors including naysayers.
+
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4: We’ve been here before and what did it achieve? Nothing. People for one-make racing claim that it’s closer better racing that will bring talent forward. Awesome, but Jamaican crowds aren’t into that. What they like are one-sided dominating drivers or flash in the pan moments over consistent performances. How many factions exist currently? How many drivers are remembered for their championships over that fateful moment they screwed up big-time in front of the camera? We once said Jamaicans aren’t into anything that is not Toyota. Tell that to ATL. We also said Jamaicans aren’t into a top level super car. Tell that to Doug Gore. We also said Jamaicans aren’t into a 2 horse race very Dover for 5 years…Really? I frankly see the Jamaican crowd developing a palate for anything that is appropriately packaged and sold as something special. If what is essentially a one [slow] speed series (B45) can survive at Dover, so can a spec series.
+
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5: Oh yeah, WE ALREADY HAVE A ONE-MAKE SERIES, its called KARTING. Seems to work for the rest of the world. Try visiting a meet once in a while. KARTING managed to build an international level track that rivals anything in the world for quality. So much for failure. JRDC with no one spec series has not managed to come close to building a desperately needed track, despite not having a one make series in nearly a generation. Every dog has its day and the reason this is not the day for KARTing, may have nothing to do with the KARTS themselves and everything to do with other things.
+
I don’t claim to be sold on whether a one make series is the best idea for our circumstances, but I am certain that if it isn’t, the reason is not represented by Rory’s ‘con’ arguments as presented. There is a lot of cynicism and conjecture from absent data. That leaves that con aspect of the argument quite unconvincing. Try again next time Rory!
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VOICEMAIL Words: S.McGowan Pix: D.Lewis
yourself. Be fair to the music; be fair to yourself.
Do you have disagreements
KEVIN
Kevin: Yeh man.. definitely!
How do you deal with it?
Craig: We are human beings and we deal with things differently. I don’t like the arguing so is more like letting things blow off and then we come back agen. At the end of the day we have one goal. We want to make ourselves, families, brand Jamaica proud.
What has been your biggest break since the start of the group?
Kevin: The first number 1 song that has propelled us to where we are now “Weddy Time”
I went on a hunt to interview an artiste for the column and came across two amazing personalities. Contrary to popular beliefs that all Jamaican artistes are hype, these are the coolest guys ever. They are no other than the wonderful duo, Voicemail, consisting of Craig Jackson and Kevin Blair. I was meeting them officially for the very first time, but they made me feel like I had known them before.
Craig: Every artiste has their own thing but the difference is that we are Voicemail and they are who they are. And if u put us on any platform we’ll definitely deliver.
The group started in 1999 with five (5) members. It was then reduced to three (3) leaving O’Neil Edwards, Craig Jackson and Kevin Blair who continued to write and perform hit songs for a number of years when in May 2010 O’Neil was tragically taken away, leaving the group with only two (2) members. Although many persons questioned the fate of the group after O’Neil’s passing, the duo continues to produce and perform their music. They are known for songs such as Weddy Time, Wacky Dip, Let’s Dance, Just Dance, Ready to Party, Clap it up just to name a few.
What is the wildest story with the group?
How would you Describe your music? Happy jubilant and fun, energy. Different types of genre fusing together to be that happy fun music Describe the relationship. Are you guys close or is it just about the music? Kevin: We have to be close. It’s not just business. It has to click outside of the music. It can’t be that you come today and leave tomorrow. It’s like you’re giving your life. I know his family and he knows mine. Craig: Music is a spiritual thing. You can’t trick it. If you try to trick it, you’ll only trick
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What distinguishes u from other artistes?
What kind of music do u listen to?
Kevin – I listen to everything. Sometimes even Bunjabi which is Indian music, because it gives me different ideas, different inspiration Craig – I likewise listen to everything. I am very passionate about music I associate my life with music. Whatever I write about I’ve done it, seen it been through it etc. But I’m very very very in love with R&B. Craig: There are soooo many wild moments; I was mobbed by three girls who wanted to rape mi off in the club, it was very intense, scary and serious at the same time but the rush was fun. This was while my other team members were somewhere in the club.
What has been your biggest nightmare as a group?
Kevin: Losing O’Neil. Nothing supersedes that. We are still working through it. Thanks to the people around us; his family and friends. Death is something you never get over especially wen it’s someone you see every day, like a brother, but it is getting better. We’re still working through it.
Do you have any new music out?
