Hundreds of spectators filled the bleachers at the recently renovated Parker’s Raceway over the weekend to witness drag racers revive the sport in the Cayman Islands, for the first time in nearly three years.
The event was the first, since the previous owner, Cayman Racing Limited, held its ‘X-Massacre’ meet in Dec. 2019.
They were scheduled to host another meet in March 2020. However, that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Parker’s Raceway acquired the ⅛ mile racetrack later that year.
Organiser of the 2022 racing event, Keith Parker Tibbetts III, told the Cayman Compass on the opening day, Saturday, 26 March, that dragsters and fans were pleased to return to the new and improved racing facility.
“The drivers are quite shocked to see the new set up, the new developments and the layout of how we have the track set up now and I vowed to continue the progress… especially with the track surface,” Tibbetts said.
He noted that the renovations costed in excess of $500,000, approaching $750,000.
He added that, while the turnout over the weekend was impressive, he has his ambitions set on expanding Cayman’s motorsport scene, to reach enthusiasts beyond the Islands’ borders.
“It is all worth it in the long run,” he said. “The long-term investment is to build motorsports and motorsports tourism in the Cayman Islands. We want our local racers to mix with the overseas racers and have them coming here to race.”
The two-day event featured bikes, trucks and cars, including a Porsche 911, a McLaren, a Maserati, a Lotus, several GT 500s, a Corvette and many more, putting their horsepower to the test.
The next race is scheduled for Saturday, 23 April.
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