NOT even a very heavy downpour in the tourist resort city could prevent motorsports fans from turning out in droves at ATL Bogue Centre in Montego Bay for Drift Tuner Night (DTN) on Saturday night.

The event was put on by Slide Life and Skunk Nation.

Slide Life’s Adam Gomes was heartened by the strong turnout of patrons, in spite of the inclement weather.

“It was very surprising that people came out in the rain. Even when the rain was pouring we had people lined up at the gate. It shows that we have an event that has a draw, the drifting and the car show element. People are very excited about a motor show event like this. So, despite the rain I would say it was a modest success,” Gomes told Auto.

But patrons did not brave the weather in vain. For the most part, the drivers displayed electrifying driving skills which evoked wild cheers from the spectators who were riveted to the venue for the event, sanctioned by the Jamaica Millennium Motor Club (JMMC).

Drifting sensation Cleve ‘Cutta Hype’ Ottey had the crowd in a frenzy each time he took the course in his Toyota Starlet and adroitly zipped through the row of cones at breakneck speed.

However, on the judges’ score cards, Ottey was upstaged by his understudy, Jamar ‘Sckoolaz’ Kinkead, who was declared the overall winner.

Kinkead was excited to have outshone his mentor for the first time.

“I have been working for it a long time now. ‘Cutta’ teach me and ‘Cutta’ ever a beat me. Me beat him for once so I feel extremely well,” Kinkead, who is from Southfield, St Elizabeth, told Auto.

Ottey, a native of Montego Bay, was happy for his student.

“I don’t feel no way how he won because is me teach him. So once is one of us win it is all good,” Ottey said.

Saturday night’s DTN staging was highlighted by scintillating driving demonstrations by Ottey and Kinkead driving two new cars, a Toyota and a Subaru, respectively.

Meanwhile, Gomes said it was the first time when “just have a straight drift competition” staged in Jamaica.

“The first time it ever happened in Jamaica the drifting was all style and exhibition, no timing,” Gomes told Auto.

He promised a staging of the event in Kingston at a later date.