Kevin: We have a brand new album Let’s Dance, now on Itunes only. There’s no physical copy, so go on iTunes and buy your copy now. We have 1st single, Step do-
Left: Kevin and Craig goofing around and having fun during the photoshoot Right: During the interview Voicemail speaks about their passion for the music.
ing extremely well. Our 2nd single coming to the ladies called Balance. Craig: suh if yuh cya guh pon yuh head do not “Balance”… Kevin: Music coming out from Franky music coming soon, productions mixing down now. We also have some singles out there produced by Arif Cooper, Zj Chrome, Christopher Birch, so many. Just look out, a lot of music coming out. Craig: There’re a lot of favourites on the album. The good thing about it is that you don’t have to skip any track. One of the tracks produced by Christopher Birch Di gyal dem ready now…..
What are the performances or tours you have planned?
Craig: We have a couple. We’re basically promoting the album. We have a few spot dates here and there. We’ll be going to Miami for a couple days where we’ll be do-
disclose the specifics) Craig: Mi drive but mi nuh have a car now. but I had a ‘sexy’ ugly cyar called Nissan cube..it did sexy. how mi set it up and kit it out… Ask anybody bout di cube. All police a stop mi a ask bout it if it comfortable or drive nice…
What kind of driver would you consider yourself to be? Craig: Safe Kevin: Safe. Mi Never get inna accident yet (knocks board) Do you think u r a better driver than an artiste? LOL (both) Craig: I’m a real great driver but I’m a better artiste
Have you ever thought about car racing ?
Craig: No sah…mi love it, love fast driving but no..i can be a passenger as long as mi inna one likkle cage weh nuttn a guh happen to mi Kevin: mi cudn do dah supmn deh. But mi like di idea
Does the group have a website?
No website currently, but we’re on social media Craigvoicemail – Twitter, Jerome Jackson- Facebook, craigvoicemail for Instagram Kevin_voicemail- Twitter, kevinvoicemail - Instagram Voicemailgroup twitter, voicemail- Instagram Fans can find practically anything about the group via these media
Just for fun, without music I would be……?
Craig: Honestly I don’t know where I would be. There are so many things that I love to do but they come back to music. I would have to be without music to be able to tell you. Without music I honestly don’t know Kevin: I would probably be playing for the West Indies cricket team ing a video with a young artiste that we did a track with. While we’re there we’ll also be doing some recordings as well etc.
What do you attribute to your drive?
Kevin: Wanting to be successful is what drives us, and loving what you do is a big plus. Getting up to do basically your dream job is motivation enough. You don’t have to worry about nuh boss. You do that on your own time. Craig –Success is bigger than the money. Success is a journey not a destination. So yuh constantly working and you constantly want to be successful. So if you set a goal for yourself and you achieve it, set another one and you keep going. Success is the drive.
Word of advice to all drivers
Craig: Walk, ride and drive for life, make sure u wear your seatbelts. If yuh don’t like it still put it on Kevin: Yeh mek it wrap yuh up like yuh girl, and be cautious please because you might be thinking safe but somebody out there thinking like a mad man so you have to look out for them. Don’t drive for yourself drive for others
Do you drive?
Kevin: Yeh mi drive a taxi…joke, mi drive a Honda motor vehicle (not wanting to
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Four presidents in 2 years.... Words: Dwight Fraser Could the JRDC’s image be affected?
A change of leadership of the Jamaica Race Drivers Club (JRDC) on four occasions in the last two years could be sending a negative message to prospective sponsors, key stake holders in circuit racing as well as spectators. So says some key critical players in the motor-sports industry who spoke to Jamaican Tuner Magazine, but newly elected president Charles Chen is about to re-calibrate this negativity into a positive image driving forward. When long serving president of the JRDC Hilary Jardine stepped down in December 2011 after serving since 2006, it was hardly conceivable that two years later in 2014, the Club would be under the leadership of its fourth president. When the time line is retraced over those 24 months it shows a staggering statistic.
Past president of the JRDC Christopher ‘Teach’ McFarlane alongside Karoline Smith of Sol Petroleum during an announcement at Dover raceway.
Jardine whose early involvement in local racing began in 1970 when he formed the Jamaica Motor Racing Association he told Jamaican Tuner, “I did not like what was happening, in fact I was worried during the period, because I know that sponsors were becoming concerned, and the minute sponsors start to become uncomfortable and decide to withdraw their support then we could have a catastrophe on our hands in the motor- racing industry, as the sponsors are the key people behind every aspect of the race meet which includes the survival of the club and the respective competitors.” Left-to-right: Trudy Williams present PR Officer of the JRDC, Hilary Jardine Past President of the JRDC, Simone McGowan Brand Marketing Manager of Jamaican Tuner Magazine posed for a photo.
