January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Are you Bermuda's best driver?
Team Oni Racing Club is sponsoring the Ultimate Driving Challenge on June 11 at the Bermuda Motor-sports Park at Southside.
Jamie Lovell, club founder, said: “What we’re having is a five challenge driving competition for local drivers and TCD licensed vehicles.”
He said competitors did not need to have a local driver’s licence as long as the vehicle was TCD licensed.
Lovell’s connection to the sport started when he was in the States.
“When I was in school in Michigan, I learned all about the custom automotive market and the modified racing tuner cars.
“I used to be in love with bikes, but once I got there I turned to automotive vehicles.
“I joined a car club and I saw how the operations worked.
“Coming back home to Bermuda I missed part of my life in Michigan and wanted to start something similar to that.”
He said he started the Team Oni Racing Club in Bermuda with his friends.
Lovell said the event will give residents something “fresh and new” to do.
He said the five challenge categories are:
- Rayclan Ltd 0-40-0 Acceleration & Braking Challenge: Driver will have up to 400 ft to accelerate up to 40 mph or more before applying full brakes. The winner of this event is determined by quickest time in the shortest distance travelled. Vehicles unable to reach 40 mph will be disqualified
- Custom Acoustics Grand Slalom: Over a stretch of 600 ft there will be six pylons about 35 yards apart in the middle of the track. Drivers must accelerate to their vehicle maximum speed, before negotiating the pylons by going between them from side to side.
The winner will be determined by total time eclipsed. One (1) second will be added to time for every pylon the driver hits. - Rapid Lane Change: Drivers will head down the centre of the race track.
At about 400 ft a light indicator on the left or right side of the track will light up.
The driver must perform a quick lane change to the opposites side that was indicated, to avoid an obstacle that is just metres ahead.
Hitting this obstacle or turning the wrong way will cause automatic disqualification.
The winner is determined by the fastest time. - Miller Beers 0-60+ MPH (600 ft Sprint): From a standstill, drivers will accelerate down a 600 ft stretch in the hope of reaching 60 mph or more.
The vehicle with the fastest time at the finish line wins. - RUBIS Energy Pit Stop Challenge: In this head-to-head challenge, two vehicles will line up nose-to-nose. Each driver will have a hydraulic jack and air gun. From start, drivers must jack their vehicle and rotate front and rear tyres. First vehicle to the ground wins.
The cost is $50 for the first two categories, and $20 for each additional challenge, with all five categories costing $110.
Lovell said: “If you don’t think you’re vehicle is the fastest or you don’t want to go pedal to the metal, then your vehicle might be better suited for the grand slalom or the rapid challenge.
“At the end of the event we’re going to call someone the Ultimate Driver and give them the title and a really large trophy.”
He added the zero to 60mph is normally the biggest crowd pleaser as people will want to see who has the fastest car, but “the most exciting one will be the pit stop challenge because it’s a race. He’ll be allowed to have a crewmember to help change the tyres”.
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