Weekend of racing to support TT Warriors

THE Trinidad and Tobago Automobile Sports Association (TTASA) plans to show their support for the Trinidad and Tobago National Football Team with a weekend of motor sport activities.

As a precursor to the weekend, TTASA has planned a motorcade which will take place on April 29. This will be followed by a day of Drag Racing on May 6, and the “Warriors’ Pride Circuit Championship” on May 7 — both to be held at Wallerfield Racing Circuit.

The motorcade will begin at 8 am at Westmall, West Moorings, and move through Port-of-Spain, on to the Uriah Butler Highway, and end at Price Plaza in Chaguanas. The Mini Club, Off Road Club, and the Drag Racing Association will all be participating in the event. High-performance racing vehicles will also be part of the action, though they will not be driven on the roads but transported on trailers and tow trucks.

Jameer Ali, vice president of TTASA, invites all motor sport disciplines to join in by contacting him at Motorzone Service Centre in St James. He stressed that the motorcade “is not a protest” but a way to make people more aware of the racing community and to promote the sport in TT.

At Price Plaza, the high-performance vehicles, the minis, and the off-road vehicles will be on display from 2pm to 7 pm. Racing fans will be able to meet their favourite race car drivers, get their autographs, and obtain information on the vehicles.

The racing vehicles will be scrutinised and officials will perform safety checks and ensure the cars fully comply with the rules and regulations for the next week’s racing activities.

On May 6, there will be drag racing from noon to 6 pm. Qualifying events for the Sprint races on Sunday will also take place. All cars will be classed based on engine capacity and the amount of modification it has undergone. The basic classes are as follows:

Group 1: up to 1,600 cc

Group 2: up to 2,400 cc

Group 3: up to 4,000 cc

A full day of excitement is planned for Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. The day will begin with the Minis taking the track, followed by an exhibition of the capabilities of off-road vehicles. Later, there will be sprint racing as well as a drifting exhibition. Then, the main event, the “Warriors’ Pride Circuit Championship” — a three-hour endurance race with high-performance cars battling for the championship.

The Warriors will also be at Wallerfield signing autographs and interacting with race and football fans. There are door prizes to be won and food and drinks will be on sale. For the kids there will be a Bouncy Castle, Go-Cart rides, face painting, and more.

The idea for this undertaking came to Ali last year while watching the news before TT’s World Cup Qualifying Game in Bahrain.

A “Warriors’ Pride Account” was set up so that win or lose, the footballers would have something from the people of TT. After the game, Ali said he was overwhelmed to see how the people of TT united in celebration of the victory. He was moved to support the venture and started to plan this championship.

TTASA is a non-profit organisation that tries to assist charitable institutes. In the past, the organisation contributed to the TT Cancer Society and the Margaret Cristo Children’s Home. According to Ali, it is the only club to support our football heros and he is challenging other clubs to do the same.

“We may not have a home after mid-May,” said Ali, “but once we have a home, we will continue to support any charitable organisation that comes to our attention. Our organisation is not just about Motor Sports but about helping the people of TT.”