The 2023 Team Streetz Dexterity series champion Rajendra Jadusingh began 2024 as he left off 2023 on the top of the podium as he was the fastest of the regular competitors at Dirt Splurt: The Auocross Shakedown, on Sunday, April 21, in Bog Walk, St Catherine.

“I’m very happy with the result. My slowest time is faster than 2nd place’s fastest time,” Jadusingh told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly Auto magazine.

Jadusingh came out wheels ablazing with the intention of not just outright victory, but looking at repeating his 2023 success in the genre.

His MINI One made short work of the competition, posting times that got significantly faster with each of his three runs at the course.

“I’ve made no changes, no changes whatsoever. Only maintenance like new handbrake cables, as the old ones were stretched out, and a rebuilt right rear brake caliper as it had seized,” Jadusingh said.

Orville Smith and Kamal Thompson followed in the front-wheel drive class. Garth Chin was the winner in rear-wheel drive, and Myles Addison went home in the rear-wheel drive with Limited Slip Differential class winner.

For 2024 the PRO class has been taken to new heights with a completely different course for those drivers willing to take the challenge.

“The new layout was epic. Spectators loved the elevation with less dust and 360-degree viewing of the action,” Christopher James, of event organisers Team Streetz, explained.

For patrons there were now two loops; a shorter, slower, more technical layout, and a faster loop for the PRO class. While this brought plenty of excitement, it unfortunately separated the two rivals, Jadusingh and Joel Jackson, the latter opting to run his Mazda Miata in the PRO class.

“Raj has a distinct advantage with that car, so I still don’t think I would have beaten him if he ran the PRO class. On one hand, I’m disappointed, but on the other hand, Chris-John Addison and Ian Wright were good competition as well, so not complaining,” said Jackson.

Wright would finish the PRO class in second, just beating Addison.

The series is off to a late start due to a rule change by the local motorsports governing body, the Jamaica Millennium Motoring Club (JMMC), which saw the March opener cancelled.

“A last-minute rule change by the JMMC, with significant cost implications, meant we needed time to consult with our drivers and to offer feedback to the JMMC. Thankfully, the JMMC showed a willingness to engage. The result is a fee that is now far more palatable,” said James.

It is hoped the event will be rescheduled.

“Our next event is June 29th, which leaves some space between that and our Grand Finale set for November 30, so we will be looking at the possibility of staging another event, failing which we will be running a three-event championship this year,” he added.