Rookie Blazes Track at Drag

 

ROOKIE DAMIEN NEBLETT sounded a warning as he drove away with the 8.0-9.5 seconds category at the Barbados Association of Dragsters and Drifters (BADD) GoodYear/Courtesy Garage race meet at Bushy Park last Sunday.

 

Driving a well prepared Honda Civic, he brushed aside challenges from a cross section of seasoned campaigners during free practice and qualifying and went on to post a personal best time of 9.003 seconds. He said afterwards that he was looking forward to the next race meet.

 

Neblett’s father and crew chief David “Blitz” Neblett said that he was happy with his son’s performance and was amazed how quickly he caught on to the rudiments of the sport.

 

“He really surprised me the way he moved the car during the proficiency test required by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF) and he looked pretty good. This win for him will be the topic of discussion between he and his friends for a long time to come,” the senior Neblett added.

 

One of eight rookies seeing action for the first, Neblett brushed aside a challenge from the experienced Antonio Holder in a Mitsubishi Lancer GSR in the final to take the 8.0-9.5 seconds category.

 

Corey Stanford at the wheel of the SDRR Toyota Corolla grabbed the honours after beating Jeremy Greenidge in a Mitsubishi Mirage in the final of the Seven Seconds category with a time of 7.570 seconds.

 

Youthful Darren Lashley, in a Toyota Starlet, put down a challenge from Shaun Joseph in a Nissan Pulsar, to carry off the 9.5-10 seconds with a time of 9.684 seconds.

 

Andre Walcott in the Courts Finance Suzuki Swift got the better of veteran Colin Goodman, who was experiencing problems with his Opel Tigra and posted a time of 10.757 seconds to win the merged 10.0-16 seconds categories.

 

Graeme Finlayson, driving a Westfield, won the fastest 2-wheel drive category with a time of 7.339 seconds. Jeremy Greenidge had the fastest 4-wheel drive time of 7.146, while Caribbean cycle champion Kelvin “Bird” Daniel, riding a WOW Displays/ Owen Proverbs Garage Kawasaki ZX10R, a machine equipped with a Sport Kawasaki Traction Control system, blasted his way to the day’s overall fastest time of 6.119 seconds.

 

BADD’s chairman Jason Downey, in thanking the drivers, sponsors and fans, said it was another quality field, although there were not many Mitsubishi Evolution cars facing the starter. 

“It was the turn of the normally aspirated guys this toss. We also had a good showing from the ‘newbies’,” he said.

 

BADD’s next event is scheduled for July 10 at Paragon.