Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Apr 23, 2025

Drag racing facility reopens on St Croix, USVI

Drag racing facility reopens on St Croix, USVI

The long-dormant motorsport of drag racing on St Croix, US Virgin Islands (USVI), has left the mechanic shop five years after Hurricanes Irma and Maria damaged the St Croix Motorsports Complex in 2017, and Governor Albert A. Bryan Jr was the first to get behind the steering wheel of a car to participate in a race during a reopening ceremony Sunday, October 9, 2022.

The St Croix Motorsports Complex is located just off the airport road's east entrance, and though a race was held at the facility during the Labor Day weekend this year, Sunday's ceremony represented the official reopening, and races are expected to be scheduled moving forward.

The reopening was made possible through a combined push by the Caribbean Drag Racing Association, private partners, senators and the Bryan administration, and it provides another outlet for recreational activity on St Croix.

On Sunday, Senators Novelle A. Francis and Javan E. James, who were instrumental in pushing through a bill that funded the facility's reconstruction, were in attendance. Also present were Senators Kurt A. Vialet, Genevieve Whitaker, and Angel Bolques Jr.

Mr Francis reminisced on attending events at the drag racing facility first when he was a teenager, then later in service as a rescue volunteer, and even more recently as a police officer. It was only fitting, then, that the lawmaker provided indelible support to the facility's reopening as a public official in the business of making laws.

The veteran senator, who is serving his fourth term in the Senate, revealed that he had supported the motorsports complex's reconstruction with personal funds, and he apologized to his wife publicly, as Sunday was the first time she would have learned of it if she had been watching the live-streamed ceremony. "I'm sorry, honey, I had to support this endeavor and I wrote a check of $1,000 to support them," he admitted.

The St Croix Motorsports Complex is located just off the airport road's east entrance, and though a race was held at the facility during the Labor Day weekend this year, Sunday's ceremony represented the official reopening, and races are expected to be scheduled moving forward.


'I believe in the sport' Senator Novelle A. Francis


On a more serious note, Mr. Francis expressed not only his support but his confidence in the sport. "I believe in the concept, I believe in the recreation, I believe in the sport because it brought out a lot of our youngsters here in this community," Mr. Francis said. "This sport is one of those things from the cradle to the grave," he added, stating that drag racing attracts older individuals as well.

The bill sponsored by Senators Francis and James, which was approved by Governor Bryan, provided $500,000, much of which was used to fund the paving of the race track. Private support also came from firms such as Home Depot, St Croix Renaissance Park and VIGL.

Caribbean Drag Racing Association President attends opening


VI Department of Sports and Recreation Commissioner, Calvert White, has been actively involved in the facility's rebuild and reopening, and the department has provided ongoing assistance to that end. "The [Bryan] administration and the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation is committed to continuing our relationship" with the Caribbean Drag Racing Association, which manages the sporting activities and the facility, to ascertain that drag racing remains a mainstay on St Croix, the commissioner said.

Caribbean Drag Racing Association President Arthur Hector Sr also spoke at the event, detailing what he said was a "long, long road" that started after the devastating storms of 2017. Mr. Hector expressed gratitude to all those instrumental in making Sunday's reopening a reality.

Governor Bryan, who also spoke of his administration's support for the sport, was the first to participate in a race at the newly reopened facility, and the governor captured the race live on Facebook, garnering over 9,000 views at time of publishing.

Mr Bryan is seen with Mr White, the DSPR commissioner, getting inside the race car with the governor in the driver's seat while Mr White, the passenger, recording. Mr Bryan and Mr White were in a Ford Mustang, and the challenger was in a hatchback Honda.

"Wait, wait, wait! Okay, okay, okay! Wait, why this man going so fast!" the commissioner uttered as Mr Bryan accelerated down the stretch. Laughing, the governor said, "That was sweet."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
×