Ribeiro lowers world record at Wallerfield

Kervin Ribeiro lowered his unofficial drag racing world record on Sunday, stopping the clock at 7.86 seconds in a 1JZ-powered 2nd Generation RX7 while competing in the 174 miles-per-hour category at the Frankie Boodram International Raceway in Wallerfield. The record was set at the TTASA (TT Automobile Sports Association) Drag Event No 5.

Ribeiro, speaking about the achievement, said: “We were looking forward to it. I really don’t know how to explain it.”

Jason Joseph, owner of the 2nd Generation RX7, said this was the third time that his car, driven by Ribeiro, had set a new standard.

“The world record, which was 8.44, we broke it,” said Joseph. “It was 8.1 that we had. Then we had (broken) it again to 8.0. Sunday gone, we came down to 7.8.”

Asked if the achievement received any plaudits or recognition from local or regional bodies, Joseph replied, “Having it been done down here, we don’t really get recognised much. It’s just more by bragging rights, and then the YouTube and the social media.

“To be even more recognised, we have to enter foreign (competitions) where there are international cars (from) all over the world, where they have rules and regulations, and different classes where you can enter. We have seen online, due to the World Cup finals in Orlando and in Florida, what was the world record set, so we know there is no 1JZ with that time.”

Joseph said he was always keen to have his car stamp its name on the history books.

“When I first put in that engine, originally we didn’t expect to go down into that bracket so fast. But our goal was to actually break the world record for the 1JZ,” he said.

After the first record set by his car, Joseph said he knew the car and engine had more potential.

“We just kept going down in time and we said, ‘We’re going for the seven-second class.’ And we did it. We hope to go a little lower than that again.”

And Ribeiro noted, “The aim wasn’t really to run the car in that low of a bracket. We were more looking at a nine seconds from inception, from the first time we set up the car. As time progressed, we decided to keep pushing it. In the past five or six events, we more or less dominate in the eight seconds bracket.

“(Recently) we were aiming to just get the car to go into the ‘sevens.’ On Sunday, well it come to past, on the final run for the day, we (upped) the power a little and we (went) for it. We made it happen.”

Ribeiro, who lives in St Joseph, said he had been driving for his close friend for the past two years.

As far as international events are concerned, Ribeiro said, “Maybe next year, please God, once everything is on track. To go outside is a lot of finance. Once everything is on track, that’s (our) next aim, to go outside.”

So far, he has got favourable responses from his fellow competitors about his feat.

“I would say 60 percent good,” said Ribeiro. “Nobody likes to (lose), everybody wants to win at the end of the day. Everybody who we’re mostly closely associated with, it’s good comments so far. You can’t get away from one or two negatives, but what could you do?”