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30th June: Regular readers will have seen our plea for a reader to report from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, at which Don Garlits
and Ian King were appearing, on behalf of Eurodragster.com. We were very pleased and privileged to receive an offer from longtime photo-journalist Keith
Lee for whom it must have seemed a good idea at the time. Keith takes up the story:
Drag racers and Goodwood is such a brilliant concept, which really does work at this magnificent spectacle of motor sport. Seeing 'Big Daddy' appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed driving Swamp Rat 1 was something not to be missed for any fan of drag racing's top star of all time. Having followed the racing career of Don Garlits since watching him at Blackbushe in 1964, it was going to be quite something to get to chat to him again, and to see him light up the slicks on the fabled hill climb track. All was arranged for Saturday. Press pass sorted, and I arrived earlier than I have ever been for any event in my life - which did have the benefit of no queues! It was slightly surreal to walk past the stunning Mazda sculpture in front of Goodwood House as two employees mowed the grass, with not a single other person in sight, given the huge crowds about to descend on the venue. Unfortunately, with the enormous worldwide media interest in this event, there was no way I could get hold of a photo vest to cover the runs. Plan B was to to talk to the good people at US Automotive who were supporting Don at the event, and hitch a ride on their super push truck. No problem said Lynn, apart from one slight issue - Don's normally rock solid blown Chrysler motor had dropped a valve on the previous day's second run! 
So, no chance of seeing Don in action; and it seemed that the two drag racing entrants were jinxed, as Ian King failed to make a pass on Friday on the Gulf backed Puma bike. The King Racing crew were
baffled, as the bike seemed fine - but they did eventually trace the problem to an unexpected source. A young kid had sat on the bike at a recent show, and somehow kicked the linkage to upset the barrel
valve. Problem sorted - and Ian was able to put on a great show on Saturday, much to everyone's relief.
Don himself was blown away by the sheer scale of the event, which really does have to be seen to be believed. Being able to meet so many other stars of the motor racing world was pretty overwhelming for him - and that was before attending the evening's festive ball in the impressive house with fiancée Lisa! He was kept busy in the pits signing autographs for the many fans who turned up to meet the drag racing legend. The event programme featured a huge picture of the awful event where his slingshot was cut in half by a transmission explosion. Don has had a number of traumatic incidents over the years, including being badly burnt in Swamp Rat 1 back in 1959. He still has the passion though, and hopes to be back out in the electric car in the next month, once a new set of gears are completed, to clock that first six-second 200 mph run in an electric dragster. Not bad going for a man in his eighties. Things may not exactly have turned out as expected at this year's Goodwood event, but maybe that just means that he will have to come back for another bash at it event next year. Sounds like a good idea to me! ...mended with denture fixative. 
30th June: So, we left Big Daddy with a broken motor but our good friend Robin Jackson tells us that Don's legendary inventive streak
saved the day on Sunday:
Hark back to Friday afternoon and the man who prides himself on never breaking his engines... breaks his engine. Peering through a spark-plug port reveals a broken valve spring, a floating valve and a wrecked piston and cylinder head. There's no spare engine to hand so that's it, done for the weekend, and a massive disappointment. Come Sunday morning, Davie the USAutomotive mechanic says "Why don't we just take off the valve cover for a look around?" – largely for something to do, I think. And suddenly, out of the blue, Don hits Garlits-drive. "Heck! We can fix this. We'll run it on seven cylinders!". "Seven cylinders?", they all say. "You can't run it on seven cylinders." "Heck yeah! I've won Championships before now on seven cylinders!" So, as onlookers gather in throngs, a Garlits masterclass ensues. Out come the wrenches, cylinder head off, push-rods removed, valve out, intake port blocked using a Sprite can off-cut (!!) and denture fixative (Denture fixative??? – how on earth does one come by denture fixative on a Sunday morning in the FOS paddock?) and the job is done. Now to test-fire. Our borrowed batteries aren't strong enough to spin this ancient Vertex mag, but kindly Williams F1 wheels down one of its super-duper Grand Prix battery packs and bingo! The paddock is alive once again with the cackle of nitro. 
I mean no disrespect, but would Stirling or Jackie, Gurney, Bell or even Petty, faced with a broken motor, have cracked out the wrenches and jury-rigged a repair using Sprite cans and denture fixative
and their own, bare hands right there in the FOS paddock? And the story doesn't end there.
Down to the start line Sunday afternoon and the push-truck's starter motor jams. A Goodwood Range Rover is summoned with a tow rope and, against all the odds, Swamp Rat 1 fires up to deliver the final blast of the entire FOS weekend. If we'd known this was going to take place, we'd have called a film crew to record it. As it is, just the passing crowd witnessed the epic story. But we do have the photos to prove it. For Don Garlits, it was just another day at the races. We are eternally grateful to Lynn and Davie Marshall of USAutomotive, not only for their sheer exuberance throughout a hectic weekend but also for the loan of their beautiful '47 Chevy truck, which behaved with perfection at all times except for that brief start line hiatus on Sunday afternoon; to Gary Page and Laurie Bamford who aided so cheerfully on Friday and were gutted to have gone home before the great rebuild took place on Sunday; to Stu and Bev Bradbury for their calming, watchful and crowd-controlling presence; and to Wendy Baker and Paul Stubbings for the generous loan of their Time Warp starter equipment -- the batteries proved unsuited to Don's motor but, with Williams F1's kind help, the starter worked to perfection. SPRC Summernationals results. 29th June: Congratulations to the winners at the weekend's SPRC Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway: MSA Pro Modified: Kev Slyfield 6.5341/219.05 def. Bert Englefield 6.5562/221.44 Nostalgia Fuel Car Challenge: Tim Garlick 6.3894/220.26 def. Nick Davies 6.0818/215.87 DQ red light Comp Eliminator: Robin Orthodoxou (7.56) 7.2972/192.02 def. Kev Perkins (8.00) 7.5235/179.85 DQ red light Super Pro ET: Simon Gough (8.53) 8.5725/155.20 def. Rene Ehrismann (8.23) 8.2015/166.03 DQ breakout Pro ET: Tim Stanbury (9.52) 9.5257/142.01 def. Lee Huxley (9.65) 9.7101/126.97 Sportsman ET: Craig Wright (16.40) 16.4002/79.37 def. James Forster (18.50) 18.5404/72.49 Super Comp: Paul Watson 8.9155/157.98 def. Pete Creswell 8.8957/154.15 DQ breakout Super Gas: Stu Doignie 9.9143/148.65 def. Collin Morrice 9.9752/no speed DQ deep stage Super Street: Karen Stevens 10.9198/125.45 def. Matthew Seamarks 10.9336/117.45 Junior Dragster: Lottie Bradford (9.30) 9.3605/66.91 def. Saskia Fensome Jell (8.50) 8.7733/72.99 Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator: Mark Todd 7.5502/192.14 def. Stu Williams 7.6817/180.63 Outlaw Anglia: Cliff Griffin 8.2169/166.07 def. Colin Millar 8.1987/162.48 DQ red light Wild Bunch: Terry Clifford (8.90) 8.9287/146.77 def. Phil James (9.36) 9.4393/130.58 VW Sportsman: Ed Keech (14.40) 14.4895/89.57 def. Thomas Herbert (14.10) 14.3903/94.68 VW Pro: James Hodson (10.55) 10.6701/113.49 def. Phil Norman (12.45) 12.7938/100.49 Funny Bike: Bob Brooks 7.3561/178.50 def. Stu Crane 7.6941/169.81 Super Street Bike: Garry Bowe 7.1294/201.67 def. Chris Reed DQ 7.8182/178.52 red light Comp Bike: Kevin Osman 7.9131/178.55 def. Paul Hambidge 7.9354/170.47 8.50 Bike: Jay Roe 8.6331/139.91 def. Andy Haley 8.8419/154.15 9.50 Bike: Richard Sawatzki 9.6389/127.71 def. Steve Ashby 9.8054/136.87 Supertwin Top Gas: Chris Mott 9.3915/137.41 def. Scott Collier 9.8958/129.41 Supertwin ET: Phil Cordelle (10.60) 11.1407/118.85 bye, Steve Moor no show Junior Drag Bike: Liam Holgate (9.40) 9.4545/64.63 def. Stacey Reed (9.80) 9.7712/68.00 DQ breakout Subject to ratification the following records were set: Super Street Bike ET: 7.129 seconds, Garry Bowe Congratulations also to Sportsman ET runner-up Craig Wright who won the Eurodragster.com / Gold RV Perfect ET Award with a 16.400 on a 16.40 dial-in in the final round. The Perfect ET Award has been reset to £50 for Bug Jam whilst the Eurodragster.com / Bad Habit Racing Perfect Light Award has been increased to £75 for Bug Jam after going unclaimed this weekend. After a beautiful day on Saturday, yesterday opened with heavy rain and eliminations did not start until lunchtime. However the event was completed due to yet another titanic effort by track crew, race officials and racers. You can check out our John Woolfe Racing-sponsored reports, pit notes and pictures by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Web site updates. 6th June: Our good buddy Alan Currans has updated his excellent Acceleration Archive site with a page of Sportsman pictures taken by Peter Quinn at Indy in 1975. "As you might expect there is a huge variety of vehicles, a real trip down memory lane" says Alan. As ever you can stay in touch with the latest updates via the What's New? link at www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk. Swift snippets. 28th June: Fifty years ago British Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Dennis Priddle witnessed his first 200 mph run in the UK, when the US' Buddy Cortines smoked his AA/FD the full length of the RAF Woodvale Lancashire runway to clock the first 200+ quarter mile run outside America. Witnessing such a stunning feat ignited Dennis' desire to build and drive a Top Fuel car and the rest, as any fan knows, is history. Dave Riswick of Eurodragster.com sponsor John Woolfe Racing tells us that today (Sunday) is Dennis' 70th birthday. We would like to wish Dennis a very Happy Birthday and we're sure that all of our readers will join us in doing so. 
 2014 FIM European Supertwin Champion Samu Kemppainen and 2012 FIM European Supertwin Champion Nate Gagnon will be reunited at the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Canada on 17th-19th July. Racing out of Nate's Big Kids Racing pit, Samu will be riding a new Nitro V60. "Samu and his team have extensive experience with the Nitro V60 motor and bike combinations from our shop and I am confident they will be contenders", says Nate. Back to birthdays and we would like to say a big Happy 30th Birthday to UK Sportsman ET racer Craig Wright and to purveyor of pretty slingshots Ian Turburville. Have a great day guys. King's promising start. 
28th June: Following the amazing run of success for Ian King and the Gulf
Oil Dragracing – Grand Prix Originals Top Fuel Bike team in the FIM European Championship, hopes were high for continued success at the Main
Event at their home track of Santa Pod Raceway, UK.
However, a number of untested changes had been made to the multiple Championship-winning machine over the winter months following the damage incurred when fuel system problems were encountered in the European Finals last year, and the Top Fuel class entry was as strong as it had been for many years. The team opted to make a soft checkout pass at the Pro Test the day before competition and carded a fine 6.13/236 which boded well for the race. Despite Ian deep-staging the first qualifier put him straight into number one qualifying position with a fine 6.01 at a great 237.32 mph, a speed which was above the current record and would 'only' require another run within one per cent over the weekend to set a new European speed record. However, the second qualifier was somewhat of a disappointment as the team overpowered the track and the rear slick spun up in smoke. Sunday dawned with the promise of good weather and hopes were high for a new speed record for the team. And the next qualifier was indeed impressive, another new personal best of 5.83 seconds which was the second quickest time posted in the world by any rider this year, exceeding the existing European elapsed time record. The team were now on course for possibly two new European records! However a dropped cylinder at around the thousand foot mark meant a slower 232.52 mph and so the top speed record would have to wait until another run. Inclement track conditions meant that the team would sit out the fourth qualifying session and prepare for the first round of eliminations in earnest. On race day round one of eliminations was preceded by a touching start line tribute for late Top Fuel Bike rider Brian Johnson and his wife Ann in the company of the motorcycle racers and Johnson family members. 
With Bob Brooks unable to take his qualifying spot Ian had a bye run in elimination one. However, the new records would have to wait as the enormous
power of his Puma engine machine and a slightly adverse track surface resulted in massive wheelspin and tyre shake which conspired to rip all of the
teeth from his rear sprocket a few hundred feet out from the start. However, with the benefit of the bye run Ian took the win and proceeded to the
next round. In the semi final Ian was paired against his good friend and 'wheeliebar surfing' star Filippos Papafilippou from Greece.
The smart money was on Ian and with a stunning sixty foot time of 0.9901 seconds and another Personal Best it was looking good until the brutal
power of the Gulf Oil machine stripped all the teeth off the rear sprocket once again and Ian slowed to cross the line behind Fast Fil.
