Caribbean pride

Though we are a just a small paradise island in the Caribbean, where the sun always shines and the steady sea breeze keeps us cool, we have been drag racing for more than 43 years. That is officially!

We take great pride in doing our utmost and though our limited purchasing power, due to a small economy, do not tip in favor of large budget drag racing operations, occasionally all the stars line up in the sky, resulting in great performances and incredible wins. Below follows a couple of examples:

Stateside:
- Rising out of two pro stock operations in Aruba, a couple of years ago they joined forces and moved to the U.S. where they proudly represent the country of Aruba. They compete in the Extreme Pro Stock division with Aruban native Trevor Eman behind the wheel. Last year they won an ADRL (now defunct) race and they are consistently amongst the best. They finished in the runner up spot at this year's PDRA Georgia Drags. For more on Team Aruba, click here.
 
- Frank Brandao partnering with engine builder and legendary doorslammer Pat Musi to participate with King Kong V, with Lizzy Musi behind the wheel. Although she has yet to get her first career win in the highly competitive Pro Mod class, she has what it takes to win, and as such, it is only a matter of time. Of course, having Edelbrock onboard is great as well.

- Furthermore, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (aka A-B-C islands) are well represented in the bike categories. Terence Angela (Aruba) is a frequent participant with already an important win at MiRock in the Superbike category. Rendolph Torbed (Curacao) is impressing the right people, while "Fitipaldi" (Bonaire) is causing a sensation in the U.S. for decades already. Finally, Berginie "Busa Girl" Naar (Curacao) is the quickest female on two wheels in the Caribbean.

In Curacao:
Back in 2010 there was a showdown at the Curacao Int'l Raceway between Pat Musi and his gang and a bunch of locals. Whathehell (pictured left) and crew set a trap for the New Jersey native, who walked right in, trying to better his 60'. To see the video of the race, click here. That night Whathehell, with Jeff Dobbins behind the wheel, outsmarted the much faster Pat in King Kong V to win the Top Gun category. Due to the short racing schedule, local teams occasionally rely on professionals to help with the set up of the car and sometimes with driving duties as well, especially in the pro categories.


In Aruba:

During this year's 3rd Extreme Import Int'l, local Pro Stock bike rider Gino Kock (pictured on the right) won over NHRA rider Craig Trebble, who rode for Da Silva Racing. Another stellar team is Hailey, who in the Extreme Import Category performs very well both in Aruba as in the U.S.
There are surely more examples, which I am certain my Aruban friends will remind me of.

Thanks for reading.

Source: Dragbike.com, Rush Magazine (Aruba)
Photo credit: Radical competition/Dragbike.com, Team Aruba, Edelbrock.com