'Burgess bombers' revved up for Grand Prix

Sibling rivalry is nothing new — but rarely do a brother and sister take it on to the race track.

Bermuda Karting Club’s Lauryn and Ryan Burgess, though, have been doing that all season and they’ll both be on the grid during this weekend’s City of Hamilton Grand Prix Street Race along Front Street.

But unlike at the Dockyard Grand Prix road race, they won’t be going head to head, with Lauryn, 15, going up in class to race in the Junior TAG and Ryan, 10, staying in the Junior Modified Clone class.

The competitive instinct, though, burns bright in the Paget duo, who raced against each other in the Modified Clone all season.

“This year she’s stolen my third place,” admits Ryan, although his sister insists the two keep it professional at home.

“We are competitive with each other,” she said. “But we don’t make a big deal about it. We don’t make fun of each other. Sometimes he beats me and sometimes I beat him. It’s just another race but it’s pretty cool to battle it out with your brother.”

For Lauryn, the Hamilton Street Race will be the first time she has ever raced in the Junior TAG — and she’s nervous.

“It’s basically TAG with a restrictor plate on it. It’s nerve-wracking. I was supposed to test it out on Thursday but the preparation is time-consuming.”

After two years racinf and despite the pre-race jitters, she has no plans to stop now, especially when it means she can keep getting one over on the boys. “When my brother started it I thought it looked fun,” she said. “I went down the [Southside] track and I thought, ’yeah, I’ll try this’. The feeling of racing boys is pretty cool – it’s pretty awesome beating them.”

Ryan has three years’ experience under his belt and believes he has unfinished business after the Dockyard Grand Prix, where his kart didn’t last the weekend. 

“This will mean a lot because I blew up in Dockyard. I got a plate there — but I want to get a first, second or third this time,” he said.

“I love the speed and the competition. There are a lot of good drivers out there.”

There will be at least one keen spectator on Front Street at the weekend — their granddad Donald Gamble, who has flown in from Pennsylvania to see the two compete.

Ryan said: “It’s really cool for him to come down — it’ll be the first time he’s seen us race.”