So a weekend of so much promise with number one qualifying position, three new Personal Bests and the team exceeding both existing European time and speed records ended in relative disappointment. But the team remained philosophical with clearly much more to come from the Gulf Oil – Grand Prix Original machine in the future. Click here to watch a video of the 5.83-second run, and to watch the same run in slow motion click here. This weekend the team are attending then world-renowned Goodwood Festival of Speed following another prestigious invitation to run up the hill from the Earl of March at his country estate in Sussex, UK. The Gulf Oil – GPO Dragracing team uses and endorses exclusively Gulf Oil greases and lubricants in their history making machine. The team is extremely proud to be supported by many leaders in their chosen markets in their quest for a ninth European Championship: APE - The world's most innovative manufacturer of aftermarket parts for drag bikes Action Cameras - Europe's leading source for action sports cameras Blackcat Motorsports - The leading V Rod Harley race team Cometic Gaskets - The premier manufacturer of racing gaskets Gates - The world's most trusted name in drive belts, hoses and hydraulics Goodridge - The original and the best in fluid transfer systems Grand Prix Originals - The brand for drive and lifestyle, past and present Graphite Additive Manufacturing - A leader in 3D printed technologies and rapid prototyping Gulf Oil International - The world's most iconic brand in automotive fuels and lubricants Hotrod Hangar– Home of the world renowned custom artist Knud Tiroch Hyperpro - The leading producer of progressive suspension products for motor bikes JE Pistons - The world's premier manufacturer of high performance forged pistons John and Dea Morgan Racing - The creators of the world's most advanced New Age Funny Bike Kibblewhite Precision Machining, Inc -The highest quality valve train components on the market King Racing - The most successful Top Fuel Bike team in European drag racing history Mickey Thompson Tyres - Simply the best drag race tyres in the world MRE - Leaders in trackside support for drag race components and air shifting systems MTC Engineering - Manufacturer of clutches for the fastest motorcycles in the world NitroShutter - Europe's leading drag racing photo-journalists NCT Engineering - Manufacturer of the world's leading non contact torque sensors for motorsport NGK Spark Plugs UK - The world's number one spark plug manufacturer Pär Willen - Master webmeister and proprietor of HarleyDrags.com Portable Shade - The best custom branded collapsible canopies available Pro Alloy Motorsport - UK's leader in fabrication of alloy racing tanks, intercoolers and radiators Puma Engineering - Manufacturers of the world's most powerful motorcycle engines RSG Customize - The UK's most creative website designers and vinyl artists Supertough - Custom cases and covers for the Film, TV, Music and Motorsports Industries Spies Hecker - The world's leading supplier of paint for car, commercial and industrial finishing Tryka LED - The UK's cutting edge LED lighting manufacturer Van Es mobility - The leading manufacturer of telematic products for management of moving objects Vanson Leathers - The most iconic brand in motorsport leather goods Web Camshafts Inc - Simply the company for Top Fuel Bike camshafts Worldwide Bearings - The world's leading supplier of ceramic bearings for racing Zodiac - Europe's largest supplier of performance and aftermarket HD parts Swift snippets. 27th June: Love and hugs to Debs Marrs who was taken poorly last weekend. Debs' husband, timing guru and good buddy Andy Marrs, tells us that Debs is recovering gradually. Get Well Soon Debs. 
Summernationals for charity.26th June: UK Sportsman ET racer Felicity Gibbs will this weekend be fund raising for Cardiac Risk in the Young with a selfie-a-thon at the SPRC Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway. "I lost my boss and friend Marie in November after she had a sudden cardiac arrest", Felicity told Eurodragster.com. "All of her friends family and work colleagues are doing a walk on Sunday but as I'm racing I thought I'd do my own little part to help. I will have a big poster in my back window all weekend and will be racing in Marie's memory". Felicity will be taking selfies all weekend and will be carrying a big poster of Marie in the back window of her Mustang. If you would like to donate then see Felicity in the pits or visit her Virgin Money Giving web site by clicking here. SPRC pit marshal Caroline Boncey is again undertaking the Midnight Walk in aid of the Hospice of Francis tomorrow evening (Saturday). "I will be working in the pits and will then leave at 5:00 pm for the walk", says Oscar. If you would like to sponsor Caroline then check out her Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/caroline-boncey1. PBs and more for the Wild Bunch. 26th June: Wild Bunch Race Co-ordinator Claire Meaddows writes with an update from the Nostalgia club who are celebrating their twentieth anniversary this season: 
The twentieth Wild Bunch Series began at the Yanks Weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway over the May Bank Holiday weekend where there was a good field of eighteen
participants. That event was won by incumbent Don Garlits Spirit of Drag Racing Shield holder Keith Crampton in his Soul Town Shaker slingshot. Of note wasthat there was only
0.00025 of a second in it over the average of the full four rounds of competition between second placed Tom Larman in The Ferret altered and third placed Bob Morgan in the B-Sting
altered. For those not in the know, this equates to the two drivers being separated by one thousandth of a second over the total aggregate of differences to dial-in' over the four runs,
hence the quarter of a thousandth average! Gina Durrant was fourth in the Tiki Munki slingshot coupe in her first race since the birth of daughter Elsie-May in January (many congrats!).
Ten drivers set Personal Best ETs and / or speeds at that event.
The second Wild Bunch Series round then saw a bumper field of twenty three participants at the twenty second NSRA Nostalgia Nationals at Shakey last weekend. Although the weather didn't play nicely on the Saturday, it was dry all day Sunday, and we completed a total of three rounds of competition. The victor was again Keith Crampton, followed by a reversal of fortunes with Bob Morgan finishing second and Tom Larman third - some hot rivalry there! Darryl Howells was fourth with the Chemical Reaction slingshot, which has recently dipped into the eights. Of note at this event were the fifteen teams who set Personal Bests in ET or Speed or even both, with a big congratulations to Steve Field who ran his first eight-second pass in the Black Pig Too slingshot after curing a host of teething problems. And the big story of the day on Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, was Bob Hawkins running his and the Club's first ever six-second pass in his Time Traveller II slingshot, a spectacular 6.918 at 197 mph in Round 1! Huge congratulations to Bob and the whole team on this great achievement and another new Wild Bunch ET Record to boot! After this event, Keith leads the Wild Bunch Series, with Tom and Bob in equal second place, followed by Gina and Darryl in equal fourth place. The Club are now really looking forward to the SPRC Summernationals' at Santa Pod this coming weekend, where although there will only be a field of six cars competing, it is sure to be a good close competition! The event is the fifth of nine rounds of the Spirit of Nostalgia Challenge Series, which takes place over five MSA events and four RWYB events. Keith Crampton is also leading this Series. Darryl Howells is second, on equal points but Keith has more wins. Phil James is in third place with the Rampage Funny Car, and Bob Hawkins is fourth. All three could overhaul Keith for the lead at this event as Keith is not entered. 
Also, the club's 5-round ‘Springbridge MSA Challenge Series' continues this weekend. The Challenge covers the Festival of Power, Springspeed Nationals, SPRC Summernationals,
Open Sport Nationals and the UK National Finals” and is sponsored by Springbridge Direct, suppliers of topsoils and
related products for industry. This Series is currently being led by Phil James, who is three rounds ahead of Darryl Howells, who is in turn less than one round ahead of Terry Clifford in
the Ratcatcher Resurrection slingshot. All three are entered this weekend. The Series winner earns the Springbridge MSA Challenge Cup and one free MSA event entry for 2016.
Many thanks to Springbridge Direct for their sponsorship.
The competition this weekend should see some more close racing from the Bunch. Will quickest Wild Buncher Bob Hawkins do the double with his Time Traveller II slingshot, after another quickly-completed engine swap or rebuild? Can Terry Clifford break back into the eights with his Ratcatcher Resurrection slingshot after sorting the starter motor troubles of the last event? Will Phil James make it three out of three for qualifying #1 and capitalise on his early-season consistency with the Rampage Funny Car with his newly rebuilt diff? Will Darryl Howells put in some more consistent eigh-second passes and win the event with in the Chemical Reaction slingshot? Can Alan Loten consolidate his newly re-found form in the iconic Paranoia altered and further progress towards those eights? Will Sarah Howells run into the eights and her first 150 at her first event with Steve and Lesley Field's Black Pig Too slingshot? Looking forward to Sunday, Sunday, Sunday to find out! Full news and results from previous events can be found on the Club's website at www.the-wild-bunch.co.uk. Lackey: NitrOlympX 30 is on. 24th June: We have received a statement from NitrOlympX Race Director Jerry Lackey regarding this year's event. Minor grammar aside the piece is presented as received: It is very discouraging to myself and all the others who put months and months of work and effort into planning and conducting one of oldest and largest crowd and participant drag race events in Europe that, as in the past year, rumours are started that the NitrOlympX will be cancelled as no Pro teams will support the event in 2015. This is not only damaging to our event but to the big picture of drag racing in Europe, and it is totally untrue. I can assure all our racer friends, and the not so friends racers who spread rumours, that the 30th NitrolympX will take place as planned on 7th-9th August 2015. We have now, six weeks early, started prep on the track and we feel certain that our Hockenheimring (Rico Anthes Quartermile) will take the load which will be thrown at it. We will spend every penny we must and we will bring in all the experts we can round up to help us make sure the 2015 track will be ready. I believe the drag racing family and the numbers of good events offered in Europe are very limited and do not deserve the rumours which are already on the streets, and even though I am sure where most of these rumours are coming from I think every organiser deserves the chance to make things work better and this is the goal of our organiser and all their teams, to make the Hockenheim quarter mile a safe and competitive track for all classes, including the FIA and FIM Pro classes. We may not have a world record track, just the same as no other track in Europe can claim, but our track is in no way dangerous for any class and many of our Bike and Car racers still record PBs at Hockenheim every year. We look forward to welcoming all dedicated racers back for the 30th and not the final NitrOlympX on 7th-9th August 2015. Entry information and forms in English and German can be found on our home page at www.nitrolympx.com. Editor's note: Please read and digest News FAQ 16. The messenger is already too full of holes to tolerate being shot any more. Norwegian Association founded. 24th June: Christer Uhlin writes that a new Drag Racing Association has been founded for those involved in drag racing in Central Norway. 
The Midland Drag Racing Association will be looking out for its members' interests and hopes to have input on rule and regulation
changes affecting us. We also aim to cooperate with various promoters, associations and web sites such as NBF, NMF, AmCar, SBF,
Speedgroup, NDRG, FHRA, SPRC, Eurodragster.com and others.
MDRA also wish to strengthen the unity among drivers and teams from the region, both during the race season and off-season. For more information, please contact Christer at christer@usracing.nu. Light the Fuse and aim for Pro Mod. 
24th June: Following a busy winter updating the car and a short time away from the track, the UK's Paula
and Stan Atkin are proud to announce that Nimbus Motorsport and Fuse
Performance Fuels will be supporting the team on their reappearance at weekend's SPRC Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway. The Mustang
will feature new branded livery designed by Power Race Graphics.
The team will be running in Super Pro ET this weekend to check that all is well with the updates to the car in the hope of stepping up to competing in the MSA British Pro Modified Championship. "To run in the premier door class is an exciting prospect, one to which we always aspired but never thought possible!", say Paula and Stan. Atkin Racing would like to say a big thanks to all at Nimbus Motorsport for their backing, Knight Racing Services for dyno time, Rob Loaring of ICE Automotive, Jamie Mason, Steve Green and Dave Read. Airborne to reborn. 24th June: UK blown-alcohol altered racer Adam Gleadow said that last year's Dragstalgia at Santa Pod Raceway was a pivotal moment for the Motor Psycho team: 
Seeing Pure Hell and Rat Trap run convinced Dad and I that it was time to make the change that has always been in the back of our minds, as Motor
Psycho is too long. We ran out the season as it was, before going deep into a rebuild in October.
The '34 Ford body, which was last seen by most people forty feet in the air after it took flight at the 2012 Summernationals, had been languishing in a sorry state with the rear decklid wing mangled and the body cut in two for storage. So we embarked upon a mammoth fibreglass job to rebuild and re-mount. Fast forward seven months and it now sat two feet further back with re-shaped rear quarter, full fenders fitted, new tinwork and bulkhead and a full size louvred boot lid. The chassis took a trip down to Comanche Race Cars where Bill Felstead worked his magic, reducing the wheelbase to 120", removing the large front overhang and A-Arm front end and fitting in its place a 5" drop tube axle along with refurbished twelve-spoke wheels for that authentic period altered look. It's no longer a Funny Car transformer! Paint is only temporary red oxide due to running out of time, but the plan is something very different to the previous candy purple paint. The soft Six... 
