Viva Juarbe! Puerto Rican team wins for second consecutive year

Words and photos by Jeff Burk

If you are a fan of fast drag cars, especially fast cars with doors, and you weren’t at Orlando Speed World Dragway for the World Sport Compact Challenge Oct. 26-28 you missed what might be considered by historians one of the best import doorslammer races in drag racing history. It will be considered historic if for no other reason that it had just one class and 118 entries trying to be one of the elite quick sixteen qualifiers.

Driver Jorge Juarbe (driving for car owner Carlos Ruiz) from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is no stranger to the Orlando winner’s circle. Mr Juarbe drove Ruiz’s turbocharged, straight-six powered ‘86 Toyota Corolla to the win for the second year in a row at Orlando Speed World Dragway’s annual Import car drag race.