

From left, Rae and Summerbell jr.
Glenroy Sinclair, Senior Staff Reporter
Despite the wet and slippery conditions at the Waller Field circuit track in Trinidad last Sunday, the Jamaican pair of David Summerbell and Peter Rae stunned their Caribbean neighbours by easily dominating the Seafreight Fast Invitational race meet.
"My only disappointment was that I had wanted to set a new track record and that did not happen," said Summerbell, who won two of the three races.
The other event went to Rae in his D/S Auto Parts-sponsored RX7 Mazda.
Surprising success
The successes came as a surprise to the Jamaicans who began experiencing mechanical problems even before the races begun on Sunday.
With the assistance of a group of Trinidadian mechanics, however, Summerbell spent most of Saturday night correcting problems he was having with his engine.
And when the races began, at one stage the atmospheric conditions took a toll on Rae's windscreen and he was unable to see clearly.
After the track became a little bit drier it was time for the Jamaicans to explode.
According to a report published in the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, a daily newspaper, Rae and Trinidad's Ravi Singh were involved in a hotly-contested showdown.
"Singh got off to a blistering start and left the pack with Rae as his only challenger. But Rae exhibited better braking and turning abilities on the track to eventually take control of the race from Singh," the newspaper report said.
Summerbell attributes his success to the four-wheel drive installed in his Mitsubishi Evolution Six, which was able to manage the wet conditions superbly.
"The guys made me feel very proud," said team manager Hilary Jardine.
Rae and Summerbell are now preparing for the Guyana trip where the real regional championship begins. The Jamaican contingent is expected to leave the island on October 25 and 26. The championship will be held on Sunday, October 29.
Heroes Day meet
In the meantime, both drivers will use Monday's 'Heroes of Speed' race meet as part of their preparation.
The meet is expected to attract several hundred spectators. Doug Gore, Marck Carey and Peter 'Bull' Thompson should have a ding-dong battle in the GTS Class, while Summerbell should once again get the leading challenge from Tedroy Burton in the MP Class.