Timeline of JRDC leadership change from January 2012 to February 2014 Marc Carey J anuary 2012- December 2012 Christopher ‘Teach’ McFarlane January 2013 – June 2013 Norman Minott June 2013 – December 2013 Charles Chen February 2014 – Present Racing stalwart Jardine, who has served the Jamaica motor racing industry for 56 unbroken years, says this unfortunate scenario is not good for circuit racing. “I cannot mince words, because when the situation is examined with a view to be honest with ourselves, without question we would have to agree that it certainly is sending the wrong message, as if there could be a crisis of leadership at the JRDC”, noted Jardine.
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He further explained, “Negative ideas only put pressure on the people who think positively, what happened was unfortunate and no organization should have that kind of chop and change in its leadership in such a short space of time, the question is how do we move on from this lesson and remain resolute to continue building this brand of motor racing?”
The way forward For the answer to that question we placed newly elected president Charles Chen under the spotlight, and he told our magazine of his plans going forward. “As you noted for various reasons, the club has had several changes of leadership in the last two years, changes that indeed are cause for concern, but what must be noted is that the persons who serve at the executive level at the JRDC do so strictly on a voluntary basis, although that should not be an excuse for wanting to quit.” “We are in the process of writing a business plan, we want to run the club like a business where in the background an efficient and profitable business is being run, while in the foreground it will have that feel and resemble a viable club where all its members
are happy especially given that their ideas are accepted and their needs met”, added Chen, who currently competes in the Modified Production Four (MP4) and Thunder-sport class 2 (TS2) events at Dover Raceway. In concluding the president explained, “The club has a slight financial issue at the moment, but I am confident that we can bounce back from everything that has affected us for the last two years, based on the work of my predecessors and the committed team that I lead. I have a very solid platform on which to work and I am confident that once we indentify and work on our strengths and eliminate our weaknesses, we are on the right road in rebuilding the image of circuit racing in Jamaica.”
SAY
W . O . K.N
Meanwhile, one major sponsor of annual activities at Dover Raceway, who requested their identity be withheld, submitted a rationale for the JRDC to find persons to lead who can stick to the task no matter what. “Leadership is never an easy job, because you have to manage several personalities including your own, and while implementing your own mandate, conflicts are bound to arise, but the hope is that the new president Charles Chen will get the full support of the people he is elected to lead.” Jardine underscored that argument when he stated, “Charles is the man for the job because he has the interest for the development of motor racing, the courage to lead, the business connections and the ability to manage, I saw all of this in him and he has my support as we rise from this latest unfortunate scenario.”
by Ashley Kree
“I know I’m not supposed to drink and drive.” “I tell my bredrin dem all the time nuh fi drink suh much.” These are just a few quotes that we hear every time we go out right?
“18+ Be Responsible” – “SAY “K.N.O.W” is a social awareness campaign highlighting general road & driving safety, as well as responsible drinking methods. Originally this campaign was designed merely to be done as a final year assignment for the module Media Project in the BA. in Communication Arts and Technology course at UTech by the Anti “Drink Drive” Campaign group . However, with the strong support from the sponsors KGN:JA –Above the line media and marketing group, 876 Racing and of course Jamaican Tuner, the campaign took a big jump into the wider corporate area.
FOR SALE
Top driver Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore added his voice to the discussion when he stated, “With all the upheaval of leadership where some members were disgruntled and there was a falling out in some quarters leading to a resignation, I would love if everyone can could give Charles their support. Being a fellow racer he understands the issues on the ground, he knows what needs to be done and where Dover needs to go, and I am looking forward to working with him as we quickly put all the negative issues of the last two years behind us.
The campaign launched it’s social media pages ( FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM) on APRIL 4TH,2014 and the interactive outreach event was launched Thursday APRIL 10TH,2014 at the University of Technology student activity center. The event included appearances by dover racer Peter ‘Zoom Zoom’ Rae, The Jamaica Automobile association and of course, 876 Racing, Darker Shades & The Jamaican Tuner Magazine
2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, GREY, 29,000km, Left Hand Drive, 2500cc, Never Licensed in Jamaica. Contact: 880-0587/384-3915
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wirewhere? k-swap EG
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[
[
QUIK PIK
92 Civic CX Hatchback - K20a2 Motor Javi tuned 230whp 164tq S/O: My Wife and family, Team KOS {Kings of the Streets}, business partner Derek, Tuner: Javi & much respect to Jamaican Tuner
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