DRAG racing shifted in high gear with an action-packed event dubbed Full Throttle 3: Summer Showdown at Vernamfield Motorsports Park in Clarendon recently.

The event was hosted by National Drag Racing Circuit’s (NDRC).

“Full Throttle 3; Summer Showdown lived up to expectations and delivered close, exciting racing. Fans were treated to good performances in every class and several first-time class winners emerged,” Stephen Gunter, NDRC executive member, told Jamaica Observer’s Auto magazine.

There may have been some new faces on the class podiums out of the 147 racers, but it was an old veteran and fan-favourite that found himself at the head of the pack with a record-breaking performance — Neville Hogg in his Toyota Supra. Hogg, already the holder of the 4, 6, and Rotary Rear-Wheel Drive record, took it down twice during the day’s competition to set it at 8.619 seconds.

“I hadn’t done anything to the car since the last meet. I just washed it, checked it was okay, fuelled it up, and came to race. So I’m planning to step things up [and] improve the car between now and the next meet,” said Hogg.

Running in the ProRace 8 class, Hogg thanked his crew and his rival Dean Shaw for his success.

“It’s just positivity around myself and my crew. People don’t realise that my car is road licensed, insured and has A/C. I’m up against a full race chassis,” he said.

The competition went both ways as Shaw drove a personal best of 8.133 seconds to beat Hogg in the much anticipated ProRace 8 finale. This was also the second-fastest time for a V8 Doorslammer.

“It feels great to have broken the record again. It was something I set out to achieve. You always want to go faster when you get to the track,” he said.

Hogg, for his speed, collected $50,000 under the NDRC’s Record Bounty programme. Hogg said that fans have more to look forward to for the next two meets. He wasn’t the only one who went home with full pockets as rookie Troy Wilson won $10,000 when he ran a perfect index of 13.00 seconds in the Khumo Tires 13 class.