Drag racing to become an official sport in the BVI, gov’t to begin search for designated area
Government is planning to turn drag racing into an official sport in the British Virgin Islands and will begin its search for a designated area where the motorsport can be done freely.
Premier Andrew Fahie gave that indication this week while delivering his Budget Address for the 2020 financial year.
“Many people in the territory are fans of drag racing but it is unsafe for this pastime to take place on our public roads,” the Premier stated.
“Within the next week, we will call a public forum with all our youth and interested persons to turn this into a sport of safety and fun, as it has the potential — if conducted in a responsible manner — to generate employment opportunities and attract revenues,” he further said.
Premier Fahie also said his administration will be conducting conversations regarding the most suitable area in the territory to place the sport.
“We will discuss sites where government land is available and turn our fears into opportunities,” the Premier said.
He added that facilitating this new sporting discipline in the territory can be added to the existing list of tourism products to be offered by the BVI.
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This is a good move.
“My take” bet you change your mind if they want to put it next to where you live.
At nights people living in Great Mountain can’t sleep with the loud not coming from those blinking scooters and cars holding down and smoking out the place? Is this such a good move?
Who would want this next to their property ? Hope it is in D1 next to the Premiers residence!
Very green policy decision
My government wuking. Vote VIP!!!!!
I telling yuh mehson how u going get them from outa there leh we go vip
Noisy, not green, not something I would want to be near.
HOW DOES THIS FIT IN WITH THE GREEN AND HIGH END TOURISM MODEL FAHIE?
It fits in with votes .
kept on Tola it fits the tourisim product perfectly as Tola is already a shithole
vg might have more space for this
We have scooter drag racing here everyday. How is that working out?
This is excellent. Anything to cull the population Can’t fix stupid but you can get rid of it. Don’t forget about allowing larger and more powerful motor bikes. Keep it up!!! The fewer Belongers the better
You should stand in the way one day to test the effectiveness?…. I know you miss having your fam to yourself..
Sound so stupid,you are one who cringe at the word, ^Belonger• Yes and that will include the thousands of foreigners who have been receiving status for decades so your family can line up first to test the effectiveness!
Best post in a while LOL! Good to see the Government has its priorities right! Durrr,,,,
Put it in District one
I don’t support this move. It will likely result in more indiscipline and recklessness on our roads.
That built up hype on the track will find it’s way right unto our less than ideal roadways.
I have seen it elsewhere.
Coxheath way up in the bottom, at the back of beef island facing virgin gorda, pariquita bay way up in the bottom or the land between long bay beach and the airport are interesting areas to look at
1 – private land
2 – private land
3 – private land
4 – protected wetland
Madness!
How about finding designated areas for agriculture on a large scale so that we can stop importing goods that we can produce here. Its about time!!!
Back with this nonsense again people here in this place cant drive on a regular and this bs ayo proposing
The same group who conducted the study a few years ago is set out to make more money again
Motor sports are polluting and noisy and have zero cultural tradition here. Never met a single person in over 10 years of living here express any interest in them (NBA yes, cricket yes, athletics yes, but never ever motor sports). The level of obesity in the schools is absolutely shameful and government would be much better promoting an active lifestyle to our youth. Diabetes and obesity related illnesses are going to wipe out the local population, before the “island people” swamp them out. Please fund our basketball pitches, playgrounds (West End playground and Carrot Bay are in ruins) and other activities that will get kids moving.
The govt in this banana republic just gets dumber by the Ed moment. Next thing you know they be giving the natives plastic fruit to wear on they heads and a bone to put through their nose so they can wear grass skirts at the cruise pier and dance for the tourists.
Maybe hand out condoms to the Spanish bar clientele.
Why is this on the government agenda? If a group of people who are rich enough to burn high octane and buy fancy cars want to buy a piece of land and apply for a licence that’s one thing but government keeps getting burnt in areas it has no right to spend taxpayer money (Prospect Reef, Horse track…)
The government shelled out $40,000+ for a so-called study into drag racing’s feasibility some ten years ago, but never received the report (likewise never paid the balance due, fortunately). Somebody’s already made a cool $40K out of this folly!
Its sad to see the ignorance of so many manifest itself as negativity.
Opinion is the middle ground between knowledge and ignorance.
This drag racing, betting, mixed with alcohol and drugs are like accidents waiting to happen
I am wondering is the government going to provide the track or a private person or persons going to get a licence to provide it? I would really like to know.
THIS WILL HAVE MORE SPECTATORS THAN ALL OTHER SPORTS COMBINED IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
These bloggers behaving like those who were laughing at noah
Drag my azz through the pot holes in the road and over the bumps and gullies the heavy trucks make. Fix the school, NHI, ports of entry, pay the musicians at the pier and along of other important things. And ag forget, the medical we in the west and USVI swallowing daily. A penny for your thoughts
Like it or not drag racing has been happening since the early 90’s at Beef Island. Not many accidents at all. The closest to danger was only when the police showed up and forced spectators to make a quick exit with little care for caution. It’s not my cup of tea anymore but not as bad as the majority of people that are commenting.