24th June: The UK's Robin Read had a great weekend, or more accurately Sunday, at the BWM
Scooter Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway where his nitro-burning Daimler-powered rail returned to the sixes during
JS Secure Security Solutions UK Top Dragster competition:
We came to the track with a plan and I'm pleased to say that all went well. It's worth noting that although it was good to be on the receiving end of Martyn Jones' 5.7 PB run, six-second passes from Daimlers - indeed any British engine - are extremely rare. In fact my last six was recorded in September 1996! The car came home in one piece with no damage, and in fact we achieved the six on our 'soft' settings, which bodes well for when we next run the car. I wonder if we can lower our 6.81 best Elapsed Time? Should anyone reading this want to help out with financial or product assistance then I would be grateful to hear from them. A big shout out and Thank You to Crew Chief Mark Evans (engine / clutch / tune-up), Ella Chapman (fuel mixing / chute packing), Bill Mears (water / oil / tyres / car appearance) and Bertie Hopkinson (parts design and manufacture). It would not be possible for me to continue to run the car without their hard work and support as they too love the little car as much as I do. I was thrilled and humbled to receive the Best Car of the Meeting trophy from Paul Marston and I thank him for the opportunity to take part in the Top Dragster eliminator. The staff and crew, and indeed all who work hard to put on the events at Santa Pod Raceway, deserve thanks too. You can go for a six-second ride-along with Robin by clicking here or by clicking on the picture at right. ...the first Six. 24th June: Following his very first six-second pass running with the Wild Bunch at the NSRA Nostalgia Nats on Sunday, the UK's Bob Hawkins says that he has a number of people to thank: 
I would very much like to thank our fantastic Team Time Traveller crew, and especially our Crew Chief David Williams, for doing an amazing job on the car. The track conditions on Sunday were absolutely perfect so a huge thanks to all the Shakey track and safety crew, a stunning job as always! I'm told that this may be a track record for an alcohol-burning slingshot to date at Shakey, but if any one knows otherwise then do please get in touch and let us know. We did try to go a little faster and run another 200 mph pass late in the day, but unfortunately we torched a head on the run. Luckily we have a spare so with luck we should be back out at the Summernationals this weekend and then, if all goes to plan, at Dragstalgia. UK Top Sportsman's grand. 24th June: Paul Marston writes that there is even more at stake at the next outing of Comanche Race Cars / JS Secure Security Solutions Top Sportsman which takes place at the Mopar EuroNats at Santa Pod Raceway on 24th-26th July: I must thank all those sponsors who support us and believe in Sportsman doorslammer racing at its very best. I am pleased to say that John Tebenham has added a sizable cash bonus to the winner and runner up of the Heads Up race. Jon has very generously posted, over and above the usual cash awarded by UK Top Sportsman, £1000 cash for the winner and £250 for the runner up. This means that someone will have a very nice payday indeed. Our thanks go to all of our sponsors and everyone involved. Whoever wins will have earned it, without question. With an entry from Europe already as well as from England there will be a sizeable field and some tough-fought rounds. Remember there has never been a repeat winner in either class. Will we get our very first repeat winner or will the trend continue? Entry is open to all doorslammers which can run 9.99 or quicker and other than safety there are no rules. We run two races in three days. Friday is the Fast Bracket Race, one time trial run then straight into eliminations. Random pairing, buy-back available to first round losers, run to completion. Saturday night features a one-shot qualifier for the sixteen-car Heads Up race, the eliminations will then be run to completion on Sunday. Both races are run on a 0.400 Pro Tree. We have already received entries from Rene Ehrismann, Lee Huxley, Jon Turner, Julian Davidson and Nick Curtis. For your entry form please E-Mail pmracing@fsmail.net, call me on 07831 650230 (outside the UK +44 7831 650230) or search UK Top Sportsman on Facebook. Web site updates. 24th June: Our good buddy Steve Moxley has had his illustrated report of the Main Event bike classes posted on the EatMyInk web site at www.eatmyink.com. Eurodragster.com News Editor Tog has updated his SmugMug site with his full set of pictures from the weekend's NSRA Nostalgia Nationals at Shakespeare County Raceway. You can check out Tog's shots at eurodragster.smugmug.com. Bug Jam entry update. 23rd June: Thanks to Ian Marshall for forwarding us Version 3 of the official entry list for Bug Jam, which takes place at Santa Pod Raceway on Friday-Sunday 17th-19th July (race days Saturday and Sunday) and which is a VWDRC Championship round for VW Pro and VW Sportsman, a UK National Championship round for Sportsman ET and Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator, a round of the European Nitro Funny Car Series, a Championship round for Outlaw Anglia, and a non-points round for Lucas Oil Junior Dragster. You can check out the Bug Jam entry list by clicking here. Standard price Bug Jam entry closes this Friday (26th) although forms will be accepted at standard rate at this weekend's SPRC Summernationals; please hand them in at the Signing On office. Entry after this weekend, if accepted, will be subject to a Late Entry penalty fee. You can download entry forms and supplementary regulations from the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc. SPRC office closed. 23rd June: Ian Marshall has also asked us to inform racers that the Santa Pod Racers Club office will be closed tomorrow and Thursday as he is moving home. Internet access will be infrequent and although the SPRC office number will be diverted to Ian's mobile phone he asks that he is only contacted in an emergency for the next couple of days. Summernationals Perfect Awards. 23rd June: This weekend's SPRC Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway is the latest event in this season's Eurodragster.com Perfect Awards Scheme. £100 is on offer for perfect performance. 
This weekend's Eurodragster.com/Bad Habit Racing Perfect Light Award has been reset to £50 after it was won by Super Street racer
Karen Stevens at the Main Event. The money will be paid in cash to the first racer this weekend to record
a Reaction Time of 0.000 seconds. The Perfect Light Award is available to racers in all classes during qualifying and eliminations, but will only be
awarded for the first Perfect Light of the event. If not won this weekend then the Award will be increased to £75 for Bug Jam;
at Santa Pod Raceway; if it is won then it will be reset to £50 for Bug Jam. The Perfect Light Award is presented in association
with Bad Habit Racing (Cath and Tig Napier, Pro ET).
Decals are not mandatory for the Perfect Light Award but we would appreciate it if Eurodragster.com decals are carried. Eurodragster.com decals will be available in the Signing On office or from the Eurodragster.com office in Race Control (entry via Spectator Bank side stairs only). 
This weekend's Eurodragster.com/Gold RV Perfect ET Award has been reset to £50 after it was won by Super Pro ET racer Pete Walters
at the Main Event. The money will be paid in cash to the first racer this weekend to run an ET to the
thousandth of a second on dial-in or index. The Perfect ET Award is available this weekend during qualifying or eliminations in Super Pro ET, Pro ET,
Sportsman ET, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Lucas Oil Junior Dragster (eliminations only), VW Pro, VW Sportsman, the Wild Bunch,
8.50 Bike, 9.50 Bike, Supertwin ET and Junior Drag Bike, but will only be awarded for the first Perfect Run of the event.
If not won this weekend then the Award will be increased to £75 for Bug Jam at Santa Pod Raceway; if it is won then it will be
reset to £50 for Bug Jam. The Perfect ET Award is presented in association with RV sales and service specialists Gold RV. For
more details about the services which Gold RV can provide see Derek Flynn or visit www.goldrv.co.uk.
To be eligible to collect the Perfect ET Award, racers are required to carry decals, one on each side of the vehicle. If you pull this weekend's first Perfect ET but are not carrying decals then there will be no discussion; we will not pay out and the next person to pull a Perfect ET will get the money assuming that they are carrying decals. Decals will be available in the Signing On office from Friday morning. Web site updates. 23rd June: Finnish Super Twin Motorcycle racer Asko Määttä had to cancel his entry for the Tierp Internationals as Baldie's VooDoo Racing found out the engine explosion they suffered in a test run had also damaged the crankshaft. The team had no other choice then to skip the first round of the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship in Sweden. But Asko will be back in competition at the team's home track at Alastaro. You can read more in Remco Scheelings' latest report on the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship web site at www.edrspro.com. The Mad Welshman has updated his Flickr site with pictures from the Monday of the Yanks Weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway. You can check out Mad's pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/the_madwelshman. Editor's note: We have a backlog of news which we will clear on tomorrow's news update. Please keep it coming to news@eurodragster.com. Nostalgia Nationals coverage. 20th June: Eurodragster.com are in place at Shakespeare County Raceway to bring you the action from the NSRA Nostalgia Nationals in association with John Woolfe Racing. We plan to post a gallery at the end of each day, and we are pleased to announce that the web access issue has been fixed so the Webster Race Engineering / Nimbus Motorsport webcam will be on-line broadcasting live video and commentary / Shakey Sounds audio so long as the track is open. You can check out our NSRA Nostalgia Nationals event index by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Event entry update. 19th June: Entry forms are now available for the UK National and APIRA Club Championship rounds of 8.50 Bike, 9.50 Bike and NAST Supertwins which will be hosted at Shakespeare County Raceway's Public Track Day and Kawasaki Triples Euro Weekend on 18th-19th July. Entry closes on Wednesday 15th July; you can download entry forms from the Shakespeare County Raceway web site at www.shakespearecountyraceway.co.uk. Swift snippets. 
19th June: Geoff Stilwell, the Board of the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame and everyone
in the Garlits family would like to wish BDRHoF Chair and former Santa Pod Raceway Starter Stu Bradbury
a very Happy 70th Birthday. "Stu absolutely lives, eats, sleeps and breathes drag racing and he is the best friend anyone could have", says
Geoff, "so please wish him a fantastic day from us all". Our pleasure, have a great day Stu.Remembering Hustler. 18th June: In 1965 the late Mark Stratton founded the Hustler Racing Team which he named after the famous B-58 Hustler bomber. Our good buddy Alan Currans writes: The team was a true Anglo-American effort with local lads and US servicemen. Mark built a number of cars and I bet there are not many constructors who can boast a twin-engined dragster, a rear-engined Funny Car and a Bond Bug AA/FA in their CV! Mark later teamed up with the late John Woolfe and Dave Riswick who runs John Woolfe Racing to this day. 
Dave decided that a celebration was essential to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the team. The surviving team members, some of whom had travelled from the USA, relatives and invited guests duly assembled on 16th May at John Woolfe Racing's Drag Racing Museum and a good time was had by all. The latest update on the Acceleration Archive consists of an illustrated history of the Hustler team and includes pictures of the guests at this historic gathering. As ever you can find the latest updates via the What's New link at www.theaccelerationarchove.co.uk. Here come the Gassers. 
18th June: Nervous Nick writes that the Gasser Circus are all set to roll into Shakespeare County Raceway to contest
Round 2 of their Championship at this weekend's NSRA Nostalgia Nationals:
Round 1 winner Sean Milsom is eager to see if he can have back to back with victories, but in this ever competitive race series the odds are stacked against him especially when you see how many of the Gassers have stepped up their performance from last year. If you are a fan of nose-high racers and close exciting racing, then Shakey is the place for you this weekend. Current points:
Getting it all on a plate. 
18th June: Following an unfortunate clutch destruction incident at the Festival
of Power, UK VW Pro racer Andrew Agroment has his Black Baron Racing Beetle back in one piece
and is looking forward to next week's SPRC Summernationals:
We are now running a Ron Lummus Black Magic clutch disc with a lighter than previous Stage 1 Kennedy pressure plate. All things going well, expect some good strong burnouts to bed in the new slicks and then I'll try to run some actual VW Pro times! I managed to try the new clutch at a local Classic Car Show at the weekend. It felt good so I am really looking forward to getting back out on track. As always a special Thank You goes out to my dad Steve Agroment as without him none of this would have happened, and of course to Eurodragster.com for all your hard work (Thanks, you're welcome - Ed) and to all the guys and girls in the VWDRC. Joosten's maiden outing. 18th June: The Pro Dutch Racing '71 Plymouth Barracuda had a very successful first outing at Tierp Arena. With Robert Joosten at the wheel, the new Pro Mod made its maiden runs and did exactly what it had to do. An arrow straight first run, an elapsed time improvement in run number two, and a win in the first round of eliminations. It was a shame that rain made an early end to the Tierp Internationals and the first race of the beautiful '71 Cuda. "It was really great, the team did a great job in preparing the car in such a short time, and the car performed exceptionally well", said a very happy Robert Joosten. Tierp Arena, the state-of-the-art drag race track 120 km north of Stockholm, was host to the second round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. Because the brand new '71 Plymouth Barracuda arrived in the Netherlands too late, Pro Dutch Racing missed the opening round of the Championship at Santa Pod, so the Tierp Internationals was their maiden race for 2015. When the car arrived at the workshop, there were only a few days left for the team to strip, check and rebuild the Cuda. As the car had only made test runs over the eighth mile a few years ago, Tierp Arena would be the first time the Cuda would cover the full quarter. "The team did an amazing job to make the car race ready in only a few days", said Robert about the heectic time before the race in Sweden. "I feel sorry we could not put the sponsor decals on the car. The company responsible for that was running out of time, but in Finland that will be fixed too." 
With its design and airbrush paintjob, the Pro Dutch Racing '71 Cuda was a real eye catcher in Sweden. First proof that the team did a great job was scrutineering, where the Cuda was found to be 100% OK. On Friday morning, the first qualifying was the moment it all had to happen, the first metres covered by the Cuda. But after firing up the engine at least ten times without any problems, a switch didn't work and Robert had to skip the first run. The team fixed the problem and in second qualifying Robert was back for his first attempt. A good burnout was followed by an arrow straight run, and although Robert, as planned, lifted far before the finish line, the ET was 6.54 seconds at only 285 km/h. Team and driver were very happy with this maiden run. 
