‘Race Day in Nevis’ The year 2008 was a year of celebration for the twin federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. September 19, 2008 marked the 25th anniversary of independence for my country, our ‘Silver Jubilee’. As a member of the local Brownie Guide Unit, I was excited to participate in the
Independence Parade but this particular year, there was also another activity that sparked my interest. This year was the opening of the new drag strip in Nevis. Racing had become a huge sport in Nevis after the release of the movie ‘The Fast and the Furious’. I could recall one Sunday evening when my sister and I attended a party at Farms Estate where we watched that movie. The thrill and excitement in the air about racing were intense. People were bouncing off their seat trying to reenact scenes, shouting at each other, “Oh that’s my car, I won!” From that point onward racing soared. Many young men started to buy Japanese cars which were better for racing than the American built cars. However, many persons tried to race on the streets but were apprehended by the police, as street racing is illegal. There was one suitable place that these young men thought of which was the Long Point Road. That road led to the deep water pier and was mainly used to deliver or collect goods or cargo sent from overseas. The road is a mile long and at the time there were not many houses or businesses in the area. The young men took to that street. They would meet up at random times in the dead of night to have races or practice performing car and bike tricks, leaving their tire tracks behind. I was never able to see a race but I heard from many persons how exciting the races were. As the group of young men interested in racing started to increase, they decided to establish an association called the Nevis Drag Racing Association (NDRA). This development was the initial step towards having an official race track. The idea of having a drag race strip came about subsequent to a planned race for September 19, 2006 which was cancelled. The association planned the event, received permission from the government but not the local Police Department. Their activity was cut short when the Police arrived on the scene at Long Point Road and blocked the road stating that the event was illegal and all participants should leave immediately. Spectators from as far as St. Kitts were there but all were disappointed. Government officials and association members of the NDRA discussed the idea to have a legal venue to race. The NDRA was charged with the task of preparing a proposal for a drag strip indicating all the safety precautions, measurements of the proposed strip, costs to construct and a suitable location. The proposal was presented to the local Parliament and was approved. Construction of a half mile strip began in the year 2007 and was built by a Jamaican company, “Surrey Paving and Aggregate”- a company that was currently in Nevis completing the third phase of the reconstruction of the island’s main road. Many persons from various Caribbean islands and associations came to Nevis to observe and inspect the track. I would drive by just to see the construction phase and hope to be able to manage a project of that magnitude. As August 2008 came to a close, and the strip was completed, the engines started to rev. The opening of the strip was advertised through the entire Caribbean. Cars from Antigua, Statia, Anguilla, St. Martin, Tortola, St. Kitts and Nevis were on the line up. Even the cash registers in various clothing stores were full and over flowing. As customary everyone wanted to look their best for this historic occasion. The big day had arrived. The annual Independence Parade was successful but rainy. The entire morning persons wondered if the event was still being held. I too was a bit nervous as I was overly excited for the opening of the drag strip. After listening to the radio for hours, I heard that the races were still being held and it was not raining. My sister and I dressed and journeyed to the countryside to big races. On arrival to the track, I was astounded by the number of persons present for the event. Vehicles lined the street from the entrance of the track for about a mile on both sides. There were over 5000 persons in attendance. Moving closer to the track I heard, “Vroom! Vroom!” and the excitement took over my body. We parked and walked for about 5 to 10 minutes to arrive at the entrance to pay our $20 admission. The smell of popcorn, fried and barbecued chicken swarmed the entire field. Cars were categorized according to speed times of 13, 10 and 9 seconds. People were cheering, drinking, dancing to the music and just having a grand time. The president of the association, Mr. Vaughn Anslyn, smiled and said that he was overwhelmed with emotions to see that all the hard work had paid off. He also mentioned that there was room for improvement, but this drag strip and opening was a dream come through.