ARMED with a degree in automotive technology from Florida-based Universal Technical Institute and a passion for competition, son of veteran racer Ferdinand Anderson — André Anderson — is not your average racer.

One of a number of young drivers igniting the track in recent years, Anderson again excelled at the recent Independence of Speed meet at Dover Raceway in St Ann. Aided by his Total-sponsored 1.8-litre, turbo-charged, 4WD, Mitsubishi Mivec, the 24-year-old walked away with wins in both races in the Modified Production 3 (MP3) class.

"From as early I can remember, even in something as simple as a video game, I've always been very competitive and that feeling carries over when I'm on the track," Anderson told Auto.

"The reason I'm attracted to circuit racing is because I love the competitive feeling of being on the track with a number of people racing all around me; that gives me more of a thrill than anything else," he continued.

André and his older brother Martin Anderson both entered the motorsports arena in their early teens with go-karting, a move which Anderson said only increased the love he already had for the sport. After three years of exceptional performances, the two went on to compete in local dexterity and sprint events, at times even sharing the same car while vying against each other for first-place glory.

Anderson admitted that the long-standing sibling rivalry between himself and Martin often extends onto the track.

"It's intense, because I would say we're pretty much evenly matched so it's difficult to say before a meet who will win or lose. There's no taunting or showboating before a meet, though, we settle our business on the track," said Anderson.

At age 19, André moved up to circuit racing and started to hone his Dover Raceway skills in his rear wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer. Five years later he is a force to be reckoned with, taking the track by storm with each meet. The young gun is eagerly anticipating the upcoming Caribbean Motor Racing Championships (CMRC) in Barbados in September where he will be part of a team of drivers representing Jamaica in the event.

"I'm currently ranked third in this event and I'm really excited about that, so I'm definitely going there on a mission of maintaining that position and accumulating as many points as possible for team Jamaica," said Anderson.

— Jarmila Jackson