Mario James, Gleaner Writer

Paul Adjmul at his home on Morningside Drive on Monday, March 12. Adjmul lost control and collided with a concrete column at the Vernamfield drag race meet in Clarendon last year. Adjmul is bed-ridden, has voluntary control over his limbs, but due to the high levels of metal in his sytem, the healing process takes time. More surgeries still have to be done.- Photo by Mario James

Drag Racing is a great spectacle. However to jump and prance in this arena can come at a huge price. As reported in this publication on December 10, 2006, on the 3rd of December, Paul Adjmul's AE88 Corolla veered off track at Vernamfield, Clarendon at over 80 mph and into the annals of infamy. His injuries read like a grocery list - he now has so much steel in his body that magnets probably stick to his legs. He loves his sport, but sometimes love is a one-way street.

Knowledge of the risks

Drivers at any sanctioned event know the risks. These folks and their machines are the main draw at each and every event, yet they are made to pay for the 'privilege' of participation. Imagine saying to a Beenie Man or a Vybz Kartel that they would have to contribute to the promoters of Sting for the privilege of being a part of the world's greatest one night reggae show. If that idea sounds ludicrous to you, can you imagine you laying your million dollar machine and even your life on the line without insurance? FOR WHAT?

Paul Adjmul, and others like him step to the plate whenever the occasion arises for the glory of sport. It is a personal decision that promoters exploit. Last year's drag and drift-meet collected approximately $140,000 from drivers participation fees alone. More than 90 drivers were involved, and the driver's entrance fee was fifteen bills.

The promoter, The National Drag Racing Circuit (NDRC), is a limited liability entity and has an insurance rider provided by proxy as a satellite body of the Jamaica Millenium Motoring Club (JMMC) that covers the non-participant purveyors of the sport, i.e. the entrance fee-paying spectators. The drivers cannot be covered by a 'public liability' policy, according to informed sources. This is why a waiver has to be signed by all drivers. This protects the insurance carrier from 'participant' accident claims during an event. Drivers are the goose that lays the golden egg; why not protect the goose? Why not lobby for better insurance? After all, would there be a drag meet without drivers?

Protecting the Drivers

It's time that drivers realise that the sport has grown, and financial possibilities exist in the field if it is marketed properly. At this juncture, as most drivers have families, there must be something in place to mitigate the effects of bad luck. Qualified personnel that are capable of proper scrutinising should be in place to double check the equipment and make sure that it is safe. The rule book also has to be looked at to make sure that the rules provide a measure of safety for all involved.

Motor racing is a sport of triumph and tragedy. How many more people have to be hurt or even killed before the message gets across? It is an inherently dangerous sport, but the effects can be mitigated to a great extent by judicious planning and proper technical support. Mr. Adjmul is in effect a pioneer as possibly the first driver to be seriously injured at a sanctioned event. He is a living martyr to the sport, having spent well over a million dollars in doctor's fees and other medical bills and is still not on his feet.

The NDRC has made a contribution to his bills, and while the gesture was heartfelt, unbidden and unforced, it pales in comparison to the mountain of money that has been spent. It was only three our four weeks ago that the bedridden Mr Adjmul stopped hallucinating and was capable of intelligent conversation. Despite therapy, his legs are still useless, they painfully convulse, and he has to undergo the indignity of a urine bag.

The first drag race meet of the year, NDRC Drag Challenge #1, is due to kick off today. The ASR has been submitted, the I's dotted, and the T's crossed. But is it enough?