King of speed chats with Kaieteur Sport

Aug 24, 2008 Sports

Fans like to see good competition

By Rawle Welch
Local speed ace Andrew King recently spoke with Kaieteur Sport about his chances at the upcoming second leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Series which will be staged in Barbados on August 31.

KN- Andrew you currently lie second in the points standing heading into the second leg, how are you feeling and tell us about your chances?

AK- I am feeling well heading into the upcoming event, but the most important thing about the Caribbean series is to go the distance. You have to get points and remain consistent if I go and win races it will place me in a better position to grab the overall title.

KN- Do you feel that your performance at the last local Meet has provided you with the confidence to do well in Barbados?

AK- It will be a testing ground for my car. The track is a high demanding one where the breaking and handling is severely tested. I hope I can do well in qualifying and get a good position on the grid because it is extremely difficult to pass on that track, but I am confident.

KN- It was mentioned that current leader Jamaican David Summerbell’s car was far more superior in horsepower I believe packing around 550 as compared to yours which stood around 330. How do you intend to make up for that disparity and have you made any adjustments to combat that difference?

AK- We still have not extracted the maximum out of the car as yet. I had some gear problems during the last Meet and at this moment we are trying to improve on that and get everything right. I feel we can pull it off, but apart from Summerbell, the Bajans are very tough to beat at home. I must also tell you that the car has more power now than when we broke the local lap record and I’m optimistic we can make up for the gap in horsepower.

KN- I think the difference in points between yourself and Summerbell is one point, are you hoping to erase that deficit and even head into the final leg in Guyana with a decisive advantage?

AK- Of course, this is the Caribbean Championships and I am a contender who is seeking to win the overall title.

KN- Tell us in your own words what it means for you to do well and the impetus it could provide for the sport here.

AK- It would mean a lot to me and could also provide added incentive for others to do well in the future.
KN- Even though physical preparation is not as major as getting the car to perform to its optimum, how many more years do you envisages you have in the sport?

AK- Andrew King will decide that when he is ready to quit, but as long as I can stay fit enough and the will is there I still think I have some more years in me to perform at the highest level.

KN- It seems as though the sport is making a strong resurgence throughout the Caribbean, what do you think is responsible for that?

AK- I saw in Jamaica they were not racing for a few years, but at the opening Meeting, the fans came out in their numbers so I would have to say spectator appeal is one of the primary reasons for the resurgence.

People in the Caribbean love motor racing and their support is tremendous.
The key is not to disappoint them whenever they come to the venue. In Barbados you can easily get 15,000 fans in the Park, while Jamaica had around 7,000 and Guyana about 5,000 at a small Meet and this is despite the fact that there aren’t a lot of new faces on the scene. What the fans like to see is good competition.

KN- Do you think it can overtake sports such as cricket and football as the Caribbean premier sporting activity?

AK- No, I don’t think so, each of them have their own band of followers. The fact of the matter is cricket is suffering because of the West Indies poor performances over the last few years, while if we start to get quality football it can surpass motor racing.

I was at the World Cup qualifier because I felt it was going to be football of quality, but I would not go to see club football, the standard is too low. You have to get top quality football for the fans to come out and support.