Drag Racing: Team Balram Mechanics ‘not afraid of any challenge’

Four days away from the second round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s Drag Racing Meet and the action is heating up with regards to who has the fastest local-built car. Balram Mechanics is one group that is confident of producing an excellent performance.

“I am not scared of none of them to be honest. Sunday comes, as long as everything goes well, we will get a good race and a good showdown,” head mechanic Balram Ramdeo told News Room Sport Wednesday at his garage located at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara.

Ahead of most drag racing meets, Balram Mechanics often touts exceptional performances with the Trans Pacific sponsored Toyota Altezza. Unfortunately, mechanical issues have curtailed the machine unleashing its true power.

“We had some failure to the back at the last drags. It cut six CV shafts. We got the right thing ordered and it looks like if it is ready. We are going at the track tomorrow and turn it up to see how it goes from there,” Ramdeo added.

This outing, the additional help of Trinidadian Tuner Marvin Gay, who returns Wednesday evening, and more testing has given the team enthusiasm of a blazing run, despite having the stern competition in Shawn Persaud and his ever-consistent Toyota Caldina and Del Ice Co Hellcat-powered Mitsubishi Starion.

Ramdeo was fervent on the point that fast times are on the horizon should the 1300H machine get good value from the track in the form of track bite. The hope is, when the car truly runs to potential, it can break into the seven-second class.

For now, its main target, while ambitious, will be Team Mohamed’s black Nissan GT-R. At the last meet in March, the familiar black GT-R, Goliath, certainly did not disappoint. On the new quarter-mile strip, its fastest time was a blistering 8.584s.

For Sunday’s event, tickets for adults cost $1000 and children $500. Action at South Dakota starts at 09:00h.

Additionally, GT Tuners, West Coast Customs Wash Bay and Imran Auto Works have combined to sponsor the reaction time prize. The driver with the fastest reaction will win US$100.

DEL Ice Co will also award prizes to the fastest 10-second ($200,000), 11-second ($150,000) and 12-second ($100,000).