The legacy of Deryck “Mad Dog” Jaisingh, who passed away tragically in 2020, will live on at this weekend Drag Races, as his championship car is set to blaze the track on Sunday, February 28.
Mad Dog’s Supra, in which he won the last Drag Championship back in 2019, has been acquired by Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc, a local aviation security company which is also a long- serving patron of local motor racing and is platinum sponsor of the National Drag Championship round one.
The Supra with Jaisingh at the wheel had emerged as the Unlimited Class champion when the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) had held their 1320 heat rematch meet on October 20th, 2019, the last drag race meet held before onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a release from the GMR&SC, principal of SI&C Inc, Harold ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson, a racing veteran and sports shooting champion, explained that he decided to purchase the vehicle so that the memory of Jaisingh could live on in the sport, and also because he saw immense potential in the car.
At the 1320 heat rematch, the S&D Performance (Shawn Persaud)-tuned car had clocked 8.7s to take the championship, and Hopkinson has noted that with the new modification and works with the retained S&D Performance mechanics, he is excited to see the machine operate at its full potential.
During a telephone interview with Kaieteur Sport, ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson confirmed that the vehicle would be piloted by his son Denzel, who has had successes in GMR&SC Group Two and GT Motorsports Karting events.
As Team SI&C Inc prepares for this weekend’s races, Denzel will be at the track getting more acquainted with the car as the days diminish before the title defence on February 28th at the South Dakota Drag Strip, Timehri.
Equally exciting some may say, is that ‘Top Gun’ revealed that he may take to the track in the BM Soat Auto Sales 2020 Toyota Supra in a challenge against power houses Team Mohamed’s Lamborghini Aventador SVJ.
While sharing last week that the event would be live- streamed on eNetworks’ E1, SKAR TV (Channel 102), Tarzee TV in Bartica and the GMR&SC Facebook page, the club, in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines, would have a limited in-person audience. As such, tickets will go on sale tomorrow, and the prices are set at just $2000 for adults, $500 for young children, and $8000 for VIP.
Sponsors of this weekend’s drag meet include AR Jiwanram Printery, Associated Construction Services, BM SOAT Auto Sales, Cyril’s Transportation Services, Homeline Furnishing, Imran Auto Works, KFC, KGM Security, Land Star Drilling Company, MMD Hollow Blocks and Pavers, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Motor Trend Service Centre, Modern Building Solutions, Panko Steel Fabrication, Power Tech Sound Company, Prem’s Electrical, Ready Mix Concrete, Rush Energy Drink, Samaroo Investments Inc, Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc, STAG Beer, Trans Pacific Motor Spares & Auto Sales, Truck Master, UNICOM – United Commodities, West Coast Customs Washbay, Windjammer, First Class Auto Sales & Spares, Castrol Oil, and NAFICO.