Rain shortened the programme to one qualifying session on Saturday. In his second run Robert improved to 6.41 seconds and was tenth in the twenty-car field. Although the Cuda did well again, the team knew it could have done better, as the car didn't gain speed as planned. But at least the team knew which way they had to go with the set-up. In the first round of eliminations Robert had to face Håkan Persson, who replaced Jan Brånnvall. Robert had to wait for a very long time before he could start his burnout, but the Pro Dutch Racing driver stayed calm and pulled a better light. Although the Cuda immediately built up speed, it was then hit by tyre shake. But even that was no problem, as the car stayed in a straight line and Robert could get back on the throttle immediately to win his first elimination round with the Cuda. "We were too cautious", said Robert. "With more power we wouldn't have had tyre shake. But now we know how the car reacts with tyre shake, and it's good to see it's still easy to control, really great". Before the quarter finals could start, the rain came back and the Race Director had to make an early end to the Tierp Internationals and the first successful outing of the Pro Dutch Racing '71 Cuda. "It was a shame, as we were ready to go some more rounds", said Robert. "But overall, we are very happy. The team did a great job and the chassis set-up was right from the first moment. This car wants to go fast, and that's what we want too. Very promising." The next race of the FIA European Drag Racing Championships is at Alastaro, Finland, 3rd-5th July. Words and pictures courtesy and ©Remco Scheelings It's the Tops! 18th June: Comanche Race Cars UK Top Sportsman and JS Secure Security Solutions UK Top Dragster, held at the weekend's BWM Scooter Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway, was a resounding success writes Paul Marston: Friday was arrival and Saturday was completely washed out so no wheels turned either day. But the effort that everyone put in to get four sets of qualifying and eliminations on Sunday was nothing short of astounding. It really was testament to British Sportsman drag racing how professional and efficient everyone was. It took great commitment from the Santa Pod track crew, organisers Paul Marston Racing and their pit crew who need to be recognised for the great job they all did, and a monumental effort by the drivers their crews to get the cars turned around so quickly. Apart from a start line transmission failure from Matt Wright's wemoveyoucar.com-backed Mk III Cortina the track was incident- and clean up-free all day. Not only was it a great team effort by all involved, but it was also a record setting weekend to boot! With ten JS Secure Security Solutions UK Top Dragster teams on the property, the action was nothing short of awesome. Highlights included our two fastest dragsters. New-to-the-seat Karl Harrison in the car usually driven by his father Karl knocked his Personal Best out of the park with the team's first ever run into the fives, yes the fives with a 5.98 for the Blown Budget team. Veteran Martyn Jones and the Another Small Fortune team I believe reset his own Personal Best with a 5.79. Anytime you can witness a British dragster team run a five in heads-up competition you have seen something special. In JS Secure Security Solutions UK Top Dragster Fast Bracket the final came down to veteran ex-Pro Stock driver Conrad Stanley against rising star Joe Kellett. Conrad showed all his skills honed from Pro Stock and slapped a 0.02 light on Joe who gamely attempted to chase Conrad down but could not quite catch him, and Conrad took the win running an 8.99 on his 8.98 dial. Special mention to Robin Read who bought his outstanding Nitro powered 2.5 litre Daimler hemi dragster. It really was an honour to have drag racing royalty on track in proper competition, not just doing demo passes and using the car for what it was made - to go as fast as possible. Robin ran in the sixes. Comanche Race Cars UK Top Sportsman had eleven teams competing. Marking his return after a three year absence to Heads Up competition in UK Top Sportsman was Andy Hone with his Comp Eliminator Nitrous-assisted Ford Granada Scorpio. Andy, Fred to his friends, was well into the sevens with 7.60 ETs despite transmission woes. In the final Fred faced Comanche Racecars UK Top Sportsman rookie Julian Davison in his Ford 100e sporting a mighty half pint Rover V8 with nitrous. Fred took the win but Julian made him earn it. In the Comanche Race Cars UK Top Sportsman Fast Bracket, it was perenial Top Sportsman competitor Jon Turner against Chris Newsam. Jon again cut the tree down and took a richly-deserved win, especially considering the trials and tribulations which the team endured throughout the day. It was a first class effort by the Greenfish Barracuda team, who simply do not know how to quit. Special mention to Steve Kellett for bringing his brand new twin-Procharged Big Block Ford 2014 Skinny Kid Racecars Mustang, only out shaking the car down but what a quality piece of kit, much more to come from that at the Mopar Euronationals on 24th-26th July which is the next UK Top Sportsman date. So to sum up, it was different. A new event, a new and very exciting class in UK Top Dragster, a new experience running the whole event in one day. I am still amazed and so very proud of everyone involved. This is an event which will be talked about for years to come. We got it done, gave out all the trophies and the cash, and the TV show will definitely make for interesting watching. It will be screened on Motors TV which is now a Freeview station as well as Sky. If you want to know what it was like, just ask anyone who was there! There was magic in the air on Sunday afternoon, palpable excitement in the air, what Sportsman drag racing should be. I must thank everyone who have sent their thanks and gratitude to everyone in the Paul Marston Racing crew, not forgetting Santa Pod Staff Phil and Avril who always help us with staging lane marshalling, it is you guys who deserve a lot of the credit, I cannot do this without you. Mick Howling, Mick Pusey, Sefton Whitlock, Lisa Farmer, Keith Bick, The Crewchief and Little Max, our mate Steve Strong, you guys deserve all the praise. Special mention to Tog and Kirstie of the Eurodragster team who provided all the Event Coverage and webcam (Thanks, you're welcome - Ed). Last but by no means least, Santa Pod management and the most professional track crew in Europe, thank you for waiting till after 5:00 pm so that we could run the finals. The next event is Comanche Race Cars/ JS Secure Security Solutions UK Top Sportsman at the mighty Mopar Euronationals on 24th-26th July. Entry is officially open, Facebook uktopsportsman, E-Mail pmracing@fsmail.net, or call me on 07831 650230. This event shows every sign of being a monster. Over thirty teams were duking it out last year, 2015 looks like being every bit as good if not better. Lastly, remember we have still never had a repeat winner and we are now in our fifth year. Anyone can win this - just bring everything you have got, come loaded for bear! If you wanna be the best you have to beat the best. This, boys and girls, is where you come. See you at the Mopars 24th-26th July. Allard Award entry still open. 18th June: With the Nostalgia season about to really get into gear now is a good time to remind everyone about the Sydney Allard Media Awards which will be presented at the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Gala Awards Dinner on 21st November. Brian Taylor writes: The competition is open to amateurs and professionals. There is one trophy for photo-journalism and one for written journalism. The judge for the Written Journalism award is Guy Loveridge, Chairman of the Guild of Motoring Writers. Judges for the Photo Journalism award are Art Editor of Octane Magazine Mark Sommer and Pink Floyd drummer and classic car collector / racer Nick Mason who is also President of the Guild of Motoring Writers and a Trustee of the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. In 2014 a big proportion of entries covered Nostalgia events but don't forget that the qualifiying period started on 1st August 2014 so photos from the last year's European Finals and this year's Main Event are eligible as are those from other events. Entries have to be in by the end of July 2015 to enable ample time for collating, judging and engraving of the crystal trophies (sponsored by MQQNEYES). You can submit more than one entry so if you have potential winning photos or written pieces already completed send them in now because it helps with preparing them for the independent judges. Full details and entry forms on at www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk/allard-award-entries. SPRC Summernationals racer update. 17th June: Many thanks to Ian Marshall for forwarding details of the arrangements for next week's SPRC Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway: Friday 26th June 08:00 Gates open 10:00 Signing On office opens 11:00 Car scrutineering commences, no specific order 16:00 Bike scrutineering commences, no specific order 20:00 Signing On office closes Saturday 27th June 07:00 Signing On office opens 07:00 Car scrutineering commences (order) 07:00 Bike scrutineering commences (order) 09:30 Track opens for qualifying (Junior Dragster push down at 09:15) Sunday 28th June 07:30 Signing On office opens 07:30 Car scrutineering commences 07:30 Bike scrutineering commences 09:30 Track opens for eliminations The provisional running orders for both days are now available and can be checked out by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Please note that as ever these running orders are provisional and subject to change due to weather or track conditions or for any other reason deemed necessary by race officials. Please remember the curfew: no race vehicle motors are to be started before 09:00 or after 20:00. Breach of curfew can result (has resulted) in exclusion from the meeting. If going to scrutineering before 09:00 then please tow or push, do not drive. SPRC would appreciate it if UK racers have their bank sort code and account number with them so that winnings can be paid directly into their accounts by Bacs the day after the event. Cheques will still be available to those who would prefer them, however SPRC would prefer to use Bacs as bank charges are lower and racers will receive their money sooner. Bug Jam entry update. 17th June: Thanks also to Ian Marshall for forwarding us Version 1 of the official entry list for Bug Jam, which takes place at Santa Pod Raceway on Friday-Sunday 17th-19th July (race days Saturday and Sunday) and which is a VWDRC Championship round for VW Pro and VW Sportsman, a UK National Championship round for Sportsman ET and Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator, a round of the European Nitro Funny Car Series, a Championship round for Outlaw Anglia, and a non-points round for Lucas Oil Junior Dragster. You can check out the Bug Jam entry list by clicking here. Standard price Bug Jam entry closes next Friday, 26th June. Entry after 26th, if accepted, will be subject to a Late Entry penalty fee. You can download entry forms and supplementary regulations from the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc. If you have any queries about Bug Jam entry then please E-Mail ir.marshall@btinternet.com or call 01933 313625 (outside the UK +44 1933 313625). Wright goes long. 
16th June: UK Sportsman ET racer and multiple Champion Craig Wright tells us that he has accepted an invitation to try his
hand at driving a dragster:
After being pitted next to Joe Kellett's Super Pro ET team at the Springspeed Nationals, I was checking over the Civic after a day's qualifying when Pete Kellett and Spencer Tramm approached me and asked what I thought I'd be like a driving a real car! I didn't take offence and Pete offered me the chance to have a go in Joe's seven-second Drummin' Man dragster. I was pretty damned shocked but obviously I said "Yes, I'd love to!". Pete then held out his hand and we shook on it. We then said I that I might as well be observed and get my licence upgraded at the same time. The next morning I had a sit in the dragster and warmed it up on stands, I fit in the car nicely and it just felt awesome. Since then I have spoken to several teams about a drive next season and one in particular looks promising. It all depends upon costs and the backing we can get but my options are open. As for the Civic, this is definitely our final year in Sportsman ET and it looks like the car will be for sale at the end of the season. We feel that it's time and that we are ready to move on and go faster if we can. Sportsman ET has been awesome over the last four or five seasons and we have been very sucssesfull bagging six Championships in four seasons and also currently leading all three this year; it's a cracking class but it's time for a change. I will be licencing in Joe's car at the Test Day before the UK National Finals on Friday 18th September. I am very much looking forward to it, and feel ready for this quite big jump up! A huge thanks to Pete, Joe and Kim Kellett and to Spencer Tramm as it's quite literally a dream come true to drive a quick dragster. Swift snippets. 16th June: Shakespeare County Raceway are seeking a couple of racers local to Gloucester and Worcester to take part in a display at the Stow Costwold Festival on 4th July. The one-day show takes place from 10:00 inside the town's main square. "There will be lots going on including a car show and American vehicle display and hopefully some drag racers!", says Jerry Cookson. "If anyone is interested in a day out promoting drag racing and Shakey to a fresh audience then please get in touch with me via Facebook, call 01789 720180, or E-Mail shakespearecountyraceway@gmail.com. A warning that there could be a delay before our Webster Race Engineering / Nimbus Motorsport webcast commences from the NSRA Nostalgia Nationals on Saturday. After the loss of our uplink on Sunday the back-up service, to which we would normally have switched, would not work. The back-up service is however the primary at Shakespeare County Raceway but Saturday will be our first opportunity to work on it. As ever we'll do our best to get it going as quickly as we can. Web site updates. 16th June: Our good buddy Steve Moxley has had another couple of reports posted on the ACU web site: a review of the FIM European Super Street Bike round at the Main Event and a preview of the forthcoming SPRC Summernationals. You can check out Moxey's work at www.acu.org.uk. The Mad Welshman has updated his Flickr site with pictures from the Saturday of the Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. You can take a look at Mad's pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/the_madwelshman. Top Sportsman / Dragster results. 15th June: Congratulations to the winners of Comanche Race Cars Top Sportsman and JS Secure Ltd Security Solutions Top Dragster which were contested at the BWM Scooter Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway yesterday: Comanche Race Cars Top Sportsman Fast Bracket: Jon Turner (9.86) 9.9442/124.91 def. Chris Newsam (9.10) 9.5391/141.14 Heads-Up: Andy Hone 7.6072/183.63 def. Julian Davison 9.5263/145.77 JS Secure Ltd Security Solutions Top Dragster Fast Bracket: Conrad Stanley (8.98) 8.9949/142.10 def. Joe Kellett (7.97) 7.9488/169.81 breakout Both eliminators were run yesterday as Saturday was rained out and there was not enough time to complete Top Dragster. After Martyn Jones won his semi-final in 5.7976/242.88 and Karl Harrison his semi-final in 5.9988/216.93, Martyn was declared the winner as he had the quickest ET. You can check out our John Woolfe Racing-sponsored results and Sunday gallery by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Bond stretches it. 
