Junior Hydes recently had a personal best showing in Jamaica.
Now the motorsports figure is gearing up for success in August. Hydes is slated to be part of the Cayman team that competes in the next stage of the 2011 Caribbean Circuit Championship. That meet will take place during Jamaica’s Independence Day holiday weekend at Dover Raceway in St. Ann’s Bay.
As Hydes states, his efforts are expected to be boosted with more local drivers on hand.
“You can only improve as you go along,” Hydes said. “I’m expecting bigger and better results. We’ll have all the bugs worked out. For the August meet Andy Bodden will be running as well in a Mitsubishi Evolution 8 that is specially built and as fast as my car. Keith ‘Speedy’ Tibbetts III went to Dover for the first time in May and he’s got the bug now. He likes it and wants to race with us.
“I’m sure he can compete. He’s a good driver and he’s taking the Valvoline Subaru Impreza Sti with him. He’ll probably start in the Improved Production 45 class and take it from there.”
Hydes recently earned three top five finishes at the Caribbean Invasion circuit race. The meet took place during Jamaica’s Labour Day holiday weekend. He brandished an overhauled yellow 1995 Mitsubishi Evolution III to grab fifth and fourth place in the Modified Production class as well as the fifth spot in the Thundersport group. He was part of a field of at least 25 drivers for each race.
Hydes spoke about how his races went.
“I had three races in two classes. I was in the highest MP class for cars with turbo-charged 2000cc engines. The first race was rainy and took place after qualifying. We had on rain tires for the five-lap race and started seventh out of the grid. Most of the race I was chasing Peter Rae in the Mazda RX-7. But my gearbox broke as the synchros for third and fourth gear were broken. For the rest of the race I had to run in second gear and managed a time of one minute, 32 seconds.
“In the second race I started fifth. The weather was dry so we used slicks. Doug Gore and David Summerbell were way ahead with times of 1.20s and 1.21s while I was doing a solid 1.28s. The temperature ran high and because I was watching that I backed off on the last two laps. On a different day it would have been a different result. I was fighting Heath Causwell and his Subaru Impreza Sti the whole race. Being in an Evo there was a rivalry there. I fed off the Subaru-Mitsubishi rivalry and I didn’t want a Subaru to beat me.
“Lastly the Thundersport race was 12 laps and was the last race for the meet. It is the championship round. I was second from the first lap after Gore spun out in the third corner. Summerbell was leading and I was second after seven laps. But the hose for the waste-gate of the turbo broke and I went from 32 pounds of boost to 15lbs (which is the stock level). I was so far ahead of the pack at the time that only Gore caught me back right away. By the 10th lap two other guys caught me in Rae and Causwell, though they only stayed a car length ahead of me from there.”
Hydes is supported by a race team that features over 20 people. At the core of the group is local businessman Tony Williams, Cayman racer Andy Bodden, motorsports figure Jerry Holness and Junior’s brother Ray Hydes.
Interestingly, Hydes states the Dover races fulfil a higher calling.
“Racing is like a ministry. We do devotions and read scripture before races. The reward may be the race but fellowship is a bigger part of that. I was saved and baptized a year and a half ago. I attend Agape church and I’m involved in their sports ministry. It helps with the kids and I’m going where God leads me. Everyday is a quest for direction from Him. God has given me a lot of talent and sports can be a great form of ministry.”
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