The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FORMER multiple Le Mans world champion Derek Bell said the organisers of Bahamas Speed Week couldn’t have picked a better opportunity for the public to interact with the general public than taking the vintage cars through the streets of New Providence.

On the eve of the two-day competition at Arawak Cay, the cars were escorted from the east to the west, stopping at the Shell Super Station on Prince Charles Drive and at the Lyford Cay Club where the public got a chance to take a closer look at the cars and meet the drivers on a personal basis.

“This is the first time that I’ve done this trip,” said Bell, who is standing in for Sir Sterling Moss as the patron for this year’s event. “So far today it’s been wonderful because I’ve never been around the island before. It’s been great fun. Everybody’s been particularly helpful, especially the police.”

As for the weekend activities in Arawak Cay, Bell said the variety of cars will provide a lot of excitement for the viewing public.

“You will be surprised how fast they drive them,” said Bell, who knows all too well how fast the cars drive, having won the Sports Car World Championship titles back-to-back in 1985 and 1986. “It doesn’t happen that often. So it’s going to be great for the public to see them compete.”

Brendan Foulkes, the director of the organising committee, said they are more than delighted to be about to host the third version of the Bahamas Speed Week Revival as it continues to grow with more and more interest being generated by the participants from Europe and the United States.

Mikel Willms, sporting a red 1955 Maserati 200S, is here from Germany with his wife, Daniella. They noted that the Bahamian hospitality is just as significant as it is racing here.

“This is our first time here and we have been very impressed about the people and the positive attitude that they have,” he said. “We feel very welcome and we really like the island. It’s new to us, but you can be very happy to live here. We are enjoying it.”

As for the competition, Willms said they have the oldest car on the circuit here, but he expects her to hold her own. “It’s very light on the brakes, but it should go very well. I’m very positive,” he said. “Coming from Europe, the weather here is beautiful, the competition is great and it’s an historic place to race in the world in the past. So we are happy to bring cars back here to compete. It’s a great atmosphere.”

His wife couldn’t help but to concur.

“I’m super happy because I’ve never experienced such welcome anywhere else than here,” she said. “Everyone is so friendly. I’m absolutely amazed by this. No where around the world have I had this kind of experience that I’m getting here in the Bahamas.”

For Paul Baker, a native of Kenya, the Bahamas has been his home for the past 23 years that he now says “I is Bahamian.” He will be competing in a Black 1978 Porsche 356 Replica.

“It was originally going to be shipped back to Europe by a gentleman who was building a black yacht. We were waiting on one significant from him, but it never came from him,” Baker said. “Three years later, I found the car in Tropical Shipping and his estate allowed me to take the car and we restored it from there.

“Last year, we raced it and blew the engine up. This year, I put a new engine in it and she’s running just fine. So I expect to win this year. I hear the trophies are pretty good, so we are going to try to get one of them. We expect some competition from Jody Lowe. He’s got the other three-speedster and he’s my mechanic.”

And Ian Townsend, who will be in a red 1955 MGA, said he’s back from England for his second appearance in the competition, albeit in a different car.

“It’s very good on corners because it was built in England at a time when the roads were very bending and had a lot of potholes,” he said. “So it rides very well on bumps and potholes. When it goes on the straight road, it will do up to about 120 miles (per hour), but it does a whole lot better on bends and corners.”

Townsend said the reason he decided to bring the small unique car here is because there wasn’t any here since the revival got started three years ago. His car, according to Townsend, was one of the features in Speed Week back in the glory days in the 1950s.

“It was time someone brought a MGA back because it used to be here before,” he said.

As the cars made their way into the Shell Service Station on Prince Charles, Bahamians gathered around to get their snap photos and to converse with the drivers. One motorist was in such a hurry that he miscalculated the turn and blew one of his car tyres on the median.

Two of the Bahamian spectators said it was quite a site to behold.

Dericko Williamson noted: “They are all great. I love them. I really want to see them in action.”

And Branville Adderley, who had a fascination for all the red cars, said it’s great that the Bahamas is hosting the event once again. “I’m glad that they are here and I hope the Bahamians will come out and support them,” he said. “I know I will be there. I just hope the Bahamian people will come out and support it.”

While today will be an off day for the participants as they make the necessary adjustments to their cars, the competition will pick up 10am Saturday with the Fort Charlotte Hill climb. Then at 10am Sunday as well, the cars will participate in the Arawak Cay Sprint Circuit.

Additionally, competitors from Doris Johnson, CV Bethel, AF Adderley and CC Sweeting will be displaying the skills they have learned from the Karting Bahamas Summer Camp that was conducted by race director David McLaughlin and Victoria Sarne as they participated in a demonstration for the public.