The Tribune

OUT on a lonely stretch of tarmac hidden from view by a long concrete barrier that runs for blocks with no real apparent purpose is a Bahamian boy or a girl with a dream – to become the next Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton, for anyone who does not follow motor sport but believes in dreams, is the first black driver to hold the title of reigning champion of the world’s fastest race cars, Formula 1. British-born and now knighted by the Queen, he was so poor as a child his father worked four jobs to support his son’s love of karting and later race cars. Hamilton was 10 when he won his first kart race. Today at 37, he’s won the world title in Formula 1 racing seven times.

It’s the vision of Hamilton that fuels the dream on this steamy hot afternoon at this strip of roadway-turned-race track in Oakes Field.

Here, for the last two weeks, nearly 20 juniors ages 11-14 have been eagerly listening to safety instructions and devouring tips from the pros before suiting up in fire-resistant gear from head to toe.

One at a time, taking their turn getting ready for the run where the stopwatch monitors every split second, they lower themselves into one of two new sparkling bright red and black karts, strap themselves in, buckle up and then it’s pedal to the metal in the powerful speed machines.

They shoot off on a course that takes them some 200 yards, around and back, and again, weaving in and around cones, obstacles forcing focus.

It’s the same slalom course, or as close to it as they could get, as one, two or possibly up to five Bahamians might compete on if they make it to the Olympics of kart racing, part of the FIA Motor Sport Games in Marseille, France in late October.

All of this activity, this love, this chasing the Lewis Hamilton dream, is possible because of a combination of generous Bahamians and three ex-pats who, together, have given so much. It began when Bahamas Speed Week Revival came to Nassau and though Speed Week has not been held now for several years, karting stuck. There have been summer camps, edu-karting at schools, and during Road Safety Week, opportunities for hundreds of Bahamians to climb into a kart-like simulator and experience the feel of speed and the virtual horror of crashing. For police who have seen too many mangled bodies, the contributions of virtual reality accident avoidance tactics are priceless.

But karting was nearly brought to its knees when the old karts were tired and worn out, the pandemic struck and even though the sport teaches valuable life lessons, it somehow felt, like maybe it was not as important as putting food on the table of those who were hungry.

Yet, there were the believers who did not think one thing cancelled out another. Paolo Garzaroli, for instance, who with the family business of Graycliff, assisted Mario Carey in feeding thousands through Pasta Fridays, devised an adopt-a-kart programme and ran it past friends. He adopted a kart. So did Mario. That’s where these two karts came from. They’ve signed up for 10, four are funded. Alan Burrows, Tropix Air Charters, flew them over without charge. Government granted Customs duty waivers. The Royal Bahamas Police and Defense Forces have provided ongoing support in security and storage. The Bahamas Hot Rod Association shares the use of the course except on Sundays. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Transport have both provided assistance and space for edu-karting.

Former race car driver and now classic car event executive and FIA Director for The Bahamas and Caribbean David McLaughlin (Bahamas Speed Week Revival) pulled together a team. He paid for the gear the kids wear out of his own pocket.

Henry and Cam, two Brits, give up their vacation time every year to come out and run the karting camp. Cam’s a delivery driver; Henry is a well-known kart racing and motor sports commentator.

It was Henry who ran up to McLaughlin the other day, almost the end of this summer camp.

“Come, come, look, you won’t believe this!” he shouted above the roar of the engines. “We have so much talent here. The next Lewis Hamilton could be right here. I can’t believe what I am seeing in these kids.”

(If you doubt Henry, watch the future of Formula 1. He’s picked George Russell to succeed Hamilton with Lando Norris close behind and he did it before anyone else).

Back to Nassau. “You can’t teach what some of these kids have,” says McLaughlin. “You can teach them rules, you can teach them how to drive, what to watch out for, you can even teach them to increase focus which is really important but when it comes to what makes a champion, that has to be natural. It’s balance and focus and everything all put together and that’s something you are born with and we see it right here.”

There is something else, he said, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist track star Pauline Davis drilled it into them when she stopped by to see the extraordinary talent for herself this week.

“No matter where you come from, like me, I came from Bain Town.

“No matter where you come from, you gotta believe in yourself. It’s never where you start. It’s always how you finish the race. Believe, believe, believe in yourself.”

Tomorrow morning, August 20, are the finals, a competition in which everyone wins and one, possibly two or more may just get to wear the Bahamian colours in Marseille if enough money is raised and another Lewis Hamilton emerges from the least likely surroundings, a lonely stretch of tarmac blocked from view by a long concrete wall.