Drag racing, a Motorsport almost as old as cars themselves. From the first day there were two vehicles in the same place, the confusing species known commonly as Car Enthusiasts have been battling to see who gets from point A to point B quicker. In these modern times drag racing has become a serious sport filled to the brim with sponsors, top of the line builds, huge teams and precise timing equipment. Events are large and more often than not, very expensive.
But there was a simpler time, when a drop of the hands sent two adrenaline fueled drivers roaring down the 1320. An all-out contest of all-out speed. There were no reaction times, no 60 foot and no brackets. Get off the line as quickly as you can, and get to the finish first. In these less official events you’re brought back to the roots of racing, when life was simple and cars were either stock or just moderately modified.
In a bid to kill two birds with one grill the Saint Lucia Motor Racing Club (SLMRC), decided to give drag racing a kick start as well as donate to the island of Dominica with their Drop Hand Drags event where partakers and onlookers were encouraged to give food, supplies or money and enjoy the day. While the donations could have certainly been more, there was no shortage of racing as daily drivers of all shapes and sizes took to the starting line, eager to try and best their opponent.
From a newer model Skyline, a Mark X and an Aristo to a Colt, a Levin and a base model Integra, variety was not something one could complain about. Old cars, new cars, turbo, NA; all form of transport made their mark that day by taking on the challenge. The results of some match-ups were rather obvious, with others being quite the surprise, particularly when a traditionally sport oriented vehicle was given a run for its money by a newer and more luxurious one. Sometimes it’s difficult to argue with years of research and development. Oh, and horsepower too.
With more events to come, including AAMA Motorsport’s Dexterity and Time Line’s Drag Battle one can hope that the energy and level of turn out for this grass roots drag event can carry on into the official events and 2017 will end with a bang for Saint Lucia’s automotive community.
Not literally of course… bangs with cars are usually a bad thing.
