Sprints return to Ironshore today
THE Jamaican National Sprint Championship returns to one of the series most famous venues, Ironshore in Montego Bay, St James, on Sunday.
The event is scheduled for a 10 am start.
“It was important for us to revive Ironshore as a top-class sprint venue. The Montego Bay Motoring Club (MBMC) was able to come to an agreement with the owners, returning what is a favourite of the drivers and fans alike back into action,” Mark-Anthony March, MBMC vice president, told Auto.
Tarmac Sprint #1, themed Screaming Streets, is a joint effort between the MBMC and the Drivers Rallysport Club (DRC), the entity responsible for running Rallysport events. The collaboration ensures that Screaming Streets is run as a points-scoring round of the National Sprint Championship, bringing extra incentive to those competitors looking to take the 2014 Rallysport title at the end of the year.
“So far, we have around 13 drivers interested. As usual in Jamaican Motorsports, we could have more preparing their cars during the week to show up at race day,” said March.
The event will feature all the expected classes of a national level series, but the MBMC was unable to secure a ‘street’ class that would allow approved drivers to participate. According to March, the class would be similar to that of Bracket 45 at Dover, where competitors with the minimum personal safety equipment in non-roll caged vehicles drive a course modified to keep speeds down.
“We believe the sport needs a feeder system and the street class is where the MBMC intends to start,” he explained.
The setback has not halted the MBMC’s push for the class and will attempt to integrate into for future events.
Ironshore has been dormant since 2011, but before that it enjoyed premiere status as the ultimate tarmac sprint location earning its nickname ‘tarmac hell’ due to the extreme challenge it poses to drivers.
It is also home ground for reigning Rallysport champion Daryl King.
“I love the track. Happy to have it back, especially since this is my first tarmac sprint in quite some time,” King said.
King will be sharing his Honda Civic with his younger brother Raynor King Jr., as he makes good on his promise for 2014 to support the next generation of racers.
