Team Mohamed’s again!: Mohamed’s Pro-Mod shatters track record hours after Trini reset

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes

Team Mohamed’s stamped their authority on Sunday, letting all and sundry know that South Dakota is their turf, and theirs only.
The occasion was the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club’s (GMR&SC’s) International Drag Racing meet, and when Team Mohamed’s 1320 strip record was troubled by foreigners on the previous day during qualifying, the entity went out with a vengeance on Sunday.

Steered by Clint Satterfield, Mohamed’s Pro-Mod car raced to 7.036s on Sunday morning, resetting the track record less than 24 hours after the visiting Trinidadian team had shattered the previous record, which was also held by Team Mohamed’s.
On Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Sheldon Bissessar, commanding his Spritzer Dragster rail car, clocked 7.208s, bettering the Team Mohamed’s GTR Goliath’s record of 7.501s, under the watchful eye of Terrence Cox.
In spite of the early excitement on the track, incessant rainfall punctuated what would have been a day filled with thrills, burnouts and lots of speed. After the rain had persisted into the afternoon hours, the skies finally cleared and the 16-second class weathered the slippery track to get the action going again.

The 15- and 16-second classes got in a few sprints before the rain could rear its ugly head again, daunting the spirits of the other class competitors and those who hoped to witness a final showdown between the ‘big cars’.
As sunshine continued to evade the South Dakota Track, organizers had no other choice than to attempt the 14-, 13-, 12- and 11-second classes, which were reportedly completed.
It was the battle of the principals, as Team Mohammed’s Azruddin Mohamed and Trinidad a Tobago’s Sheldon Bissessar were locked in deliberations with their team members on whether or not they should take one final go at the track; however, Mohammed backed out. The assumption was that Mohammed’s did not rate the track good enough to race such a fast car after such heavy rainfall, as was made evident by Team Mohamed’s Satterfield’s gestures following what would be the final race of the day.
However, the Trinbagonian camp was up to the task.
First Kervin Ribeiro tested the track and presumably saw it fit to break the 7.036s record that Mohamed’s Pro-Mod had set earlier in the day.
Although the GMR&SC preached about the need for spectators to refrain from flocking the starting point, their pleas went largely unheard. The anticipation for witnessing a possible record-breaking run brought droves of spectators to the starting point, making it difficult for even officials to get a good glimpse of proceedings.
Eventually, it was all eyes on Ribeiro, but fate would not have it. Ribeiro, in his actual attempt at the record slid across to the right lane of the track approximately 50 metres out, toppled, and turned turtle dangerously close to the fence behind which spectators oohed and aahed at his misfortune.

As one would expect, the mishap brought the curtains down on the day’s races, leaving spectators thirsting for more.