IT was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly. The unprecedented rain fall served up a wet, muddy, slippery track and even dark conditions.

But after the second leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) at Bushy Park in Barbados and despite the extreme conditions with which the Reggae Racers had to contend, David Summerbell Jr is still leading the CMRC Driver Championship, going into the third leg in Guyana in November.

Jamaica remains second in the Country Championship behind Barbados, with Guyana in third place.

Summerbell, driving his Mitsubishi Evolution 8, copped two second place and one third place finish in the three CMRC races, against Barbadian and Guyanese competitors who made the sodden track a very busy arena, marked by crashes and near misses.

“Overall, it turned out pretty well,” Summerbell told the Observer. “At first I started out careful because Mark Vieira was in front of me and he is a bit competitive and aggressive so I waited until it was safe to pass him in the second race, because I am competing in a Championship” .

The final CMRC race which started after 6:00 pm, when the sun was almost out of sight, was very dangerous, and the Reggae Racers and Guyanese drivers were not as accustomed to the track as the Bajan drivers. Some did not complete in their race due to the inability to see clearly.

Peter Rae ended up in the mud as darkness covered the track, adding 100 pounds more to his car as a result of the mud that stuck to it.

“It was okay until the track got wet so it was a bit rough for me and the conditions were slippery,” said Peter Rae, who drove his Mazda RX7.

Although the other Reggae Racers didn’t make podium finishes, the exposure to the Caribbean competition helped them in their long-term development.

“I’m glad I made this trip, there is so much I have learnt, and as soon as I get back, I will be making some improvements to my bike” said Suziki GSXR motorcyclist Dwight Smart.

Being the first time on the track for a number of the racers, the absence of adequate preparation time proved detrimental to some of the racers.

“The track was good, I liked it, it’s not as scary as everyone says, but I wished I got more time to prepare the car and practise because it’s my first time here” said George Bayley, who drives a Mitsubishi Evolution 6.

Dean Shaw, whose visit to Bushy Park with his Pro Challenger truck was also the first, had a bit of difficulty mastering one of the curves on the track especially without rain tyres, but thought the overall experience wasn’t bad.

Andre Anderson’s 4WD Mitsubishi Mivec engine failed during the second CMRC race and he was unable to finish or enter the third.

“I started at the back of the race but I worked my way up and then the engine failed. I am a bit disappointed, but that’s how racing goes” said Anderson, another first-timer in Barbados.

As if the mechanical and tire problems were not enough for some Reggae Racers, the track remained slippery throughout the qualifying and race days.

Stefan Chin had a rough day of racing, as he crashed out of the second CMRC motorcycle race, after placing second in the first. Chin’s accident on his Honda CBR600, which led to Halquin “Pugu” Rodney falling from his Yamaha R6, left him with sore ribs and caused him not to compete at his best in race 3.

“I just entered the race for points, I was still sore and wasn’t able to really ride” said Chin who had no practice time, or qualifying races and was gridded according to Championship points.

Rodney was unable to complete in the second race as his oil had leaked out during the accident, but placed third in the first race and fourth in race 2.

“I started at the back in race 3 and I had to work my way up. I don’t think I could beat these guys because they were too far in front, coming from the back” said Rodney.

But Roger Mayers, the 0.8 mile Barbadian track record holder at 40.996 had a spectacular day of racing, as his 4WD Ford Focus rally car, which he converted to suit circuit racing, served him well.

“I qualified in a good position and I will hopefully have a successful day of racing. The wet track won’t bother me much” said Mayers.

Barbadian Stuart Williams, who drove the very fast Lotus Elise, also had a bit of difficulty with the wet track.

“The track was quite wet, I made a mistake and David got around me in race 1 and Mark put a lot of pressure on me; it was good racing, but very slippery. I got into a little accident with Barry in race 2 and tried catching back David after passing a couple cars, but I came in third,” said Stuart.