Jamcar - Jamaica Auto Racing
"JamCar" is Jamaican Car racing like Nascar was 25 years ago. Join us for a unique racing experience. Meet the drivers, visit the pits, watch the races from up close like you could never do in the states.
JAMCAR" is our combination of a Jamaican vacation combined with Car Racing. For the cost of a NASCAR weekend, you could go on a vacation in Jamaica for a week AND enjoy some exciting racing. So join us for one of our two JamCar race weeks and you'll have the time of your life.
Jamaican Racing Dover Raceway
Located just a few minutes from Runaway Bay (and Breezes and Hedonism III Resorts) is Jamaica's biggest and best race track: Dover Raceway. It is located high in the hills overlooking Runaway Bay. If you have been to any car races in the states, well, this is nothing like that. As you would expect in Jamaica, it is a lot more "rustic" than we expected, but at the same time, the quality of food, entertainment and the passion for racing was so much more than we expected.
Take a look at what to expect and why you should join us in October for the next race.
The Track
Dover raceway, located right outside of Brown's Town, is Jamaica's premier race track.
The track is a road course which has 12 curves and a straightaway that allows top speeds of over 100 mph. There is one hairpin, 180 degree turn at turn number 5 that is always a fan favorite during tight races. There are many viewpoints from which to see the races including the main gallery where you can see the 2nd half of the straightaway where the cars are at full speed and turns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This vantage point offers the widest view of the track with the most turns.
This is where the most race fans sat and watched the races. The hill is pretty steep and it is 1st come, 1st serve to get the best seat. Most had umbrellas for shade and I ended up buying one myself (the sun can be brutal). Local vendors walked through the crowd selling water ("Wata! Ice Cold Wata"!), soft drinks, beer (Red Stripe!), nuts, crawfish and other foods. The crowds cheered wildly when a car tried to pass, especiialy on one of the curves. The atmoshpere was fun
On the opposite side of the track, you can see turns 9, 10, 11 & 12 where they will accellerate up a steep hill onto the straightaway. Another popular spot is the VIP Race Tower. If you have the right wristbands (and we did!), you can climb the 3 story tower for a 360 degree view of the race track. It is also quite a bit cooler up there because of the shade and you will get a nice breeze (on most days) at the higher elevation.
My favorite vantage point is obtained by crossing a steel bridge over the finish line that takes you to a cliff overlooking the racetrack. You must navigate some very steep and rocky terrain in oder to get to the top of the cliff for the best view. Once there, you can see the entire Dover complex with the only unobstructed view of the straightaway. I don't recomend this climb for everyone, but those adventurous types will be rewarded with the best view by far.
Join Live Oak at Hedo III October 18 - 24
Accessability
We got "Pit Pass VIP" wristbands, which meant we could go anywhere. The "pit row" is actually a cleaned out row of stalls that normally houses cows and sheep throughout the year, except on race weekends. Can you imagine a NASCAR driver driving one of their cars into a cow pen?
We were able to go up and meet the drivers, enter the pits and hang out like a VIP. The drivers were so nice and they all took time for photos, they answered questions about their car, the racetrack and made us feel at home. It would cost you thousands of dollars to get this kind of access back home.
We also got access to the VIP tower which was a great spot to watch the races.
The Experience
I have to tell you that this was as much a party as it was a car race. The music was pumping all day long with a great mix of Reggae, dance hits and R & B classics. When I ran into the DJ I couldn't believe it- he was the same DJ from Hedo III! He had left Hedo (at 2 am) to play a gig in Kingston (4-7 am) and then turned around to come play at Dover. This guy doesn't sleep!
Anyway, the sound system was great (unless you were standing right in front of the speakers) and not only provided great music, but they also kept you up to date with the race schedule and commentary. I learned a lot from the announcer and would have been lost without him.