You have a very short memory. I remember the young man who lost his leg at the thigh and bled out on the pavement because all his so-called friends abandoned him when they saw the leg on the road. I’m sure there were more less serious injuries.
Let’s face reality. The VI is a small locale of 59 square miles spread over 36 islands; and it is mostly hilly terrain. As such, though some in the BVI may have the desire to do things that are done in big countries, its small size place limits on it. It must adapt and do things commensurate with its size and geography/relief. On what flat acreage will the drag strip be placed? Is drag racing now a national priority? Should not the national priority(s) be healthcare, education, public safety, economy, infrastructure…….etc.
@Diaspora, real talk. These priorities are in sequential order.
Fix the current roads and pot holes
Clean up toxic pockwood
Finish rebuilding from Irma
There are so many other things that need focus
Other countries use smart cars and have banned plastic
We are going high octane and encouraging it?
Imagine all the scooter riders with their souped up cars warming up their tires on the way to the race..
As if we didn’t already have enough pedestrian accidents in our country already
What a joke this administration is…
Another step backwards
Foolish.
If you put on your glasses all of the things that you mentioned as priorities were addressed to some degree.
Another increase in the accounts of the elected.
The best and only place we have got for this is the RUNWAY !
Let’s start small and use what we have at the moment- night time races of course – but as we attract more visitors – we can always expand the track out into the sea. This kind of double use infrastructure is economical and smart.
All well and good until an engine detonates leaving Oil on the runway…. Wouldn’t like to see a plane land on a strip with contaminated asphalt
This is great idea honestly. It would be nice that they could find a good location and especially if the track could be one of the biggest and best track in the Caribbean. That would put the bvi on the map where regional racers even international racers would be interested in coming to the bvi. That would open more youths to the field of mechanic. This idea would definitely help our tourism industry as it would open more people that have a interest drag race to our islands. There would have to be some rules in place but I’m this is a great idea. I hope I could see the progress start in 2020. Great idea Hon. Fahie. Time to grow out of these old and boring things that aren’t getting us any attention. Time to grow.
When this preposterous idea was brought up almost ten years ago, the first thing I, and many friends and acquaintances, thought was; “let’s get the new hospital open first [the hospital was nowhere near being opened at the time this idea was first mentioned to the public] and make darn sure the new hospital has a well-equipped trauma center up and running!!!” The only place on Tortola with a long enough “straightaway” to actually facilitate drag racing is at the airport. This means the road would have to be closed and the races would have to start after the last flight each night has landed, cleared Immigration and Customs, and all passengers have left the airport facility. But wouldn’t that then prevent the employees of the airport, as well as anyone dining or just enjoying an evening in Trellis Bay, from being able to drive (SAFELY!) on the only road out of the airport/Trellis area to return home after their shift at the airport or an evening at Trellis Bay? According to this article, Hon. Fahie stated in an announcement during the budget address at the House of Assembly on 19 November that “within the next week, we will call a public forum with all our youth and interested persons to turn this into a sport of safety and fun” – let me comment here that our “youth” cannot participate in the actual races unless they possess a valid driver’s license!!! These “youths” would only be able to participate as spectators. And Hon. Fahie continues by saying “it has the potential, if conducted in a responsible manner, to generate employment opportunities and attract revenues.” I am VERY curious about this statement – generate employment??? For whom?? The girls who drop the flag to start the race?? Attract revenues?? For whom? The food vendors who choose to attend? – but I cannot think of any other revenues! I am seriously asking Hon. Fahie to specify the employment that will be generated and the revenues that will be attracted. I am truly baffled. I am honestly not being sarcastic or disrespectful when I ask these questions. I am genuinely asking for an explanation (and the justification) of this concept. I hope I am not alone in my thought process! Thank you.
You would be surprise at the number of jobs this sport would create.
You could not see it because you have pre-determined that this is not an alternative to getting the young males from using the public roadways as the track for drag racing and scooter bike racing.
There would be a renewed interest in the following:
New entrepreneurs that are young who would be starting up the various business to provide the goods and services below,
auto mechanics for cars and scooters,
customer service clerks for fixing tires, airing up tires, washing down cars,
graphic designers for cars and scooters,
painters for cars and scooters,
customer service clerks at the new and existing retail stores that would sell auto parts and services.
These vehicles are here to stay and are not going any where. We have to deal with the obvious and FIND A SOLUTION.
The area that is Crown Land below the R & R Malone Complex or the Cox Heath area. The first one is better because it is larger and opportunity to reclaim more land and it is already an industrial zone.
Way to go Premier for being brave and coming up with a solution to a real problem and not shunning away from it.
Wherever it goes, the property values of houses on the hills above it will plummet. It’s called the ‘ampitheatre effect’, meaning that sound is amplified as it funnels up the hills. This is a no-win idea.
Stop this madness! What foolishness!
You all don’t understand how noisy this sport is. Everyone on Tortola will be able to hear it everywhere.