CIRCUIT racing season is expected to come to an explosive close on Monday, Heroes’ Day, at Dover Raceway in St Ann.

The occasion, organised by the Jamaica Race Drivers’ Club (JRDC), is dubbed Heroes of Speed.

“This will be the most exciting race meet in Dover history, bar none,” Monique Gibbs, JRDC president, told the Jamaica Observer’s Auto magazine.

Gibbs feels the 2017 circuit racing season will end on a fever pitch as competitors take aim at finalising their points position. The event will have a 15-race programme and feature drivers from Cayman Islands and Barbados, as well as a record 21 bikers, five of whom are from overseas.

Heroes of Speed will see current championship leader Kyle Gregg in a proper head-to-head with David Summerbell Jr in what has already been dubbed the ‘Battle of the Radicals’.

Both are sponsored by two major petroleum marketing companies: Gregg by Texaco and Summerbell Jr by Total. The fight between the two got under way when Doug “Hollywood” Gore was eliminated from this year’s showdown due to a bust-up with Summerbell Jr at JamWest Speedway, Westmoreland, in May. Summerbell Jr purchased a new car, a Radical, to contest the Thundersport 2 class in August. However, Gregg sits atop the driver’s championship table, and tops his class as well.

“I honestly didn’t expect to be in the middle of a championship scrap, but this is very good for me and my sponsor Texaco. I’m aiming for both the overall and class championship titles,” said Gregg.

According to his calculations, Gregg says he needs three second-place finishes to win the championship. He, however, awaits his engine to return from the United Kingdom after being sent to be “refreshed”.

“The engineers from Radical will be here on Friday and hopefully the engine arrives with them or the day after,” he said.

For Summerbell Jr, the play is simple: all-out.

“My plan is to totally dominate and win all three races,” he said.

To that effect, Total Summerbell Racing (TSR) has been taking the extra time to dial in their Radical at the St Ann circuit.

“We’ve been making changes and the car has been getting better,” he said.

The drama, however, could hit another level as two more Radicals will join in on the action: the first from Barbados, driven by Mark Maloney, and the second to be driven by Rugie Misir. As this will be Misir’s debut in the car, he has been labelled a dark horse by his fellow competitors. It’s Maloney who should not be dismissed, according to Gregg, Summerbell Jr and Gore, who will be playing host to the Bajan.

“Mark has been racing the Radicals in Europe and in Barbados. This car is current lap holder at the Bushy Park circuit in his home country and he’ll be arriving here with one of the top teams in radical racing for support,” Gore explained.

Summerbell also listed the weather as another variable.

“We have a wet weather set-up ready,” he noted.