As told exclusively to

Thanks to our major sponsor Gold RV whose web site you can find at www.goldrv.co.uk. If you have a question for Derek or the team or if you would like to send a message of support then please E-Mail us at derekflynn@eurodragster.com.

Monday 15th February: First championship trophy.

Hi again, I know it’s been ages since my last blog, sorry about that, but not too much has been going on racing-wise for us.

It was great to catch up with so many of my drag race friends at the dinner dance the other night and it was really neat to pick up the Santa Pod Top Methanol Championship trophy, our first Championship. I would just like to say thanks and well done to all the Go Gold Crew, it is very much a team effort and I really appreciate all the hard work the whole team puts in, also a big thanks to Jim Rizzoli and Larry Miersch, without whom none of what we have achieved would have been possible. The trophies we have picked up with the A fueler since we first campaigned it at the Euro Finals 2008 speak for themselves and it is has been great dusting them off over the winter months and remembering the events.

It was good to see Krister Johansson and his team at the dinner dance too and so cool that his achievements and dedication to our sport was recognized with his entry into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame. I am so pleased to be racing with Krister, a brilliant machinist, a living legend and a true sportsman, it was definitely seeing, feeling and hearing his car that helped to persuade us to go A Fuel, and now we have I appreciate even more what he has achieved, these A Fuelers are not easy and he has pioneered the way since the ‘70s, often making the parts that were needed, not buying them off the shelf like we can today, well done Krister.

We had not touched the car since holing the block and winning the Santa Pod Championship, until recently, when Steve Wright (thanks mate) and myself removed the engine and stripped it all down. It was not a pretty sight and I must admit it was a little depressing. Oh well, that’s racing and no use crying over spilt milk as they say, although we do need to learn from our mistakes and damages and it looks like we have had an oiling issue with the block since Germany.

I have been working with both Larry & Jim to secure a replacement block and rotating assemblies. We are taking the opportunity to make a few changes to our current set-up which will hopefully keep us in the hunt, and I am pleased to say it is all well underway. The BAE billet block has just come back from Brad Andersons after getting a once over and the lifter bores made bigger to take our larger Top Fuel lifters. Our spare heads have also had a make over at Brad’s and we hope to ship all our parts back in March, when the team will be able to complete the rebuild and hopefully we will be sniffing nitro again soon. I can’t wait….

I have also been working on trying to raise additional sponsorship that will allow us to do the whole European tour again. We ended the 2009 year in fifth place out of eleven cars, so not too bad especially when you consider this was our first full year with the new car and how much everyone has stepped up in the TMD ranks, and I think that TMD 2009 was one of the most competitive and exciting fields ever! It looks like it is going to continue in 2010 too.

Thanks for reading and I will catch you again soon.

Photo of Derek courtesy and ©:Sharkman