The end of drag racing in the Cayman Islands has led many to consider options abroad. For drivers like Donald Francis, the next step is competing in the US.
Francis, 22, is racing on National Hot Rod Association tracks this year. The North Side resident intends to run his white Honda Civic Type-R nicknamed ‘Plan B’ and states he has put too much into his motorsports journey to quit.
“I built my car knowing that Breakers Speedway would close one day,” Francis said. “There’s a lot more to racing than Cayman. A wonderful opportunity came and Javier Torres (a US-based tuner) helped me with shipping and modifications. I’m going at it hard. Even though we’re all hoping to get a track here the feeling I got now is I can’t give up.
“The closing of Breakers was depressing. I put so much money into it. But the Lord never gives you more than you can bear. I’m going to make use of this opportunity.”
Francis, who was born and raised in George Town, will race along the East Coast at quarter-mile drag strips in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Maryland. In April he is expected to be at Atco Speedway in Atco before going to the New England Raceway in Epping.
The Cayman Islands Water Authority engineering assistant is best known for his exploits at the Breakers 1/8 mile track. He excelled at Cayman Islands Drag Racing Association meets, posting a personal best time of 7.4 seconds. His Civic was reportedly the fastest street-driven Honda on Grand Cayman and among the quickest all-motor Front-Wheel Drive vehicles on Island.
Plan B is far from stock with nitrous oxide, aftermarket pistons and rods, a ported and polished cylinder head, racing manifold, dual wastegate, race injectors and a Precision 67/65 turbo among the roughly $20,000 worth of modifications. Francis states his brother has also invested heavily in motorsports and could race abroad as well.
“My brother Steven has spent time and money on his car, an Integra Type-R. He’s got a full race motor and the car is good to go. I’m encouraging him to come to the States as well. He works at Scotts Marine, working on boat engines and is one of the few certified Mercury Verado mechanics. As a 19-year-old he’s got a lot of potential. He’s spent nearly as much as I have.”
Breakers closed for good last December with the End of Days meet put on by the drag racing association. Francis had a decent showing but was not among the winners. The top racers were Patrick Campbell in his Nissan Skyline GT-R, Omar Crespo in his Mitsubishi Evolution III, Ray Hydes in his Evo III, Vito Welcome in his Honda Civic Type-R, Edison Bodden in his Civic and Javier Medina on his Suzuki GSXR.
The biggest happening on the local motorsports scene now is autocross. The 2012 season of Time Attack, a dexterity racing series put on by the Cayman Motorsports Association, gets going this weekend on George Town’s Progressive Loop.
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