Driver to driver

Total marking: Team MoBay promises to match Kingston team driver to driver

Just as a football coach tells his charges to

strategically employ man-to-man marking in a highly competitive game, Team MoBay's drivers have been instructed to stick close to specific members of the Kingston-based Total Lubricants-sponsored drivers, popularly known as Team Total, at the next race meet.

"There will be a Team MoBay driver in every race where there is a Team Total driver, and let us see if they will dominate this time around," warned Doug 'Hollywood' Gore, who insists that he has been undefeated for the past two years at the Dover circuit, driving the Audi TT.

Gore was responding to a statement made last week by Team Total that they will dominate the next race meet at the Dover Raceway, which is scheduled take place in another three weeks. He further stressed that Guy Fraser, who recently returned from Canada, is likely to be a member of his team. According to Gore, he is also hoping to have Gary Williams return with his Mitsubishi Evolution.

He will be complemented by Ian Banks and Dean Corrodus, driving a pair of Hondas, and Matthew Gore in a Starlet. Earlier this year, Matthew Gore demonstrated that once he has a well-prepared and reliable car, he can create an upset.

On paper, Team MoBay has some of the more talented race drivers to take on the Total Team, which has been consistently dominant at Dover.

"Team MoBay has been around for the past two decades. We are not a club, but a group of drivers from western Jamaica actively involved in rallying, sprints, circuit racing and other disciplines of the sport. The team started out with four persons: Oliver Townsend, David Watkin, Michael Grizzle and myself. We compete in a little of everything. Anybody with a race car can become a part of Team MoBay after careful screening," Gore told Automotives last Friday.

However, the Total Team's leader is unperturbed.

"We will be glad to have them in the respective races and eager to see what the results will be," said David Summerbell, with his customary chuckle.

President of the Jamaica Race Drivers' Club (JRDC), Charles Chen, believes the friendly rivalry between the two camps will not only force drivers to be better prepared and live up to pre-race comments, but also motivate other drivers outside the respective camps, and give racing fans their money's worth.

"The competitors have taken the rivalry to another level. There have been some fierce - but friendly - off-the-track clashes, especially between motorcyclists Jason Campbell and Halquin 'Pugu' Rodney. There is also Natasha Chang, who has acquired an S2000 Honda, which she brought down from California to take on Kyle Gregg in the MP 2 Class. Chang is representing Team Texaco," said Chen.

The Heroes Day race meet at Dover Raceway, St Ann, is scheduled for October 20 and several overseas drivers have already been confirmed.