Jamaican drag racers will head to Burnham Field, Clarendon, to compete in the second edition of the “Battle of the Belts” on Sunday, June 9th.
The inaugural running of this unique quarter mile event took place on Sunday, February 25th and was a huge success.
“The event was a great success. Everything ran without a hitch. There was a little bit of trouble with spectators getting over the fence but other than that it was a safe day of drag racing,” event organiser Brian Clough told the Jamaica Observer’s weekly motoring magazine.
Battle of the Belts showcases drag racing at its most stripped down in a controlled environment: essentially a straight-up drag race between two cars competing to see which can cross the finish line first, with no special preparation required and no time limit.
Unlike traditional bracket drag racing, there are only four classes: Class 1 is for front-wheel drive cars without forced induction, though nitrous oxide from power adjusters is permitted; Class 2 is for front-wheel drive turbocharged cars; Class 3 is for all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive cars; and Class 4 is called Outlaw, and anything goes.
“It’s basically street racing done safely,” Clough said.
He explained that the genesis of the event was to bring racers from the streets to the track, and in a format that is more in keeping with what they are more familiar with, and, having hosted several such events overseas, he saw this as an opportunity that would benefit everyone, given the challenges of street racing in Jamaica.
Clough said racers get to compete in a safe environment, spectators get to watch in that same safe environment and they get more than just bragging rights at the end of the day.
“There is no second place in this type of race, so first place takes all,” he said.
The last time the belts were competed, each weight class had a prize of $150,000 and a belt to identify the champion of that weight class.
Clough is planning three fights for the belt this year.
“The driver turnout was a little lower, but the spectators were really good.”
Clough feels that the February date means many of the cars are not prepared for an early start to the drag racing season, and he expects there to be an increased number of drivers and even more spectators this Sunday.
