I doubt Antigua will have any more International Events!!!

[jonty]

We the St. Lucia team have been trying to get our cars back for several months now and according to the last event organizers the goverment is refusing to allow our cars to return to St. Lucia.
With this Known to other countrys I doubt anyone will dare send there cars over to compete.

[Lucian_rider]

As another member of team St. Lucia this whole situation really sucks.

What makes me laugh is this link to a write up of the event:

http://www.gofastnews.com/board/even...automania.html

He is asking for comments and so far I can't post anything even though I have registered. However as soon as the system lets me, you can be sure I will have something to say.

I'm sorry that this is putting a bad light on the whole of the Antiguan drag racing community but it might take action by all members before something happens and we can get the cars back...

As for future events...well it would take another act of parliament before we would venture off island again.

[Michael]

Don't blame the local Drag Racing community. Blame the organisers of this event. I'm sure some of you guys knew of the problems we, the local racers, had with them leading up to this event.

As a matter of fact, here's two links:

http://antiguastreetz.com/forums/rac...s-meeting.html

http://antiguastreetz.com/forums/rac...ust-event.html

To be honest with you, I highly doubt this situation has anything to do with the government. This is not the first international event we've had here.

[Kodie]

I am laying out my input on the situation.

The question we want to ask you is how can we assist? What is it that really went wrong? We do have persons here that can assist once there is the necessary feedback from you guys and i mean everyone that is feeling the effect. Thats what the forums are for, to connect the caribbean as one voice.

We need to make this virtually clear and almost extremely clear that there are more than one promotion companies around Antigua that deals with drag racing on an International level and i can't recall that every single one created the problems you guys are now experiencing.

It is really sad as i was earlier advised of the situation but could only be a sitting duck til i got more info on what is really happening. I mean anything from what was the deal first hand to come over here to race? What was the arrangement in terms of hotels, rentals, shipping, trucking of containers and all that. Then whats your current position and what has been done and delivered and what is still waving in the balance and we can assist from there on. Plus try and get to the other islands and lets get some feedback as to the adverse effects as soon as possible!!!!

Jonty am really sorry bout that and Daniel as well too, i was hoping that when i got down there you guys would already be on street.

The key player on the forums here on Antigua Streetz would be Michael (President of Team P.M.O.) he can relate and relay the necessary information as he was once an acting member on our deceased drag racing authority.

Antigua Streetz is all we have that keeps us together and for us to not have no fun because you guys have been dealt a bad hand from a promotor or promotion company would be really drastic on our drag racing development here in ANU so we say to you please assist us in assisting you!!!!

[damussi]

i strongly agree with michael the organizers are at fault as they a responsible for the shipping we have had other cars form different countries with the help of the government and all the cars have been returned without any problems make sure when u lay the blame direct to the right individuals

[Honda]

As an antiguan racer I am very upset with the situation I am reading about today. I want to say from the street racers to all the St. Lucian guys we are very very sorry.

As you all know we had big protest against the last organizers who had the last two events here and it seems like their bad ways are spreading beyond the antiguan racers and now affecting Caribbean racers.

I am trying to get as much information as I can about this situation. I am hearing a situation where the organizers are trying to put the blame on the government and if this is so I strongly doupth that is the case. I personally saw the organizers denying something on tape that they said in one of their meetings and this gives me more than enough reason not to trust these guys.

I though it was just the local guys getting the hit but I had no idea the overseas cars and crew were feeling it too.

We here from Antigua Streetz we be trying to see what we can do to help out because at the end of the day its a racing thing. Its just sad that a hand full of people can give a whole country such a bad name.

[Michael]

I think the organiser of the event is using the government as a scapegoat. This is not the first time these organisers have come under fire, but I notice that every few years when they resurface to put on a new event the name of the company has changed. I wonder why? Again, please don't lay the blame on the Antiguan Drag Racing Community. We had absolutely nothing to do with the organising or running of this event. Nor did this event have anything to do with the regular organiser or racing here. This private organisation only puts on an event once every year or once every two years. As a matter of fact, their last event was not held here but in Grenada. And at that time, they were operating under a different name.

[Lucian_rider]

Please don't think that we are blaming the drag racing community as we know that none of you are to blame. So far there is no actual name calling but obviously the event promoters are the ones that have to clear the air and so far we are under the impression that they are trying to shift blame to a third party (the government).

Supposedly a representative from Trinidad might be flying up to Antigua today to try and sort this problem out. Unfortunately we seem to be a bit in the dark as to what the situation is with the other islands but we are trying to shed some light on the situation.

Again I have nothing but praise for how we were treated by the Antiguan racers and hope that this situation gets sorted out soon.

Regards,

Chris

[Michael]

Honestly, I really can't see how this can be a government issue, unless they are trying to get Port charges waived and save money, or they didn't have their paperwork in place.

This is not the first international event we've had here. We've been having international events here since 2000 (at least 3 to 4 per year) and this is the first time that I've ever heard about the government not allowing the visiting cars to leave. Mind you, this is only the third one put on here the this promoter. We've never had any problems with other organisers.

[Michael]

But what you guys need to do is get all the info you can and get it to us and we will see what we can do to assist you. If its a case that we might need to approach the government for assistance, then we're going to need everything you have documented to show them.

I am willing to assist however I can.