Mr Solo smokes US rival in Great Race

[Plex]

IT WAS deja vu yesterday as perennial powerboat champion Mr Solo won the Carib Beer sponsored Great Race, completing the course from Pier One in Trinidad to Store Bay, Tobago, in exactly 60 minutes to register its 17th win in the annual powerboat racing classic.

The United States-based Fury, which was the centre of much media hype and was being touted as the boat to beat Mr Solo, flattered to deceive and came in a distant 45 minutes behind the champion.

Both boats competed in the “M” category. “They bring the best to beat us, we beat the best. By simple deduction what does that make us? Only the best!” declared Gino Fusco, Mr Solo’s flamboyant navigator.

“When we see fresh ham, we smoke ’em! What’s the difference between an egg and Mr Solo? You can beat an egg but you can’t beat Mr Solo”, he quipped, during an interview with Newsday following their not unexpected triumph.

Crossing the finish line some 20 minutes after Mr Solo was Rage —operated by Riad Shakeer (driver), Steve Ghany (navigator) and Jeffery Simmons (navigator) — which competed in the “C” Class. Another “C” Class boat, Anabolic — with Jason Laing (driver) and Donald Webster (throttleman) at the controls — was next in line in a time of one hour, 22 minutes.

In the “A” Class, it was Intense Too (1hr 28 mins), White Heat (1hr 54 mins), and Cutting Edge (1hr 56 mins), respectively; while Esso Special FX topped the Sports 11 Class in a time of one hour, 35 minutes, followed by Candyman (1hr 36mins) and Dynamite Rite Formula (1hr 38mins).

TOY was in winners’ row in the Sports 1 Class in a time of one hour, 50 minutes, ahead of Mobil Motom (2hrs 22 mins) and Papi Chulo (3hrs 11mins).

Extreme Measures topped the “D” Class in three hours, 55 minutes, while Ken Mac (2hrs 59 mins) was ahead in the “P” Class.

Meanwhile, a comparatively small crowd, a far cry from what obtained in previous years, was on hand to witness this year’s edition of the popular event. The Great Race “following” continues to dwindle progressively at Store Bay. But this has in no way impacted on the giant street party that follows... and yesterday was no exception!

Newsday