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29th November 1972, Vernam Field (Jamaica
Motor Racing Association) B.O.A.C. Trophy Race
"Jamaican Midgets", from Custom Car
Magazine, March 1973
Cliff Davis, American car dealer extraordinaire,
recently went to Jamaica with the Midget Auto Racing Club.
Had a good time too, by the sound of it.
Rothmans of Pall Mall approached the Midget
Auto Racing Club to put on a series of race meetings in Jamaica
in November. Our season finished the end of October and it
all sounded too good to be true-a 14 day stay in a top hotel
on that beautiful island in the sun and all expenses paid
by BOAC, Rothmans and Goodyear of Jamaica.
18 drivers, two mechanics, one commentator
and six wives took off from London Airport on 14 November,
a cold winter's morning. That evening we touched down at Kingston
Airport and as we left the aircraft we met a gorgeous blast
of warm balmy air and a host of photographers and officials
greeted us while the bar dished out rum punches to all and
sundry. The following day we learned that the boat bringing
our cars had been delayed and would not arrive until Saturday.
That suited us fine-three whole days. BOAC and Rothmans had
laid on a sightseeing programme with a 30 seat coach, two
taxis and a private car for our exclusive use. We were installed
in the new Skyline Hotel, fully air-conditioned with a super
swimming pool and the climate was truly marvelous ranging
from 86 degrees by day down to 75 degrees at night, so as
far as we were concerned we really weren't bothered if the
cars never turned up at all-though secretly we were looking
forward to our races.
We held three meetings at the National Stadium
which was built for the Commonwealth Games to seat 30,000
people. The track was a third of a mile oval concrete surface
with a 30 degree banking each end-a super setup.
Our cars finally arrived on Saturday and our
first race was due that same evening. No petrol or oil in
the cars and batteries down. John Martinez, the boss man at
Rothmans, organised petrol and oil and a local firm, Tropical
Batteries, turned up with a new battery for each car. The
Stadium was ours for five days to work and practice in when
we liked. We did radio and television shows and were strongly
featured in the local press.
Our first meeting was scheduled to start at
8pm but Jamaican time intervened and the customers were still
arriving and were quite content to sit and wait. Our commentator,
Trevor Redmond, well known Stock Car Promoter, was marvelous,
but what an audience-if we had people like that here every
Stadium would be full throughout the season.
We ran two nine-car heats, one 10-car final
and an all-comers race. On that track we were touching 100mph
and race averages were 80mph which was really spectacular.
Inevitably there were shunts and if one had the courage to
go round at the top of the banking it could have been faster,
but those that did all came to grief. Pete Smith put a wheel
over the edge and went end over and I thought he'd had it.
Everyone was so relieved to see him get out and throw his
helmet down in disgust. The crowd went berserk when they realised
that he was virtually unhurt-he was the hero of the meeting.
Peter Jopp did a similar thing but only wiped his o/s wheels
and suspension off. Peter Stapleton was shedding wheels and
had dire suspension troubles. Paul Emery somehow got a flint
lodged in his oil pump and my car lasted only five or six
laps before violent pre-ignition set in. I later learned that
the petrol which should have been aviation spirit 101 octane
was in fact only 97. That meeting pulled in 8000 people.
Next day was an afternoon meeting starting
at 4pm, still really too hot to go racing but we put on a
real good show. The signs were now emerging that the outstanding
performers were going to be Joe Therstappen, our German ex-hot
rod driver and Pete Smith-his big shunt fortunately took place
in the last race of the third and last stadium meeting. Paul
Emery, our Champion, was still in trouble with his second
engine, Tony Stubbs had axle failure and I was still beset
with fuel problems. Brian Spicer also had a minor shunt and
by the time the third meeting was due and we had still managed
to keep a full field we were all feeling a bit jaded so Paddy
Chong of BOAC laid on a VC10 to fly us to Montego Bay for
lunch and a swim and we were back in time for dinner. Talk
about living it up !
We were invited to several parties and tours
were available each day for those without car problems. The
British Leyland people and Triumph agents were really helpful
and everyone went to immense lengths to help out. Mobile electric
and oxy welding plants were available at the track and anything
else needed was immediately laid on. In all my 25 years of
circuit racing never has anything approached this sort of
treatment and appreciation. Many major rebuilds took place
between meetings and so the standard was kept up. On both
Sunday and Wednesday meetings we also pulled in 10,000 spectators-three
meetings in one week, fantastic.
On the following Sunday we were invited by
Pat Stephens of the Jamaica Motor Racing Association to race
at their track at Vernam Field, which was a disused airport-shades
of Silverstone in the early 50s -200ft wide and very little
facilities anywhere. An uncontrollable crowd of 20,000 an
numerous cows, horses and goats to complete the fun, including
a light aircraft takeoff from the track during practice.
A visiting team of drivers and cars had arrived
from Santo Domingo led by a real dyed-in-the-wool enthusiast
named Horatio Alvarez who is boss-man of Pepsi Cola. He had
a 911S Porsche and 1190 Toyota. The rest of the team consisted
of two 850 Hondas, two Cortinas with V8 engines, a seven litre
Corvette, a Camara, two very hot Alfas coupled with the Jamaican
entries and of course the Midgets. And although our cars were
grossly undergeared we managed to put up a creditable performance,
finishing 4th, 5th and 6th. There is no doubt that further
scope for any form of motor racing in Jamaica is unlimited
and for the MARC-a club that has only been in existence for
two years, and founded and run by true enthusiasts-to have
made such an impact and at such a relatively low cost to participate-our
Grand Prix Midgets have arrived. Our slogan next year could
well be join the MARC and see the world.
We are already negotiating with America and
other islands in the Caribbean for next season plus, of course,
our normal English meetings all over Southern England.
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Pete Smith's crash (National Stadium, not Vernam Field)
Cars ready for transport