Answer from Bissessar : We definitely thought the new Nitro Jam format was a success.  At the end of the day, it was a high energy, entertaining event, and that's what it is all about.  As a driver, I was excited to be racing in front of such a spectacular crowd.  As businessmen, we understand that it is necessary for a business to change up their format and strategies time to time in order to continue to be successful.  IHRA is providing a program for the racers that can only exist with growth as a business, and that means spectators.  We appreciate IHRA's continued efforts to provide us a competitive racing format with an impacting crowd.  And in our book, the Palm Beach Raceway and IHRA provided a definate crowd pleaser.
 
2)  Question to Bissessar :  What did you like best about it?

Answer from Bissessar :  Its no easy task running as hard as we did for the new format with the type of racing we are doing.   But again, at the end of the day, it proved to be exciting and entertaining, adding a twist of drama to the event that is typically drug out over a longer period of time.  We like to race and race hard....which is exactly what we got!  You have to come with your game face, ready to battle, and the new compacted format definitely brought back a competitive edge to the event.
 
3)  Question to Bissessar :     What did you think when you heard IHRA was adding the Elite 8 program?

Answer from Bissessar :  Thrilled! Aaron called and said - well it looks like we get to go race somewhere after all. Over the years quick 8 racing has for one reason or another become a dying program, leaving a void in racing for a lot of teams like us.  It was a perfect fit for Aaron and myself; our specialty type of racing!  We were basically in limbo at the end of 2009 trying to decide what kind of program of racing we would pursue for 2010.  At first we were considering goingTAD racing over at NHRA, but as soon as we saw the press release on the Elite 8 we were hooked.  We knew it would be a hit and a growing aspect of IHRA that we definitely wanted to participate in.
 
4)  Question to Bissessar :     What did it mean to you to win the first Elite 8 event in Top Dragster?

Answer from Bissessar :   Winning is great, but when you can do it with friends, family and a great crew by your side, and to know that all the decisions you made along the way were right, just makes it that much better!  I may be known back home as the fastest man in Trinidad, but to win the first Elite 8 IHRA event and set the new Top Dragster world record at the season opener with my tuner Aaron Sipple, it was definitely the highlight thus far of my racing career!  We reached two huge personal and professional goals at the Palm Beach race.  I am up for the Sportsman of the Year award in Trinidad against some of the finest athletes, and this national win will be of great impact.
 
5) Question to Bissessar :      Talk about your weekend, I know it was a long one with some of the problems you had on Saturday?

Answer from Bissessar :   We kicked off 1st round qualifying Friday night with an off the trailer 3.75 eighth mile / 5.80 quarter mile run at 238mph thanks to the ASE/IRONMAN Chassis tune-up of Aaron Sipple. Everything was looking great, especially since this was only our third quarter mile pass with this combination.  Second round brought about the drama when the reverser locked up during the burnout.  Back in the pits, Aaron discovered it was a result of a busted gear in the CS2 reverser. It's the simple parts that always get you!  Luckily, Tom Wirth, a local Florida racer and another customer of Aaron's, was on hand and able to help us locate another local racer, Larry Clark who generously offered transmission parts for our use.  Of course at first we were unsure of being able to make third round, but thanks to huge team efforts from the Partytime Racing Team, Tom Wirth and Larry Clark, Aaron was tightening down everything at the last minute while waiting in the staging lanes.    It was an intense turn around and yet we still ran a consistent 5.85, which speaks volumes for Aaron.  Ending the night winning the first round of Top Dragster Eliminations while resetting the world record for Top Dragster at a 5.79 was the icing on the cake!  We chose to sit out the Top Dragster 2nd round on Saturday in order to focus on the Elite 8.  Getting the transmission fixed and back together may have been a struggle and could have resulted in taking us out of the race, but the experience of it all just added to the weekend because it brought together a whole new group of people who were suddenly cheering us on.
 
6)  Question to Bissessar :     Did you prepare any differently knowing you would be running both events?

Answer from Bissessar :    No, the car has a safe tune up in it. It's the $5 dollar parts that scare us and that we know can uncontrollably break when you least expect it.  After the finals, the wheelie bar was broke and lying on the ground at top end.  And when Aaron was putting the burnout stop back on the car in the winner's circle he saw the throttle cable was bent funny and when he just barely touched and wiggled it, the cable fell in two.  Preparation is always a big part of it. That is why Aaron takes the car back to Kentucky and completely goes through the car and motor before and after each race to try and find the little things that will bite you on race day.  Even with all of that maintenance, things will still happen. You just hope it happens like it did for us, for the most part, after the finals!
 
7) Question to Bissessar :      Talk about all that power, I heard you put a lot of time and money into making this thing so fast.