13th June: UK blown-alcohol altered, now slingshot, racer Joe Bond writes that the Bond, Hannis & Osborne Nostalgia Front
Engined Dragster will be making its début at Dragstalgia at Santa Pod Raceway in July:
The new car is a 225" wheelbase slingshot built by master craftsman Norm Wheeldon in his mid-Wales workshop. The chassis is NHRA Heritage Spec Top Fuel legal, but will run methanol - for now! The artwork and render was vital for us to get right, so we commissioned Darren West and Power Race Graphics to make us a modern but period look. Once Darren completed the design, the paintwork and gold leaf were applied by none other than Richard Walters of R&W Services & Custom Paint, who had the passion and the desire to make sure that the car looked great. 
When we got the car back from Richard, we completed dry build to finished race car in five weeks. We have a few little bits and pieces to complete, but the car will be ready
for its full début at Dragstalgia on 11th-12th July.
I would to take this opportunity to thank all my incredible crew for all the hard work to get the car ready for Dragstalgia once the car came back from Norm's workshop. It has been a long hard slog, but the results of the hard labour shows and we can't wait to show the world the new car in a few weeks. I am also under the impression this is the very first front-engined dragster in the UK that has run a late model hemi. If anyone knows different I'd obviously like to know! For more information, I will shortly be launching a Bond, Hannis & Osborne Racing Facebook page. Stay tuned for that one on the social media sites. Bring on Dragstalgia! Fuel situations vacant. 13th June: The Showtime Fuel Funny Car team are seeking crew to help service the car at Santa Pod and also, if close enough, at a few weekends between events. For more information check out the Drivers/Crew Required section of our Jeff Bull Race Engines-sponsored Swap Meet. Robin Grice has been in touch to let us know that the Stutz Motorsport Top Fuel Dragster operation is up for sale turn-key or in parts. The 2009 Hadman chassis has been front- and back-ended and has less than forty runs. For more details check out the Cars For Sale section of our Jeff Bull Race Engines-sponsored Swap Meet. £1000 for Street Racer Champion. 13th June: The 38th Annual Street Racer Championship which takes place at York Raceway on 5th July will bring some of the UK's quickest "Real street cars" to the home of drag racing in the North of England. The Street Racer Championship is believed to be the longest-running drag race for street legal cars anywhere in the world. The brainchild of British Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Dave Grady, the quarter mile heads up race was created to find the UK's quickest street car. This iconic drag race has enjoyed a rejuvenation over the last three years and thanks to the support shown by racers, fans and marketing partners it is set to once again be a headlining event for The North's Drag Strip. 
With rules focussing on streetability and general safety, the Street Racer Championship has always attracted a diverse array of competing machinery. Over the last
few years the field has grown to include more turbocharged four and six cylinder cars, which are now producing the same sort of performance levels as their traditional
V8 counterparts. It's not unusual to see a four wheel drive turbocharged Subaru Impreza face off against a nitrous oxide injected Pro Street ‘69 Mustang or even a stock
appearing Nissan GTR racing the likes of 2014 Street Racer Champion Russ Pursley's Small Block Chevy powered Dutton; all competing for the £1000 winner
takes all prize and the title of Street Racer Champion.
For 2015 the event will coincide with the UK Power Tour's visit to York Raceway, producing one of the largest fields of street legal race cars ever seen at the track. The British answer to Hot Rod Drag Week, the UK Power Tour will first visit Santa Pod Raceway on day one of their event, before the competitors all hit the road for the three hour trip north to Yorkshire where they will compete at the Street Racer Championship the following day. Chris Murty of York Raceway commented "The synergy between the Street Racer Championship and the UK Power Tour was obvious, so we have taken this opportunity to create an event that really concentrates on the best in street legal drag racing." For the non street legal race cars, the event will also feature a Big Bracket and a heads-up Ultimate Racer Quick 8. Straightliners will provide the two-wheeled action and Julian Webb will be making demonstration runs in the Split Second Jet Dragster. As usual at York Raceway the track will also be open for Run What You Brung throughout the race weekend. The 38th Annual Street Racer Championship is sponsored by Blue Bar Caterers, Performance Unlimited, Northrace Speed Shop, Air Cooled Performance, LA Racing Parts and York Raceway's Official Trophy Partner, Aford Awards. Go Perfect and win at the Nostalgias. 
13th June: Carried over from Shakespeare County Raceway's Yanks Weekend,
the LFB Motorsport / Lucas Oil Perfect Light Award will again be on offer at next weekend's NSRA Nostalgia Nationals. Jerry Cookson writes:
The LFB Motorsport / Lucas Oil Perfect Light Award will be awarded to the first driver to record a perfect Reaction Time of 0.000 seconds. If the award is not won at the Nationals then it will be rolled over again to the July 18th/19th Public Track Day & Kawasaki Triples Euro Weekend at SCR on 18th-19th July. LFB Motorsport, a family run business set up by former stock car racer Mark Holt and his daughter Tana, is the official Lucas Oil distributor in the world of UK Short Oval Motorsport, Brisca Formula One Stock Car racing and a supporter of drag racing and Shakespeare County Raceway. Check out the LFB Motorport stand at this year's Nostalgia Nationals or at any Brisca F1 event at Coventry Stock Car Stadium on the first Saturday of the month. Vic for Heroes. 
13th June: Long time drag racing fan Martin Black has set up a fans' Facebook tribute page in memory of Supercharged Outlaw racer Vic Hammond
who was unarguably one of UK racing's greatest characters. In conjunction with the page, which you can check out by
clicking here, Martin along with former crew hand Vince Shaw are producing a
number of limited-edition items such as polo shirts, and mugs to sell at the NSRA Nostalgia Nationals with a donation going to Help for Heroes, one of the causes which Vic liked
to help.
With the help of Silverstone Stickers, limited-edition stickers are also on sale at £4.25 per pair including postage with £1 from each sale going to Help for Heroes. To grab yours prior to next weekend's Nationals call Martin at Silverstone Stickers on 07547 126644 or E-Mail silverstonestickers@gmail.com. Alternately contact Martin via his Facebook page. Not too nuts for the RAF! 13th June: Lee Gallimore's Red Mist Racing sponsored by LA Commercials Ltd and the Intergalactic Custom Shop have announced a project to make an attempt on the British Land Speed Record. Lee, whose Red Mist blown-alcohol altered runs in the Supercharged Outlaws, explains: I decided just over twelve months ago that I wanted to build, or have built, a jet car. I thought it would need to be something a bit different so I came up with the plan of a twin-engine jet car to go for the British Land Speed Record which is held by the Vampire jet car and stands at 301 mph. I met with Wayne Allman at Dragstalgia and Shakespeare County Raceway and asked him if he would like to build the car. He replied "Of course I (beep)ing would like to built a twin engine car, are you nuts? So a basic layout of ideas for shape etc were discussed . 
The next task was to find the right jet engines for the car. I decided that the Rolls Royce Adour engine would be the main contender: lightweight and built-in afterburners and the two engines with burner lit would produce around 16,080 lbs thrust... and in the Jaguar fighter bomber this aircraft has a top speed of 1,096 mph. I then got chatting with my three brothers-in-law and said "I need two jet engines from the Jaguar fighter bomber". Their reply was "What do you want those for?". I said "I'm going to build a jet car". They said "With two engines, are you nuts?" (I can see a theme developing here - Ed). Anyway two weeks later I was invited to a meeting with the Base Training School Commander at RAF Cosford. Wayne came along too and we were both taken aback with their enthusiasm to get on board with our project. But at first they did also say "Are you nuts?". They had planned a day for us looking at the engines and a test run of the engines in a Jag aircraft sim. We had a fantastic day and we came out with full support from RAF Cosford. Big thanks to Commander Andy Harry Palmer for getting us the meeting and to Base Commander Cosford Jon Milsom for a his time and support in our project. 
For their time and effort on the base with us I offered to show our cars at the Cosford Airshow this and in return for this Jon Milsom and Ken Williams managed to sort out an engine which we could borrow to use as the mock engine when we are ready to start the build. We were over the moon. The artwork is from Paul Whitehouse Art who helped get my concept idea into the form you see in the pictures. Great job Paul and thanks for your time and effort. Also big thanks to fellow Outlaw racer Andy Osbourne of Fatflyers.com for doing all the flyers and massive sign boards and bringing them to Kidderminster from Brighton. What a massive effort for us to take to the show of the concept car, you are a star, top bloke thanks Andy. Thanks to my other sponsors Steertrack Ltd, Andy Cornish and Nick Harrison being our first cash sponsors. Our own company LA Commercials Ltd, main supporter and tech sponsors, Britain's finest RAF Cosford and Commander Jon Milson. If you would like to be a part of our project or a sponsor please contact me at redmist66@hotmail.co.uk or call me on 07940 153320. Again with the numbers. 13th June: Sweden's multiple FIA European Pro Stock Jimmy Ålund started the season with fantastic performances at the Main Event which he not only won but reset the European Pro Stock elapsed time and speed records. That was not just a lucky break. At last weekend's Tierp Internationals, straight off the trailer in qualifying round 1, Jimmy set the stage for yet more records by running under his fresh elapsed time record and also ran a speed fast enough to be in record setting territory: a fantastic 6.498 at 345.93 kmh (214.95 mph). 
Jimmy kept the momentum going into qualifying round 2, backing up his earlier numbers to set a new European elapsed time record and blowing away his old speed record with a fantastic
6.501 second run at a massive speed of 346.15 kmh (215.09 mph).
Nine-time Champion Jimmy said "We have the whole car under good control but it's right on the edge. Records are nice and this time I value the speed number more than the elapsed time. There are only a handful of racers in the world who have run over 215 mph with an NHRA legal Pro Stock car. We're OK to be part of that group." After a long break for rain on the Saturday, things slowed down slightly for qualifying round 3 but the Jimmy Ålund Pro Stock Racing team pulled the quickest ET and highest speed of that session as well and gathered more bonus points. The outlook for Sunday's weather was bleak and unfortunately correct. Jimmy won his first round with yet another low ET and high speed of the session, but racing was cut short after the first round of eliminations as rain and gale winds made it impossible to finish the race. "Rain is hard to beat", said Jimmy, "but this was otherwise a very good weekend, I feel the track was better than ever and that we now have a solid set-up in power, chassis and driveline. The KB Racing engine we're running is called The Punisher and it certainly lives up to its name. Of course a special thanks to our event sponsor, long time race partner Exclusive Cars." Jimmy left the Tierp Internationals in the points lead, 32 points ahead of Thomas Lindström. A good start for Jimmy in his chase for an unprecedented 10th FIA Pro Stock Championship. The next event for the Jimmy Ålund Pro Stock Racing team is the third race of the 2015 FIA Pro Stock Drag Racing Championship series, the FHRA Nitro Nationals, at Alastaro, Finland. Qualifying starts on Friday morning, 3rd July. For more information including videos visit www.jimmyalund.com. Picture courtesy and ©Stefan Boman Euro Top Gas Round 2 review. 13th June: Herman Jolink writes that the second round of this year's Euro Top Gas Series took place over a quarter of a mile at Bechyne in the Czech Republic on 29th-30th May: The track is a concrete military runway, some rubber over the first 200 metres but the concrete is a little rough. On Saturday morning Top Gas had two qualifying runs and then it rained, and we had the third qualifying session at 20:00 on Saturday. Top Gas qualifying:
The weather was nice and sunny on Sunday. 
