Moore - nurturing kids in the fast lane

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Dwight Moore and son Sean. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

DWIGHT MOORE has been involved in the sport of racing for some 15 years now and boy does he love it!

After racing competitively for the last four years, Moore took a break from the track about a year and a half ago in order to take up duties as president of the Jamaica Karting Association (JKA). Having left office earlier this year, however, he made his return to the track about two months ago for the start of 2006 JKA season.

In addition to missing the competitive nature of racing, Moore admits that a big part of why he came back to the sport was to provide support for his two sons - Dominic and Sean. The concept of family is not completely alien to the sport of racing and even on the broader world stage, the torch is often passed from one generation to the next.

In Nascar we can think of Dale and Dale Earnhardt Jr., while locally names like Peter Moodie Sr., Peter Moodie Jr., Duncan and Timothy Stewart and Andrew and Joel Jackson come readily to mind.

Moore admits that this was a part of the attraction for him and in fact, the deciding factor in his return to the sport.

One-on-One recently caught up with the former president, to have a candid chat about the sport of motor racing and a few of its beneficial aspects.

QUESTION: How did you get involved in motor sports and how long have you been involved?

DWIGHT MOORE: I've been sponsoring racing for a long time because of my automotive business. It was a family event that I always attended with my children and it's a passion that we have developed over time. When my kids were getting older and I was getting busier, I recognised that there was a time coming when we would need to start bonding and racing was an excellent medium.

Question: You're a believer in the sport of motor racing promoting strong positive self-values on a whole. Explain.

DM: Yes. I believe it is an excellent training ground for young people who lack a lot of guidance, self-esteem and self confidence. A lot of kids these days only interact when they play video games and go on the Internet so they miss out on certain social skills.

Question: A part of the reason that you came back was to continue being a mentor for your own sons and the other youngsters on your eight-man team, how is that going?

DM: It's going great. One of my sons was out of racing for five months due to a lack of focus. He is back now and has been the top driver in two of his four races. With Dominic competing with drivers who are, on a whole, four years older than he is, the talent he is displaying is phenomenal.

Question: How has racing affected your sons in terms of their academic focus?

DM: Sean has always been more academically inclined but since we pulled Dominic out of racing a couple of months ago he has definitely started to come around. He has now recognised the importance of the sport and his academic performance has improved considerably. His vice-principal and teachers have commented on it and it is a part of the balance that we want to exemplify.

Question: How early do you think motor racing should be picked up?

DM: On the international scene people start racing as early as five years old. In Jamaica we have a number of racers that have started around that age that are racing quite credibly now.

Question: How much time do you spend on the track per week?

DM: We spend most of the time in the gym doing endurance work and reflex training. We have already mastered the course, the only things that change are weather, competition or the surface. We spend the least time on the track.

Question: What do you consider to be your most rewarding moment to date?

DM: My most rewarding moment is when my son won the championship in 2003, it was a dream come true. He liked to race from as early as two-three years old. To see him at 13 years old win the championship and set a number of records, proved to be a very triumphant and personal moment for me.