It's really nice to be able to go somewhere where you are not hassled by the craft folks, the food and drinks are reasonable (O.K., dirt cheap) and you get a real sense for the culture- not a US -catered to resort. The entire experience was AWESOME!
Join Live Oak at Hedo III October 18 - 24
The Food
Did I ever mention how much I love food? The food was definitly one of the highlights of the race for me. They had real Boston Jerk Chicken (ed note: Jerk Chicken originated from Boston Beach in the northeastern area of Jamaica), conch & crawfish soup, lots of fresh fruit (pinapple, watermelon, grapes and cantelope), coconut (jelly, milk and meat), fried chicken and fish, meat pies, grilled fish (my favorite!), nuts and much, much, more.
I tried my best to sample as much as possible (see the photos), so I could give an accurrate report. The things I do for my work! Jennifer (from Live Oak) couldn't believe how much I ate! I tried several local drinks throughout the day and I must say that the Appleton Rum was my favorite. You could get a shot of rum with a coke for about $2. The prices were fantastic since this is primarily a locals event and we (four) were the only tourists in sight.
Call us for 2009 ticket information
(800) 304-4493
The Drivers
We were cheering for the MoBay Race Team which was built around Doug "Hollywood" Gore and Gary Williams. Doug is one of the best and most popular drivers in Jamaica and holds the current Caribbean Champion Driver's title. Everywhere he went, people knew who he was and cheered for him. He won some of the early races and was having a great day when his car had an explosion and caught fire. It put an early end to his day, but we were just glad that he got out of the car O.K. and will live to race another day.
Gary works for SuperClubs and was our contact for the race. He put us in contact with the right people and gave us a lot of information which made our entire trip possible. He came away with a big win in the last race of the day, the "Modified Production/Thundersport Final. Even though Doug wasn't in the race, it was a very competitive race with many exciting moments.
Doug's younger brother Matthew “The Magnet” Gore, another popular driver, will be heading to England to race in European Endurance Championship and the Le Man's 2008 series. He will be Jamaica's 1st ever driver in the Grand Prix circuit..
The Racing
There were a total of 4 races the day we went with several qualifying rounds. All in all, there were over 12 races held throughout the day. One car lost his hood (twice), there were a couple of spin outs and one car that actually rolled over onto it's side after trying to take a sharp turn too fast. It was amazing to see about 15 locals jump onto the track and push the car back up on all four wheels. This is like racing was 30 years ago before big name corporate sponsors took over NASCAR and road rally racing.
Some of the cars racing were: Mitsubishi Mirage, Mitsubishi EVO 2 & Evo 6 Turbo's, Mazda RX-7's, Honda Civics & CRX's, Subaru Imprezzas, Toyota Starlets, a Nissan Pulsar GTiR, Suzuki Swift Gti's and even a Ford Escort.
They were broken down into groups: Modified Production 1, 2 & 3 and then the Thundersport class. The 1st two Modified classes were basically cars that locals suped up and drive on a regular basis. They didn't have roll cages or other safety gear, so there were passing and speed restrictions. It was exciting seeing some of these ametuers sharing the same track as their racing idols.
The best drivers (and cars) were in the Thundersport class. They were real race cars with some of the latest technology. Sure, we saw the car where someone duct taped a dryer hose in place of a cold air intake, but the top of the line cars had top quality engines, dynos and turbo chargers to compete with the best. It was comical though, seeing them parked in the cow and sheep stables. That was worth the price of admission, right there.
In the end, we saw a lot of great racing and we learned a lot more about Jamaica.
Join Us!
We had such a GREAT time that we can't wait to go back. We hope you will join us for a day of racing in Jamaica. No matter how great your resort might be, it is always worth it to get off the property to see a local, cultural experience.
Join Live Oak at Hedo III October 18 - 24
Call us for 2009 ticket information
(800) 304-4493
See you at Dover Raceway!
Bob & Tess
Here is another good video on YouTube
And a great one on Google
Call us for 2009 ticket information
(800) 304-4493