First round of eliminations: Schack 8.397/181 beat van Nimmen 19.493/58 Schack off the throttle almost crossed lanes; Andersen 8.584/241 beat Malmberg, new Personal Best for Andersen, Malmberg shut off shortly after the start. Albers had electrical problems; Menzi 8.477/216 beat Jolink 8.977/241. Jolink had traction problems and had to lean his body a lot not to cross the centre line; Heitmann 8.579/243 bye, Kolacny broke. Semi finals: Schack 8.809/163 bye, Andersen's engine stopped after the burnout; Menzi and Heitmann both redlit, Menzi left before the tree was activated and Heitmann followed Menzi, both disqualified. Final: Frederik Schack DK 8.410/183 off the throttle after 200 metres to prevent crossing lanes. Top Gas Championship after two rounds:
20th-21st June: DHRA 40 years Drag Racing Drachten with Top Gas riders Christian Bruhn D and Peter Niklas D at the start, Herman Jolink will not participate he is concentrating on the Top Gas Championship 26th-28th June: Malmö S (eighth mile) 10th-12th Jule: Drachten NL 7th-9th August: NitrOlympX D 28th-30th August: Mosten Race Days DK (eighth mile) 11th-13th September: Top Gas Finals Malmö S (eighth mile) Pictures courtesy and ©Piet Mom Web site updates. 13th June: That you can't beat Mother Nature was once again proven at the Tierp Internationals at Tierp Arena where after an almost perfect Friday and a rain shortened Saturday the bad weather came back on race day. With only one elimination round in Super Street Bike completed, heavy showers forced an early end to the opening round of the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship. That was a shame, as after great ETs in qualifying with Sverre Dahl, Samu Kemppainen, Robert Karlsson and Rick Stubbins leading their categories, and an extremely close field in Pro Stock Motorcycle, everybody was looking forward to an-action packed elimination day at Tierp Arena. You can read more in Remco Scheelings' latest report on the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship web site at www.edrspro.com. Top Sportsman/Dragster details. 11th June: Many thanks to Paul Marston for forwarding us details of the arrangements for Comanche Race Cars Top Sportsman and Tasty Puffs Top Dragster which take place at this weekend's BWM Scooter Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway. Santa Pod Raceway's gates will be open between 10:00 and midnight on Friday. Upon arrival in the pits a Top Sportsman pit marshal will direct you to your pit. Neither the Signing On office nor the track will be open on Friday, but scrutineering is available; the scrutineers will come to you. Gates open for the duration at 08:00 on Saturday and the Signing On office will open at 08:30 on both Saturday and Sunday. All drivers will need to sign on on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Please present your DVLC licence. The official entry lists are available and can be checked out by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. The provisional running orders are available and can be checked out by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Please note that these running orders are provisional and subject to change due to weather or track conditions or for any other reason deemed necessary by the organisers. Volkslife results. 10th June: Many thanks to Wayne Schreier and Luke Stevenson for forwarding us the results of the weekend's Volkslife at Shakespeare County Raceway. Congratulations to: VW Pro #1 qualifier: Sam Young +0.002 11.252/116.41 Final: Sam Young (11.30) 11.755/93.88 def. Paul Bargate (12.80) 13.646/93.04 VW Sportsman #1 qualifier: Paul Day +0.009 16.309/79.86 Final: Tom Herbert (14.00) 14.043/93.51 def. Paul Herbert (13.40) 13.332/99.49 breakout Outlaw Anglia #1 qualifier: Cliff Griffin 7.657/186.03 Final: Cliff Griffin 7.987/170.09 def. Steve Wells 8.599/154.50 NitrOlympX entry update. 10th June: NitrOlympX Race Director Jerry Lackey has been in touch with an update for racers intending to contest the thirtieth running of the event at Hockenheim on 7th-9th August, and a special message for Supercharged Outlaw racers: All racer information and entry forms can now be found on our web site at www.nitrolympx.com. I have this week forwarded the prize payout plan for the first appearance of Supercharged Outlaws to Ian Kerr and Lee Gallimore who I understand represent the Supercharged Outlaws in the UK. If any UK racer is interested in racing in the Supercharged Outlaws at the NitrOlympX then please contact Ian or Lee. Our plan is for a sixteen-car field with racers from England, Switzerland, Austria and Germany - if any racer from any country other than the UK is interested in running in the Supercharged Outlaws then please contact me at mail@jerry-lackey.de. Swift snippets. 10th June: Many thanks Ian Marshall for forwarding us the final version of the official entry list for the SPRC Summernationals, which takes place at Santa Pod Raceway on 27th-28th June. You can check out the Summernationals entry list by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Many thanks also to Andy Marrs of TSI Timers Europe for forwarding us new tables of UK and European Bests. The European Bests table has been updated with Jimmy Ålund's new ET and speed records set at the Tierp Internationals, which Marrs tells us are Jimmy's tenth ET record and eleventh speed record respectively, whilst the UK Bests table now includes Front Wheel Drive. You can check out the records sheets by clicking here or by clicking on the European Bests link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Billy Gane writes that his 4th annual summer party, to which all are invited, takes place at 7:00 pm on Saturday 1st August at Writtle near Chelmsford in Essex (CM1 3NT). Tickets are on sale at £10 each including entry and food from the barbecue. There will be live music, disco, late night burger van, rodeo bull, race cars on display, inflatables and much more. Partygoers are welcome to stay the night. For more info call or text Billy on 07904 612048 or contact him through Facebook. "We look forward to seeing you all soon", he says. Martin Chapman says that UK Super Pro ET racer Roy Walker again broke his Personal Best speed at the weekend's Vauxhall Performance Show at Santa Pod Raceway. On successive passes Roy clocked 155.28 mph then 155.34 mph. Tierp Fried Chicken. 
10th June: Finnish Top Fuel Dragster racer Anita Mäkelä was hot at the Tierp Internationals in more ways than one:
It was great to get to Tierp and to see that the track was as good as always. Kjell and his crew had done a good job again. We started pretty much with the same set up as we had at Santa Pod. In the first qualifying round the car ran well until one piston went. It caused a fire but our time was 4.06. Lots of cleaning, re-wiring, re-tubing meant that we missed the second qualifying session - it must be several years since we last missed a qualifier. In the third qualifier on Saturday we were back in the threes, happy happy happy and number one qualifier. Sunday began meeting Björn Måtensson in the first round. Our 3.92 gave us the win, but at the finish line some oil got out and ignited. I was in flames. The same cleaning and rewiring as on Friday. But practice makes perfect and my crew made all the repairs so efficiently that we were ready to meet Urs in the next round. But then the rain came and spoiled all the fun. My dear car looks so rough after the race. All those flames made scars. Maybe it looks tougher but it still is my little sweet one, which is really running great now. A promising start. 10th June: The all-new Suzuki Pro Stock Bike fielded by Martin and Cindy Newbury of Eurodragster.com sponsor Psycle Workz made its début at the Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. The race was the team's first outing after a two-year break in racing: 
The stunning red paintwork, applied by Przym Paintworks, brought endless admiration and with an ex-Freddie Camarena Vance and Hines engine the
potential to run with the top of class is not far away.
As this was the first meeting and everything was new, we wanted to check the setup of the bike so we took things slowly. Initial indications showed that we are heading in the right direction, wint, problems changing gear and Mart was not so quick off the tree so that was last run for us that weekend, but we were pleased with the data we had collected. Our next round will be at the NitrOlympX at Hockenheim in August. Many thanks to our sponsors Harrison Billet Brakes and Przym Paintworks, and to Freddie Camarena for all his help and support as well as to many others. Web site updates. 10th June: Our good buddy Remco Scheelings has again had a busy few days and his latest main d'oeuvre is his Tierp Internationals report for The Netherlands' Autosport with the usual excellent on- and off-track reports. You can check out the on-track report by clicking here and the off-track report by clicking here. Thanks to Marcus Sjödin for letting us know that the post-Tierp Internationals points standings in Top Doorslammer are now available on the series' official web site at www.topdoorslammer.com. Dick Parnham has updated his Flickr site with pictures from the Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. You can check out Dick's work at www.flickr.com/photos/dickparnhamdragracing. Tierp Internationals rained out. 8th June: Yesterday's (Sunday's) eliminations at the Tierp Internationals were rained out after the first rounds of some Sportsman and FIA eliminations. After several rain / dry track iterations the heavens opened and after initially cancelling Sportsman eliminations the Race Director then had no choice but to cancel the event. Congratulations to Jimmy Ålund who for the second event running set new European Pro Stock records of 6.498 seconds and 215.09 mph (346.15 kmh). Micke Gullqvist did the first half of a European Pro Modified ET record of 5.844 seconds before the event was curtailed. The event was marred by bad crashes involving Björn Bondesson (Stock / Super Stock), Mattias Wulcan (Pro Modified) and a two-car incident involving Top Methanol FC racers Micke Larsson and Leif Andréasson. The incidents were mitigated by the rapid and professional actions of the safety crews but at time of writing both Mattias and Micke are still in hospital. You can check out our John Woolfe Racing-sponsored Tierp Internationals reports, pit notes and galleries by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Swift snippets. 8th June: We were very pleased to be reminded by Phil Steele that today (Monday 8th) is the 40th anniversary of Europe's first eight-second bike pass, an 8.93/151 by Keith Parnell on Rouge et Noir. Both parties involved are still going strong. Happy Anniversary Keith. Drachten Pro entry still open. 8th June: Margot Schmidt says that all are invited to the Dutch Pro event at Drachten Drag Strip on 10th-12th July. "Several European teams have already entered, from countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and more", says Margot. "It's going to be a spectacle!" Entry is €150 which includes driver registration, five crew passes, parking, showers, toilets, electricity and camp site on location. Junior drag racers enter free and this includes driver registration, one crew pass, parking, showers, toilets, electricity and camp site on location. You can still enter the event at www.quartermile.nl/event-info/inschrijven-10-11-12-juli-2015. Heating up Iceland. 7th June: A few months back, UK Jet Funny Car pilot Martin Hill was invited to take Fireforce 3 to Iceland as the star attraction to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Icelandic Drag Racing Club. The organiser and some of the track crew came over for the FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway to confirm details of the trip. Donna Finnegan writes that the trip has taken place this week and that Martin wowed the fans: The FireForce team flew out to Iceland late last Monday, and on Tuesday the container was delivered to the track at Kvartmíluklúbburinn and the car was unloaded and prepped ready for the Press Day on Wednesday. 
The Press Day was successful - a quick start up and demo of the vapour and flame show were enough to impress the media who attended and we even made the Icelandic news that evening!! Thursday was the main show day and we were told that they expected over 1,200 spectators for the evening's show. The first run, scheduled at 8:00 pm, was a new Personal Best for FF3 over the eighth mile of 3.89/215! We closed the show with a second and final run at 10:00 pm and a quarter mile time of 6.15 seconds. The car has since been on static display at an indoor car show in Reykjavik and after the show closes today (Sunday) it's back to the track for another evening show with two more runs scheduled. A huge thank you to Ingo and Ingi plus all the track crew at Kvartmíluklúbburinn, you made us all feel so welcome and the track is a credit to you. Thank you also to Phil Evans. A full report can be found on our web site at www.fireforce.co.uk or follow our trip on our Facebook page. Swift snippets. 7th June: UK Pro ET racer Mike Lacey says that a wonderful trio from Wiltshire named Bad Lizard will keep everyone bouncing at the Pro ET party at the Summernationals at Santa Pod Raceway. "We also have a special appearance from the Weedhawks, all the way from West Virginia USA", says Mike, "a husband and wife who play the weirdest form of American folk, hillbilly, you have ever seen. But don't call them country. Proceedings will start at 8:00 pm with the Weedhawks for an hour, then Bad Lizard for an hour until 10:00 pm, Weedhawks for another thirty minutes then Bad Lizard play until midnight. You will have the most fun you have had for ages. What more could you ask for: racing, live music, party and beer (I'd ask for the time to attend - Race Reporter/Ed). Hope to see you all there. Pro ET umbrellas will be on sale if it's raining. Dragstalgia's two-wheeled royalty. 6th June: Dragstalgia has become a firm favourite for any drag racing fan, as for one weekend a year, the wonder years of drag racing are revisited at Santa Pod Raceway. The two-wheeled fraternity always produces some truly iconic machines thanks to their good friends at the NSA, but this year really is one which motorbike fans will not want to miss: The NSA on track display alone boasts riders including John Hobbs (celebrating fifty years in racing), Jeff Byne, Pip Higham and Dave Clee, plus bikes which are respected as equally as their riders: Hobbit, Olympus, Super Cyclops, Methamon, Shotgun, Orient Express and more! Joining the historic drag racing static display this year, Santa Pod Raceway are very pleased to announce, is none other than one of the icons of British drag racing, the supercharged double-engined Pegasus of Ian Messenger and Derek Chinn. This historic Norton powered bike was the last bearing the renowned Pegasus name. A replica of the original team bike, with a V-twin Vincent motor, was built some years back by Derek Chinn. It can be seen on track at Dragstalgia ridden by Graham Martin, and it is aptly named Pegasus Reborn. 
Pegasus, however, is not the only bike which will be leaving the National Motorcycle Museum for this weekend, as the museum are also loaning TC Christenson's incredible Hogslayer, a bike which was looked up to by probably all bike racers of its time. This double-engined Norton dominated at drag strips around the US in the 1970s as well as making some guest appearances in the UK and becoming the first bike to run below nine seconds in Europe. Santa Pod Raceway are honoured to have this piece of drag racing royalty at Dragstalgia this year and they can't thank their friends at the National Motorcycle Museum enough for making this display possible To view the entry list, full line-up of attractions, and to book tickets please visit www.dragstalgia.co.uk. These are just a couple of the amazing collection of bikes which can usually be found in the National Motorcycle Museum, recognised as the finest and largest motorcycle museum in the world. To find out more and to plan your visit, check out www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk. Read goes for Top Dragster. 6th June: The UK's Robin Read says that the construction of his new dragster is coming along too slowly and that he will therefore be running his original blown-nitro Daimler rail in Top Dragster at next week's BWM Scooter and Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway: The motor has been freshened up and I have installed the Pro Mag 44 magneto and coil set up, this should address the dropped cylinders problem from which the old car suffered. The downside to this is that I will be a bit lost with the tune-up in the car, so I will have to start conservatively, but it has the potential to run its best times . I have not managed to find rear end gears in the correct ratio or material so that is an area of possible breakage dependent upon power and track condition, although I have a plan which should alleviate the issues with breakage . I have sourced and fitted stronger valve springs which should extend the RPM range of the engine and make up for the short rear end gears. I am looking forward to running the heads-up format, there will be some very quick cars there. Two fingers to the thieves. 
