A dB (decibel) level competition, labelled a 'Drag Race' by organisers, was held yesterday August 3, 2014 in the Althea Scatliffe Primary School Grounds. This contest saw vehicle owners and enthusiasts going head to head for bragging rights as to who had the vehicle with the highest sound levels. Photo: VINO

The drag race was part of a larger car show called the Anthony ‘Big Red’ De Castro Classic Annual Car Show 2014. Photo: VINO

A large SUV on display during the car show yesterday August 3, 2014. Photo: VINO

Now that's a truck! Photo: VINO

It was all 'rims on spinners' at the car show. Photo: VINO

A pimped-out Hummer on display. Photo: VINO

An enthusiast checking out the Volkswagen Beetle. Photo: VINO

The judging panel for the dB Drag Race. Photo: VINO

Checking out this classic sports car. Photo: VINO

This car had a souped up engine. Photo: VINO

Another of the classics on display. Photo: VINO

A decked out truck on display. Photo: VINO

A Honda Civic on display. Photo: VINO

Lime Green and black. A good combination indeed. Photo: VINO

The competition which was labelled a sound level 'Drag Race' by the organisers was the main event of a car show called the Anthony ‘Big Red’ De Castro Classic Annual Car Show 2014.

Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online President of the BVI Motor Sports Association (BMSA) Roy M. Thomas explained what the event was all about.

“This is a new thing that we came up with for the 60th [Festival]. We call it dB Drag Race. It is a different thing to what the guys are accustomed to. They are testing SPL (sound pressure level). Some of the guys are testing SQL (sound quality level),” said Thomas.

“What they are doing now is called a bass race. It started off with different competitors coming together and at the end of that the competitors will be categorized and the judges will eliminate. It is like a boxing match…they call is dB boxing,” he said.

He said that for testing SQL the judges will place a device in the vehicle to measure the sound level, “It is a new thing to some of the guys. Some of them are not accustomed to playing their music for so long but they are kind of getting to like it,” he said.

He said too that not all of the vehicles in the ground were there for the dB contest as some of them were for display only. “The vehicles closest to the fence are exhibition vehicles. Them we have the show vehicles doing show and shine. Then we have some vehicles doing show and sounds,” Thomas said.

According to Thomas, there were participants not only from the Virgin Islands but also from the US Virgin Islands.

The cars on exhibition ranged widely from classic models to modern day behemoths such as the Hummer and other trucks, many of them customized with aftermarket accessories.

The show also featured some cars with small high revving engines that sounded like superbikes, leading one man to joke that the Police might come running over when they hear the sound of the car revving, a reference to the fact that bikes over 150 cc are banned in the Territory.

The event saw a large turnout of diverse persons, not only car enthusiasts but families with small children. Everyone had something these to catch their interest.

Up to post time the final results were not available for the winners in the various categories.