Favourite Roger Mayers not racing today

One of the favourites for today’s Williams Digicel International Race meet, Roger Mayers, will not be competing.

 

Mayers, the older of the two brothers that make up the M&M Racing team, was slated to pilot the formidable Ford Focus this weekend in the same group as his brother Barry, who will be driving the Suzuki SX4, but his hopes all came crashing down a few days before the event.

 

In preparation for the event Roger had a new engine built for the Focus and as all good drivers and mechanics do they tested it before the race meet.

 

Speaking to the Barbados Advocate, Roger took a deep breath and with the side of his head rested in his hand he began to tell the tale of his mysterious problem that has caused him such grief.

 

“We fired up the engine for the first time on Thursday before the event and in the workshop we were doing some checks on the engine and we realised that when we revved the engine up high, around 7000 rpm, that after about eight seconds the engine loses its oil pressure very gradually.”

 

"Since Thursday night they had tried nonstop to get the problem rectified, but on Saturday morning, the day of qualifying, they still had not gotten the problem fixed and had “run out of things to try to fix it”.

 

“We have been in contact with the engine builder in the UK and he is also dumbfounded and he cannot believe it.

 

“On the Dyno in England and here is Barbados, if we use a short hose to pick the oil up the oil pressure is perfect. When it has to pick the oil up from the back it is a problem.

 

“We were up here doing testing (on Friday) and after about five laps the oil pressure got dangerously low, so we took the decision instead of damaging a brand new engine to sit out the race meet.”

 

But Roger will still be at the track as he is assisting his brother and was seen working on the SX4 before taking a break.

 

“We still have one M&M in and I am here in full support of Barry and to make sure that everything is perfect that he can do as good as he can.”