6th June: Proving that crime doesn't pay, Nigel Taylor writes that the Detroit Spinner team have recovered from
the recent theft of the Prefect's trailer which was built by owner Arthur Bonner:
Our great team of sponsors showed their true colours again and, within a week, the new trailer was organised via Chas Chivers. The Detroit Spinner team would like to thank Graham True, Kelvin Helsdown, Jeff Goddard, Peter Borrett at Saunashop.com, Shakespeare County Raceway, William Underhill, Rob Gregory, Mark Timson, Stephen Lowth, Col Law, Leslie Waldron and Cindy Cotten for their fast response to the trailer fund which made it possible. One of the team's goals was to involve as many people as possible in the sport, as well as bringing back as many people as possible into the sport. At the up and coming NSRA Nostalgia Nationals 73-year-old Arthur will try to beat the car's best-ever run of 11.77 with the same Pontiac / Fairbanks combination. This year we are already at 11.91 with no nitrous. Helping Arthur to achieve this will be a new Outlaw Anglia member, Col Law, and a well-loved former Outlaw Anglia member returning to the sport for the first time in years! With more than 300 bhp of nitrous available we are aiming to beat that 11.77 if all stays to plan. 
Paul Dale, one of the Detroit drivers / crew / sponsors, is now flat out putting his new race car back together with the help of ex-Wild Bunch racer, dad Steve. The Chevy-powered 105e has
just left Justin Hornes Joust Performance and Acute Angle Racing is aiming to make its début at the Nostalgia Nationals, but if time doesn't allow then it will be Dragstalgia.
At Dragstalgia, Arthur will be just one week away from his 74th birthday. Sharing driving duties will be Andy Frost of Red Victor 3 fame and Michael Hawkins. Promises to be good! We would like to thank everyone for their continued support; please make sure you pop by and say Hello in the pits and keep up to date on the Detroit Spinner Racing Facebook page. Web site updates. 6th June: Our good buddy Alan Currans has updated his excellent Acceleration Archive site with a page of Pro Comp pictures taken by Peter Quinn at Indy in 1975. "Pro Comp combined blown methanol-burning dragsters, Funny Fars and altereds into one class with weight breaks to even up competition", says Alan. "Just as in today's Top Methanol Dragster class, nitro could be used but you had to lose the supercharger. Just three years after Europe's first six-second run in a blown nitro-burning car the fastest Pro Comp entries were well down into the sixes so this was no Mickey Mouse class". As ever you can stay in touch with the latest updates via the What's New? link at www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk. Paul Lister has updated his Drag Car Anon web site with pictures from the Saturday of the recent Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. You can check out Pauls pictures at www.dragcaranon.co.uk. Ahonen returns. 5th June: Finland's Janne Ahonen, the world-beating ski jumper who also runs his own drag racing team ArtSport, is returning to the hot seat of his Top Fuel Dragster this season. Janne plans to put in a few test passes at the Drag Week at Alastaro at the end of June, and then to run at the FHRA Nitro Nationals FIA Championship round on the first weekend in July. Janne will be driving the same ex-Brandon Bernstein rail which he successfully campaigned in 2012. Preparations are already well underway with mostly the same crew as in 2012, led by Simo Patoharju. Lindbergs welcome Main Sponsor. 5th June: Lindberg Bros Motorsports is looking to make a big impact at this weekend's Tierp Internationals at Tierp Arena as they welcome new Main Sponsor Rovalin on board. 
After six races in the USA competing in NHRA with Jonnie's car it's finally time for Johan to jump in his own car and the start of the European season at his home track, only one
hour from the Lindbergs' headquarters in Stockholm. With new partners and a brand new design the team are looking forward to racing on Swedish soil again.
"I can't wait until I jump back in the seat again and floor it and hopefully run some good numbers this coming weekend", said Johan. "We have done a lot racing this year already
with Jonnie's car with me watching from the outside, but now it's my turn behind the steering wheel."
"It's fun to be back home and race for our home crowd, and I guess it's my brothers turn to shine a little bit", said Jonnie with a smile. "I'm pretty confident that we are going to run fast this weekend, we have a fresh blower and a new injector hat from Jeff Burnett, so basically it's the same parts as my car in USA. The experience I have as a tuner with so many runs racing overseas helps too." Rovalin has engaged in equipment rental for complex foundation work since 2002. The machines are specially designed and built with the experience of thirty years in the industry. Most of the machines are radio controlled to minimise the risk of accidents and to increase efficiency. The Work Environment Authority has on several inspections found that these radio-controlled machines are a good example when it comes to the work environment. In the summer of 2014 Rovalin widened their mission to offer comprehensive solutions for pile foundations. They also help with technical consultating to solve foundation issues in the best manner possible. More information on their home page at www.rovalin.se. Tethys' thanks. 
5th June: UK Top Fuel Dragster racer Tethys raced in one of Eurodragster.com sponsor
Urs Erbacher's Top Fuel Dragsters at the Main Event at
Santa Pod Raceway. Tet says that working with a crew for the first time is always a bit of a step into the unknown, but that working with Urs
and his team turned out to be a fantastic experience:
It's true that the results on track weren't what any of us were hoping for. Of the five runs of the weekend, I lost a blower belt on two of them, went up in smoke on two of them (one on the hit, one a bit further down the track) and was shut down for a fuel leak on the other one. But everything else about the weekend was everything I could have hoped for. It may be predictable to thank the crew, but I really would be nowhere without them. So thank you to Urs and Robin and to Monika, Dario, Thomas, Chris, Richard, Ian, Roy and Ritschie, and I'll wish them the best of luck at Tierp this weekend. Help needed. 5th June: UK Super Comp racer Paul Spiers is in desperate need of some old 32 x 15 x 16 tyres for set-up purposes. "I am in the final stages of finishing the re-vamp and rebuild of my '69 Camaro after crash in testing before the European Finals a couple of years ago", says Paul. "Your help would be appreciated. My number is 07825 704993 or johnpaulspiers@gmail.com. Volkslife racer update. 4th June: Many thanks to Jerry Cookson for sending us the final version of the official entry list for this weekend's Volkslife / Public Track Weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway, which includes a round of the VWDRC and Outlaw Anglia Championships. You can check out the Volkslife entry list by clicking here. Jerry also asked us to inform racers that all tickets will be held on the main gate. Summernationals entry update. 4th June: Many thanks also Ian Marshall for forwarding us Version 5 of the official entry list for the SPRC Summernationals, which you can check out by clicking here. Standard-priced entry closes tomorrow (Friday); entry after this date, if accepted, may be subject to a Late Entry penalty. You can download official entry forms from the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc. If you have any queries about SPRC Summernationals entry then please contact Ian Marshall at ir.marshall@btinternet.com or call 01933 313625(outside the UK +44 1933 313625). Big is back, again. 3rd June: Further to the news of 23rd May that Mopar are to receive a Lucas Oil Lifetime Achievement Award at November's British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Gala Dinner, it has now been revealed that none other than Big Daddy Don Garlits is making a return trip to the UK to make the presentation at the event at the Savill Court Hotel in Windsor on 21st November. 
Don has been a Mopar Ambassador for sixty years and was at the forefront of developing the Mopar Hemi engine in his series of
Swamp Rat dragsters. He was the first to receive the 426 cubic inch Hemi 'Elephant Motor' which was installed in Swamp Rat 8
at the end of 1964. In March he received the Mopar President's Award for his sixty years as a Mopar Ambassador. For this trip he will
again be joined by his daughter Donna Garlits, Chief Financial Officer of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala. Donna's son
Rodney will also be making a return trip to the Gala Dinner.
Don said "On hearing that the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame had selected Mopar to receive the Lucas Oil Global Achievement Award I knew I had to make the presentation. My relationship with Mopar over most of my drag racing career has been the cornerstone of my achievements. I was honoured to receive the Lucas Oil Global Achievement Award last year and presenting it to Mopar this year will give me a great deal of pleasure and pride. I'm looking forward to meeting the many friends I have made in the UK and celebrating the Mopar Hemi with them. That makes two trips to England this year because I'm also at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 25th to 28th June." The on-stage announcers for the Gala Dinner have been more or less finalised. The UK team of long-serving Santa Pod Raceway and National Street Rod Association announcer John Price will be joined by broadcaster and Chairman of the Guild of Motoring Writers Guy Loveridge, official Gala MC Paul Wright, and BDRHoF Commerce and Marketing Director Brian Taylor. But to introduce the Lucas Oil Global Achievement Award this year and to interview those involved, BDRHoF have invited leading American Sports Network broadcaster Jack Korpela. A University of Florida graduate, Jack Korpela is a professional broadcaster who has worked for several sports networks including ESPN, CBS and Fox Sports. As well as commentating on football, baseball and professional wrestling (seen in over 160 countries), he became well known as a pit reporter for ESPN's Inside Drag Racing, The Mother's Polish Car Show Series and In The Driver's Seat. He is also the editor of a popular motorcycle racing news website, Cycledrag.com and PR Consultant to Larry McBride. You can see Jack at work at www.vimeo.com/32855366. 
Talking about his trip to the Gala, Jack said "It is a great honour for me to be a part of such a prestigious and illustrious event – particularly
the presentation of the Lucas Oil Global Achievement Award to Mopar. And I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the late Brian
Johnson and I find it very fitting that during my first trip across the pond I will be able to pay homage to him. I'm sure Ann and Brian will be
smiling down as Larry 'Spiderman' McBride honours their memory. While I'm there I want to interview some drag bike riders because I'm very keen
to promote this event and the UK drag bike scene in the USA."
BDRHoF Chairman Stu Bradbury said "One of the things we have been trying to achieve with the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame is to enhance its profile internationally and in turn the profile of British and European drag racing along with our Inductees. Building a special relationship with the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame has been very important and it is very rewarding when someone like Jack also shows an interest. I look forward to meeting him in November and hopefully he can join others now spreading the word in the USA." Ticket prices for the Gala Dinner will remain as last year at £60 per person. Corporate tables of ten are available at £580. Room prices also remain as last year, £99 for double and £79 for single including breakfast. Complimentary use of swimming pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and free car parking are also part of the package. For advance booking of Gala Dinner tickets contact britishdrhof@aol.com or telephone Stu Bradbury on 01933 279102. No deposits will be required until the summer but when other plans come together this will again be an early sell-out event. For room bookings call the Savill Court Hotel on 01784 472000 quoting Hall of Fame dinner 21st November. Room for more at the Top. 3rd June: Organiser Paul Marston says that although entries are pouring in for Tasty Puffs Top Dragster and Comanche Race Cars Top Sportsman at the BWM Scooter and Ska Rally at Santa Pod Raceway on 12th-14th June, there is still room for more: Let's kick off the new season of Fast Bracket and Heads-Up Top Sportsman / Dragster action with a bang. Already quick off the mark in Top Dragster are some of the very fastest supercharged dragsters in the country which are already entered. The Tasty Puffs UK Top Dragster event is the very first of its kind and gives some of these teams an opportunity to compete heads up and see how fast they really can go. I can tell you that racing heads up is a completely different mindset from the Fast Bracket Race. To run heads up you just need to do enough to beat the guy or girl in the other lane. You have to know when to play a little safe, no to lean on the tree too hard, just do what you need to win the round. But when the chips are down, and you need to really lay down a number, well, thats when you chop the tree down and unleash the monster. With so many really talented and vastly experienced dragster, Funny Car, altered and roadster teams out there, you can pick your favourites. Will youth and exuberance outlast age and treachery? Whichever way it goes it really will be tough to call. When it comes to the Fast Bracket Race, which is being held on the Saturday (Friday is arrival and scrutinerring only), it is a completely different set of skills. In a bracket race you have to strive to be perfect in every way. On the Christmas Tree you are looking for a .00 light (.400 Pro Tree). You must also read the track as your dial in is very important, it is the time you predict you will run. Yes it can be a poker game at the finish line and often is, but you still have to know what you should run to be able to execute your finish line game, if you are not dialling honest. If anything, the Fast Bracket could be argued as the harder race to win, but as I said before it's a different set of skills, it is a way of levelling the field, anyone can win. Just remember this: Tasty Puffs Top Dragster and Comanche Race Cars Top Sportsman is the toughest, fastest, richest, televised, no rules other than safety, heads up and fast bracket drag race event in the country. No-one has to date ever won twice, there is a reason for that. Many thanks go to Santa Pod Raceway management and the organisers of BWM for allowing us to run and to Eurodragster.com for the Event Coverage, don't know what we would do without you guys (Eat less curry - Ed). For more information call me on 07831 650230 or E-Mail pmracing@fsmail.net, or Like UK Top Sportsman on Facebook. Swift snippets. 
3rd June: This evening (Wednesday) Persåkers Speed Shop in Åkers Styckebruk will host Coolest Bike and L-O Jonsson
writes that Per Bengtsson and the Beast team will be on hand displaying their nitro Supertwin followed by a nitro warm-up later in the evening. Per will be
the judge for the event choosing the winners in all of the different bike classes. As one of the Beast sponsors, Jöran Persåker is happy to present the baddest
nitro bike around and to give fans a taste of what will be happening at Tierp Arena this weekend.
