Montserrat moves a step closer to having an official drag strip for local racers.
Recently, Minister of Communication and Works, Energy and Labour, Dr. Samuel Joseph, and Minister of Agriculture Land, Housing and the Environment, Crenston C. Buffonge participated in a meeting with members from the Montserrat Motor Sports Association MMSA, the Land Development Authority, and Land and Survey Department. The main goal was to review options for the proposed drag strip to facilitate drag racing in Montserrat.
Currently, drag racing takes place on a portion of the Cork Hill main road between the Cork Hill roundabout and Weekes access road. The Cork Hill main road is a major carriage way used for transporting sand and aggregate, and facilitates bus tours to Plymouth, and other areas south. The traffic in the area over the years, has caused deterioration of the road. As a result, the MMSA has resubmitted their proposal to improve the sport locally by seeking to build a strip.
An MMSA official noted that over the last several years, the racing body has shown that they have strong support from a wide cross-section of people in the community. The members of the group have enjoyed some success by travelling and winning in several classes of vehicle races in meets in the neighbouring islands of Nevis and Antigua. The time has come for the sport to take the next step, the group said. They believe a drag track will not only serve as support for local members but act as a catalyst for competitors to come and compete in Montserrat.