Answer from Bissessar :    I only want the best, that is why we chose Aaron Sipple of ASE / IRONMAN Chassis to build my race car.  Aaron's motors make awesome power and he provides a very safe tune-up to the ever changing track and weather conditions. We can all have the same parts and pieces, but when it comes to applying untamed power, it takes Aaron to get the job done. I feel with a little time Aaron's research and development with his motors, transmission and rear-end combinations along with his newly in house developed converters that are proprietary to his shop will provide ET's and MPH in the future that will be mind blowing. So do I feel 5.50's are possible ?? you beat. We are already putting out the power to run mid to low 60's now, so as soon as we harness and clamp down on what we are throwing out the door due to old converter technology records will continue to fall, Soon -- very soon.   
 
8) Question to Bissessar :      What does it mean to you to have the title of world’s fastest sportsman?

Answer from Bissessar :    It means the "world" to us!  Not many people get to hold such a title, and its an honor to my home country of Trinidad where we do not have such venues for this kind of racing.
 
9)  Question to Bissessar :     You set a record and blew away the field at Palm Beach, how was that for you?

Answer from Bissessar :     We are always concentrating on taking things to a new level, but it will only take a race or two before Fast Eddie, Troy Stone, Jody Stroud and others will be hot on our heels.  Aaron and I have been together for about two years now and we are really starting to hit our stride together and make waves.  We were very happy with the steps we took in '09 and have had a great start to 2010, so it feels great!
 
10)   Question to Bissessar :  I have heard you plan on trying to run the entire schedule, is that true?

Answer from Bissessar :      If all the parts hold up we will be at as many as we can get to. As every racer knows a minor part failure can cause a huge setback.  But we hope to be a competitive factor to the inaugural season of the Elite 8.
 
11) Question to Bissessar :  How did you get involved in racing in your home country?

Answer from Bissessar :      I have always had a passion for speed.  My drag racing career began in 1987 at an old U.S. airstrip, with my first car being a used Ford Escort powered by a Ford Pinto 4 cylinder engine. It ran the ¼ mile in approximately 17 seconds and at the time this seemed really fast for me!  I went from car to car in an attempt to become faster and move into higher brackets. Legends like Joe Amato, Don “The Snake” Preudhomme and Eddie Hill were my inspiration, and I decided that I wanted to drive a dragster.

Aaron took the car to his shop, back-halfed, front-halfed and re-caged the car totally re-working it for the look and competitive edge he knew I wanted. He built the motor and the entire car. So as you can probably tell by now, Aaron Sipple and IRONMAN Chassis is truly the power behind this machine which we presently race. I have always been supported by my family, friends and local fans.  This type of racing is something few get to experience, and it is my pleasure to share it with them.  I must say thank you also to my sponsors PSTL, IRONMAN Chassis and Total Lubricants. Without them, this would not have been possible. 
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12) Question to Bissessar :  What made you want to race with the IHRA?

Answer from Bissessar :     The Elite 8 and IHRA is on a rebound, and we want to ride the comeback waves with them!  If the new format sticks, its going to turn into something really great.
 
13) Question to Bissessar :  Do you have anything else you want to say about Palm Beach or the rest of the 2010 season?

Answer from Bissessar :     The Palm Beach Raceway was a fantastic venue to add to the program, and we are excited about putting our name and team out there as a competitive factor for the 2010 season.  We hope the Elite 8 continues to be a growing and influential part of the IHRA schedule.  With that said, it would be nice if you have a proven 5 second car in the Elite 8 program to be able to park with the pros!  It would be a good incentive to have more cars running in the 5's.  To be able to interact with the fans more than what we did at the Palm Beach race, being parked at the end of the track, would mean a great deal to our operation.  Other than that, we were as happy as anyone could have been, and appreciated the wonderful international hospitality shown to us by IHRA and the West Palm Beach Raceway!  We'll see you in Baton Rouge!

 

 

Side Notes and accomplishments sence Bissessar / Sipple teamed up :

 

2008 First race Rockingham Bissessar / Sipple ran 5.82 on just the second 1/4 pass ever on the car.

 

2008 The very next race attanded Bissessar / Sipple won Outlaw Dragster at the Snowball National Dec. 2008 and in the semi finals ran the fastest pass ever by a legal Top Dragster running a 5.77 at 241 MPH

 

2009 Mountain Park Dragway Pro Top Outlaw race Bissessar / Sipple made it to the finals.

 

2009 The following race Bissessar / Sipple won the Norwalk Friday Night Chaos & was #1 Qualifier 3.82

 

2009 The following race Bissessar / Sipple won the last Pro Top Outlaw race of 2009 and set the Pro Top Outlaw record and London track record at a 3.77 1/8 mile

 

2009 The following race Bissessar / Sipple set the Norwalk Open Outlaw Dragster Record at a 3.77 1/8 mile in the semi's at Norwalks Halloween Classic making it to the finals of the largest sportsman race in the nation.

 

2010 The following race Bissessar / Sipple set a new IHRA National Record 5.79 1/4 mile @ 238 and won the first Elite 8 race in IHRA History.