Robin Jackson tells us that a detailed report of the Pro Mod competition at last week's Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway, as well as MSA Championship points standings, are now available on the MSA British Drag Racing Championship web site at www.msadragracing.co.uk. Vegter heads the right way. 3rd June: The Netherlands' David Vegter can look back on a good first round of the FIA European Pro Modified Championship, writes Remco Scheelings: With a converter instead of the traditional clutch in the 67 Camaro, Vegter Pro Mod Racing had to find a new set-up for the car. And they found it! Not only was major progress made working towards the right set-up for the Camaro but, with two 6.15-second runs, ETs were getting better too. David advanced to the quarter finals, to stay close to overall winner Mats Eriksson. 
As usual, Santa Pod Raceway was host to the opening round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championships. With nineteen entrants, Pro Modified was the largest and most competitive class. In the first round of qualifying, David's ET was 6.43 seconds with bad tyre shake. After some adjustments to the set-up, the second round was much better at 6.23 seconds. With this ET the Vegter Pro Mod Racing Camaro was third at the end of the first day of qualifying. Against expectations, there were no improvements for the Vegter Pro Mod Racing Camaro on day two of qualifying. At 230 mph in the fourth run the speed was not bad, but at 6.29 seconds there was no improvement in ET. As some other drivers improved on their performance, David dropped a few places and was seventh at the end of qualifying. But after these runs, the team knew which way to work to with the set-up. 
In the first round of eliminations David had to face Jean Dulamon. In the run it was clear that Vegter Pro Mod Racing had made the right tuning decisions. In 6.155 seconds David defeated the French Pro Mod racer. In the quarter final David had to face the toughest competitor of all, Mats Eriksson. The number two qualifier wasn't just quick, but with a string of 5.9-second runs the Swede was extremely consistent too. After a close side-by-side run, at 6.15 for David and 6.09 seconds for Mats, the Swede took the win light. So for Vegter Pro Mod Racing the quarter final was the end of their Main Event. But with two 6.15-second runs, and knowing that the team had learned a lot about the Camaro's set-up, Vegter Pro Mod Racing could look back at a successful first race of the season. 
"A very successful weekend", said David. "With the converter instead of the traditional clutch, we had to work on a new set-up for the Camaro. In only one race, we made major progress. And we also know where to improve even more. As a driver, I have to get used to the converter too, as it requires a different driving routine. But on race day, that was already much better too. I'm looking forward to the next race." The next race of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship takes place this week at Tierp Arena in Sweden. At this great track, Vegter Pro Mod Racing wants to make the next step and improve on their performance. But competition is tough at Tierp as twenty three combinations are entered and, although some of the Scandinavian Pro Mods won't do the full FIA EC tour, they are all extremely fast. Partners of Vegter Pro Mod Racing are WVB Holland, Sonic Equipment, Post & Dros Racing Engines & Parts, HKR Techniek and MPM Oil. A new Bloodline. 
3rd June: Ian Turburville writes that with a perfect track and co-operative weather UK Super Pro ET team Bloodlines Racing
enjoyed their Main Event and came away with more cars than they had at the start of the weekend:
We again joined forces with Trouble Racing from Switzerland, which made the whole experience less stressful and more successful for both teams. Marcus Hilt and his team had Camp Stanley tuning for them and Bloodlines had me tuning for Laura. Christian Wilson was crewing on both teams and loving every minute although it meant some quick team uniform changes at times! Marcus did great and ran two PBs qualifying well in Pro Mod. Laura was racing in Super Pro and the thirty two car field was the toughest ever. The True Blood slingshot was never meant for bracket racing and has none of the gadgets which make the other cars so consistent, no trans brake and no auto shift, all manual old skool style. Still, Laura managed to be surprisingly close to her dial in but still only qualified #23 after running 8.22 on a 8.20 dial in! During qualifying she blew everyone away by running solid PBs of 7.90 seconds and 171 mph! The car performed brilliantly with no major issues but after nine rounds of qualifying and three rounds of eliminations it made I decided that it was a bit too much for the red and white missile. Cristiann Carlo helped us check the valve springs and they were all starting to go away so a team meeting was called to decide on the future direction. The team principals at Bloodlines agreed with me that the lovely slingshot should be retired gracefully from Super Pro competition and only used for nostalgia demos at a few events each year, to be driven by myself once more. The Beach Bomb slingshot will meanwhile make its début at Dragstalgia in July and is for sale turn-key. What of Laura you ask? Monday of the Main Event was Laura's twentieth birthday and Bloodlines decided she needed something special as a reward so a plan was hatched! Our good friends from the Netherlands, Oomen Racing, were pitted opposite us and over coffee and waffles a deal was done. Bloodlines bought the dragster formerly raced so well by Shari Oomen for Laura to drive. At the weekend it was being used for licence runs by Willem Van Baalen who not only got his licence but made a round in Super Pro and ran a 7.95 to boot! The car is a lovely GLP chassis with a fresh 555 ci Reher Morrison motor with Ron's Injection. Turboville Racing will be working their usual magic on it over the next few months to update it and give it a bit of bling! This should give Laura a better chance of making a serious attack on the Super Pro Championship next year. Bloodlines and Turboville would like to thank Chris for all his great team work, also Marcus, Brigitte, Andreas, Sabrina, Marc, Camp and the rest of Trouble Racing for the friendship and hospitality over the weekend. We could not have raced at all if it were not for the help of the beautiful Julie Braskett (happy birthday Julie) who got the bad news last week that her father's long time partner, Gary Burgin, had passed. RIP Gary, you helped the whole of European drag racing for years. Big thanks also go to Central College Nottingham, who have joined the team and lastly Mike Crawford of Kleen Freaks who not only stepped up as a sponsor but joined in the fun all weekend and crewed with us. The shine on the car over the weekend was unbelievable, no doubt the reason for the new PBs, superior car detailing products indeed! A big Well Done to Ian Powell for his win and to all the people in the fantastic Super Pro ETclass! Special mention must go to Laura's big sister Anita Mäkelä and husband Tommi for their fantastic performance in Top Fuel Dragster and to our buddy Kevin Kent for a great win in Fuel FC. Commiserations for all those who tried so hard but broke in their attempts, especially Mark Adams, but nice to see everyone safe. Santa Pod's track crew are the best! Web site updates. 3rd June: Colin Donisthorpe has updated his Flickr site with pictures from the Festival of Power and the Main Event. You can take a look at www.flickr.com/photos/colin_donisthorpe. Volkslife running order. 2nd June: Many thanks to Jerry Cookson of Shakespeare County Raceway for sending us the provisional running order for qualifying for VW Pro, VW Sportsman and Outlaw Anglia at this weekend's Volkslife / Public Track Weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway: Saturday 6th June Q1: 10:30 Q2: 12:00 Q3: 13:30 Q4: 15:00 Q5 (provisional): 16:30 A Q6 is planned on Sunday, time TBC. Please note that as ever these times are provisional and subject to change due to weather or track conditions, or for any other reason deemed necessary by race officials. In the event of disruption to qualifying on Saturday, race officials will make a decision upon how many qualifying sessions to hold on Sunday with consideration to the number of elimination rounds to be contested. The scheduling of eliminations is TBC. Summernationals entry update. 2nd June: Many thanks also Ian Marshall for forwarding us Version 4 of the official entry list for the SPRC Summernationals, which you can check out by clicking here. Standard-priced entry closes this Friday (5th); entry after this date, if accepted, may be subject to a Late Entry penalty. You can download official entry forms from the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc. If you have any queries about SPRC Summernationals entry then please contact Ian Marshall at ir.marshall@btinternet.com or call 01933 313625(outside the UK +44 1933 313625). Swift snippets. 2nd June: Many thanks to Yvonne Tramm for passing us the post-Main Event points standings in the Santa Pod Racers Club Championships. You can check out the points on our OCS Paint-sponsored Points Standings page by clicking here or by clicking on the OCS Paint Points Standings link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. If you don't see the updated points when you load a class' page then please do Ctrl and R before assuming that we got it wrong. Event entry update. 1st June: Many thanks to Jerry Cookson for sending us Version 1 of the official entry list for this weekend's Volkslife / Public Track Weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway, which includes a round of the VWDRC and Outlaw Anglia Championships. You can check out the Volkslife entry list by clicking here. Entry is still open for the 1st Européan Dragster at France's first permanent drag strip in Clastres, Picardy, this Saturday and Sunday (5th-6th June). Classes to be contested in the Association Trophée Dragster event are Super Pro ET (7.50-8.99), Pro ET (9.00-11.99), Junior Dragster, Street A (12.00), Street B (13.00), Street C (14.00-16.00) and Run What You Brung. You can check out the entry form by clicking here. More about the event on its Facebook page. Standard-price entry closes this Friday (5th June) for the SPRC Summernationals, the next round of the UK National and ACU UK Drag Racing Championships as well as VWDRC and others, which takes place at Santa Pod Raceway on 27th-28th June. Entry after Friday 5th, if accepted, will be subject to a Late Entry penalty of up to 100%. Thanks to Ian Marshall for forwarding us Version 3 of the official entry list for the SPRC Summernationals which you can check out by clicking here. You can download official entry forms from the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc. If you have any queries about SPRC Summernationals entry then please contact Ian Marshall at ir.marshall@btinternet.com or call 01933 313625 (outside the UK +44 1933 313625). Gardermoen's grant. 
1st June: Trond Høsh writes that Norsk Dragracing Gardermoen are celebrating
a grant of ten million Norwegian Kronor from the Ministry of Culture to reconstruct and develop Gardermoen Raceway,
Norway's only permanent drag strip:
After several years of hard work, finally the Club succeeded! Many enthusiasts have sacrificed a lot to submit a thorough and well-documented application . The Club would like to thank Ullensaker municipality for their very good cooperation and of course the Culture Ministry for their support. The government has seen the need to preserve and develop this motor sport: a new drag strip will affect drag racing throughout Norway and several countries in Europe. Plans for the upcoming Championship are ready and just waiting to be realised. Swift snippets. 1st June: Many thanks to Andy Marrs of TSI Timers Europe for forwarding us tables of UK and European Bests now including the several records set at last weekend's Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. You can check out the records sheets by clicking here or by clicking on the European Bests link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Staying on the subject of bests, congratulations to UK Super Pro ET racer Roy Walker and the Race Ventora team on a new PBs of 8.634/154.17 at the Main Event. "Well done everyone", says team member Martin, "and many thanks to Complete Autocare and Liqui Moly for their continued support." Many thanks to everyone who got in touch to volunteer to report upon Don Garlits' appearance at the Festival of Speed at Goodwood at the end of this month. Photo-journalist Keith Lee has accepted the job and we look forward to his report. The Harrisons' Best weekend. 1st June: UK Super Pro ET racer Rod Harrison, Karl and the NUA RKS team can only describe last weekend's Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway as a dream come true: Having had Easter to get our heads round the new Brad Anderson screw blown engine and B&J / Quick Drive converter set up we headed to Santa Pod for the latest round of the UK National Super Pro ET Championship. We had high hopes as a new torque converter had arrived from Jeff Bull Race Engines, and we would once again like to thank Jeff and Belinda Bull for supplying the converter in under a week and also for the time they spent with us over the weekend, not just making sure that we were happy with the converter but also sorting out some issues which we were having with the datalogger. Our first qualifier was a PB for both ET and speed, 6.25/215, and the weekend just got better as we got to the second round and ran a best ET of 6.007 and a best speed of 229 mph with no damage and massive smiles all round. We would like to thank Jeff Bull Race Engines, Egbert Dros, Dick Koster and the rest of the Post and Dros Race Engines and Parts team for their help, time and knowledge with the engine and MSD ignition system, our sponsors for this year NUA Motors and NUA Entertainment - without NUA we would not be racing - and last but no means least our crew, all we can say is that they are simply the best so thank you Tasha, Lisa, Andy, Abby, Lee, Jono, Jako and anyone else who helped us over the weekend. Our next outing is the Top Dragster event at the BWM Scooter and Ska Rally at Santa Pod on 13th-14th June. Please come and say hello to us if you're at the event, or you can follow our progress on the NUA / RKS Motorsport Facebook page. Tierp Internationals coverage. 1st June: Some of the Eurodragster.com team will shortly be headed to Sweden to bring you the news from the Tierp Internationals in association with John Woolfe Racing. Our coverage plans are not 100% solid and will not be until we arrive at the track but as things stand we aim to bring you Tog's usual frequently-updated reports and numbers from the on-track action, Simon's pit notes updated throughout each day, and a photo gallery at the end of each day courtesy of our good friends Lena Perés on Thursday and Patrik Jacobsson between Friday and Sunday. As is usual when the timing data is provided by Time-Tree we will run split-screen report and result pages although we shall continue to post Pro qualifying and elimination numbers manually. We will post a direct Home Page link to our coverage as soon as it commences but in the meantime you can check out our Tierp Internationals Event Index, which includes a link to the official entry list, by clicking here or by clicking on the John Woolfe Racing Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster.com page. Editor's note: Anyone reaching for their keyboard to pull up your News Editor on his recent "Dear burglar" comment on Facebook should rest assured that none of our houses will be empty whilst we are in Sweden and that, whilst I cannot comment on Mrs Groves, Mrs Tog would effortlessly beat the crap out of anyone who tried it. Earlier news |
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