Full house for Drag Rivals
Dean Shaw’s Camaro looksimpressive all day. (Photo:Rory Daley)

It was a packed house for the second of the Drag Rivals series at Vernamfield, Clarendon, on Sunday, April 30.

The event saw a full roster 203 competitors go head to head down the quarter-mile over its three days that began on Friday.

"The event was a huge success! We take it as a win once it's completed safely and incident-free. The recent rains held up and we executed a huge field of racing — 203 competitors, three days of non-stop adrenaline," Kenneth Timoll, director of KenT Racing, told the Jamaica Observer's weekly Auto magazine.

It, however, was not a carefree race weekend, as Mother Nature took her toll. First knocking out the timing display equipment on Saturday and bringing racing to a halt when the on-site ambulance had to ferry several patrons suffering from heat strokes to the hospital.

Fans out in droves for Drag Rivals last Sunday. (Photo:Rory Daley)

"Once the ambulance is tending to any causality the racing has to stop," explained Timoll.

On the track, and despite the heat, many of the cars performed better leading to several bracket breakouts and a constant mystery to who would win every race. While there were many noted fast times, the winner in the fastest class at the end of the day was Oneil Henry, his Honda Civic able to stay within its nine-second bracket to best the Chevrolet Corvette of Gordon Chuck. Chuck exited the finals when he posted at 8.99 second quarter-mile run to Henry's 9.35.

"I feel real good. I have to big up the team — Father God, my mechanic, and my tuner. Can't do anything without them," Henry said.

Better known as Little T in drag racing circles, the veteran said he only returned to the sport after seeing what KenT Racing had done with their Drag Rival series.

YouTuber Nick Lue (left) tries his hand at drag racing in the Pro Modified 11 second class. (Photo:Rory Daley)

"KenT put on a great event, because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be out here. Once I thought about packing up and leaving the sport, but from KenT arrived with their new event I went, 'Alright, I'm going to work with them because I like how they organize their events. I'll go to others and watch,' " said Henry.

Now back with a competitive spirit he is already planning to be faster next meet.

"It can go better than a 9.3, but it's the gearing. In forth gear it's finished, so we know it's not going to go any better, so we have to change the gearing," said Henry.

In Pro Modified 10 it was Brian Clough. Bevin Gibbs won Pro Modified 11. Xavia Murray was the winner of Pro Street 12. Pro Street 13 went the way of Ryan Ferguson. Audley Martin took home Super Street 14 honours, as did Kadiel Henry in Super Street 15. Street 16 went the way of Moxon Williams.

Oneil Henry wins inthe nine-second class.(Photo:Rory Daley)

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