Sheldon Bissesar: The Fastest Man in Trinidad

Sheldon Bissesar is drag racer based in the Caribbean, but he made name and fame in the US putting down some significant records on the strips. Now he has returned to Trinidad and Tobago to kick-start the local racing culture. We wanted to know some more about his time drag racing, so we caught up with him through Motul in the Caribbean! 

Sheldon, you’ve done quite a lot in your career. When did it all kick off? 

I got started back in 1987 and I would race everything I could get my hands on. I started out racing simple four-cylinder cars, tried some rally racing, but I quickly discovered that my heart belonged to drag racing. So slowly but surely, I started upgrading my cars and built or bought myself some faster machines. Then, in the late 2000s, I went to the US to prove myself in the home of drag racing. 

You’re from Trinidad and Tobago. What’s the local racing scene like there? 

Motorsport in Trinidad and Tobago is very diverse. There’s a lot of open forest space, so there are a lot of rallies, but the circuit facilities and options for drag racing are pretty limited. But I’m now working with the Trinidad and Tobago Automobile Sports organisation and we’re doing our best to improve the sport and facilities. 

What’s it like taking your machine and racing it in the stages in the home of drag racing? 

It’s a very popular sport over there and the scene is really competitive, so I wanted to prove myself against the best in the world. I’m super proud of my accomplishments and the records that I’ve broken, some of which are still standing today. 

And what about your car? What kind of car are you racing now? 

It’s called a top dragster. It’s a car that was designed with just one goal in mind: go as fast you can in a straight line. It’s powered by a 526 cubic inch Hemi V8 running on alcohol, and injected with a shot of nitrous it will produce a healthy 2500bhp. Good enough to propel me a quarter of a mile in 5.793 seconds, reaching a hefty 238.6 mph (383.98km/h) 

You’re back home in Trinidad now to promote racing there. How are you doing this? 

I’m known as the fastest man in Trinidad and together with the TTASA I’m trying to improve local tracks and facilities, as well as encouraging and mentoring young racers. There is a lot of work to be done here in Trinidad, especially when it comes to safety. I want to make the races, bigger, faster and safer. 

What’s your ultimate ambition? 

I’d love to go back to the US, but racing at that level takes an immense budget which is not so easy to find. One of the most important goals I’ve set myself is reaching 240mph here in Trinidad. I’ve got the machine to do it but we need a facility that will allow us to do that safely. That would be the ultimate achievement for me personally.