Slingshot speed to new drag racing record

SLINGSHOT bettered their own local drag racing record at the TT Auto Sports Association Drag Racing Championships Round Four last weekend at the Wallerfield International Raceway, but the team has lofty goals as they want to dip under 11 seconds before 2020 begins.

The team includes owner Navin Ramrattan, Vivian Fung, Mariah Puckerin and Christian Ramnarine.

What is impressive about Slingshot is that they have only been racing that vehicle since March, but their wealth of experience would have helped them accomplish the record over the course that is a quarter of a mile in distance.

“The first event the car ever entered we broke the record locally for the quickest and fastest all motor car in Trinidad by running 11.5 seconds. (Last) weekend we bettered that time and we set the bar much higher and we ran 11.1 seconds,” said Ramnarine.

The front wheel drive Honda Civic runs strictly on power and the class that the car races in is called an all motor class as Ramnarine said the car has no turbo charger, no super charger and there is no nitrous oxide.

The team has less than five months to go below 11 seconds. “The next goal is to be the first all motor car in the ten-second bracket, so the next goal for the car is to run 10.999 seconds or quicker...we want to hit that 10.999 seconds before 2020.”

Ramnarine, who has been part of American squad Team Tekno Toyz Motorsport for the past ten years, has been taking his local team-mates to Orlando, Florida in recent years to witness foreign racing.

The team said travelling to Orlando to support Team Tekno gave them the idea and the confidence to create Slingshot.

“The three of us went to Orlando and we have travelled to the US with the current world record holder Team Tekno Toyz Motorsport,” said Ramnarine.

“That is the fastest four-cylinder in the world. They won events in drag racing last year. By just being a part of that team Navin decided to build a car locally that could compete on local soil and on local standards.”

Ramnarine spoke highly of his team-mates, saying that Ramrattan is a local farmer for the past 20 years spending some of his hard-earned money to pursue the sport he loves.

“The front wheel drive game and industry in Trinidad is very weak and we thought we could capitalise and push on and show Trinidad what front wheel drive cars can do.”

Slingshot’s sponsors include Garage Fresh, Tekno Toyz Motorsport, Boost Factory Garage, Kingston 12 Performance, Itz Zeus Photography, Oasis Cool (Ishak and Javed Rasheed), Mamo and Sons Tyre Shop.