Down under Doc.
30th November: UK Super Gas (and others) racer John 'Doc' Claydon is about to emigrate to Australia, taking his famous Willys Coupe with him. According to Andy Oliver of Andy's Rat fame, The Doc has big plans for his beautiful race car.

"John leaves today", says Andy, "taking Wicked Will with him. The rumour is that a blown and injected alcohol-burning Keith Black and Lenco are to be fitted. All of us at Sludge Gut Racing, CC Racing, and C and S Racing wish John and his family all the best."

Everyone at Eurodragster wishes John and his family all the best in their new home.

Web site updates.
30th November: It's a busy news week for FIA European Top Methanol FC Champion Leif Andréasson as crew member and webmaster Anders Magnusson has been in touch with news of another update to his web site. "We have added a Parts For Sale page", says Anders. "Many interesting race parts can already be found there. Would you care to buy a 5.7-second Funny Car (not the one we ran!)? We will put a lot of stuff on it on a regular basis". Check it out at www.andreassonmotorsports.com.

German Top Methanol Dragster racer Peter Schöfer has updated his web site with the latest pictures from the project to lengthen the chassis of his five-second car. "You can now see that the car stands on its own four feet, but it needs painting", says team member Gittli Koller. Follow the zu den neuesten Bildern link on the News page of the Peter Schöfer Racing web site at www.p-s-r.com.

Badtrans virus.
29th November: A number of racers and fans across Europe have been infected with the latest computer virus, which is nicknamed Badtrans. Infection commences with the receipt of an E-Mail which often has just "Re:" in the subject line, and which has a 40 Kb attachment whose final file extension is usually .pif or .scr, although there are some other variants.

It goes without saying that any such E-Mails should be deleted and that you emphatically should not open the attachments. Unfortunately, judging by our mailboxes, the virus is running rife throughout the European Drag Racing community. Eurodragster itself is unaffected, apart from the receipt of hundreds of E-Mails from those who are.

For information on how to rid yourself of the virus, check out any of the following:

www.sophos.com
www.symantec.com
www.mcafee.com

Official: Andréasson a Big Boy.
28th November: Not a kiss-and-tell from Leif Andréasson's wife Åsa, but another accolade for 2001 FIA European Top Methanol Funny Car Champion. Following hard on the heels of Leif's election as Swedish Driver of the Year (see 19th November) comes news that he is to be admitted to the Svenska Bilsport Förbundets Stora grabbars klubb, which crew member Anders Magnusson tells us means Big Boys Club. Congratulations to Leif on yet another well-deserved award.

You can find more information on the redesigned Andréasson Motorsports web site at www.andreassonmotorsports.com.

NDRS seeks travellers.
28th November: The Nordic Drag Racing Series is seeking travelling representatives to help out on next year's Scandinavian tour. Organisers Svensk Dragracing are remarkably candid about what the job doesn't involve, for example being paid or seeing any racing, but they are just as honest about the benefits which include meeting new people, working with the media, contact with your racing heroes, and having a good time! There may also be the chance to contribute to Svensk Dragracing's excellent on-line coverage of NDRS events.

You can find more details, including a full job description, on the Svensk Dragracing site at www.dragracing.se.

Material sought for SCR book.
28th November: Beth Satchell and Ozzy Ewing of the Avon Park International Racers Association have been in touch to ask readers for their anecdotes and memories of Shakespeare County Raceway.

"We are currently compiling a book about Shakespeare County Raceway and its history", they said. "We know that are many interesting and funny stories out there. We want to keep the book light-hearted and interesting. We are looking for as many anecdotes, interesting history, and funny photographs as possible to document how we have got where we are today. We would like to hear from racers and officials past and present.

"If you can help then, please E-Mail a short synopsis of what you have to offer to Beth and Ozzy, and let us know if you have any photos etc. to go with it. We will contact you at a later date for the full story if your item is chosen. We are only interested in events which occurred at Shakespeare County, Avon Park, or Long Marston Airfield. Please ensure that you include contact details in any correspondence. All contributions will be gratefully received."

SCR on the road.
28th November: Still on the subject of Shakespeare County Raceway, Ozzy Ewing has also told us about a couple of promotional appearances which the track has lined up in January.

"The idea behind these shows is to carry on from our successful displays at both Brentwood and Doncaster during the 2001 season, where we met members of the general public and introduced them to the quickest sport in the world", said Ozzy. "The first show is the Brentwood International Racing Car Show on the 19th-20th January. Shakespeare County Raceway will be there alongside Jade Racing who will be promoting their No. 1 and No. 2 Supertwin Top Gas Bikes, as well as new team changes for the 2002 season. This is an ideal opportunity to prime people about drag racing before our season starts, and judging from the excellent response we had at the 2001 show it will be a pleasure to return to this event.

"We are also booked at the Mini Fair 2002 show on the 27th of January, which is to be held at the Staffordshire County Showground. We will have a small stand featuring one of the UK's most stunning Nostalgia Dragsters, a Junior Dragster, a Mini, and a Jade Racing Top Gas Bike. Thanks for this goes to Dave Hollis of the British Mini Club who made the kind offer."

Web site updates.
28th November: The Svensk Dragracing web site at www.dragracing.se has been updated with the promised Windows wallpaper of a couple of Stefan Boman's finest photographs, and information on the new Swedish Motorsports High School.

Rob Hands has been in touch to offer racers the chance to sell their official T-shirts on his Hot Rod Tees web site. "Hopefully it will raise more cash for them during the off-season", says Rob. You can get in touch via the Hot Rod Tees web site at www.hotrodtees.co.uk, which is also worth a look if you are hunting for Christmas presents for the Hot Rodder in your life.

UK Riders' and Drivers' Meeting.
26th November: The 2002 UK National Drag Racing Championships and many other subjects were discussed at the annual joint Santa Pod Racers Club/Avon Park International Racers Association Riders and Drivers Meeting in Irthlingborough yesterday. The 2002 UK Championship dates have not all been set in stone yet, however this is the current schedule:

30th March-1st April: Easter Thunderball, Santa Pod Raceway
4th-6th May: Shakespeare County Raceway PROVISIONAL
1st-3rd June: FIA Main Event, Santa Pod Raceway
15th-16th June: Shakespeare County Raceway
24th-26th August: Shakespeare County Raceway PROVISIONAL
6th-8th September: FIA European Finals, Santa Pod Raceway
28th-29th September: UK National Finals, Santa Pod Raceway

The current seven rounds may be increased to eight with an additional event at Santa Pod Raceway on 29th-30th June (not the Cannonball as this has been discontinued due to the expense); this is to be confirmed, as is an additional non-Championship date at Shakespeare County Raceway on 26th-27th October. We expect confirmation of the above provisional and these additional dates within the next two weeks.

Other main points arising from the Riders' and Drivers' meeting were as follow:
  • The 2002 MSA British Top Methanol Championship has not yet been finalised. However, no rounds of this Championship are currently planned to be held at Shakespeare County Raceway in 2002.
  • UK National Championship entry fees are to be raised by £10 next year to £75 for all car and bike classes; the Junior Dragster entry fee also goes up by £10 to £40. The extra £10 is not going to the Clubs but to the promoters to help fund increased operating costs and improvements.
  • A fee of £25 is to be levied on entries arriving after the official closing date, which is fourteen days before an event. Racers were reminded that both Clubs accept post-dated cheques, which will not be cashed until appropriate.
  • Prize money will in future be awarded only to class winners and runners-up. The money which was previously paid to earlier-round losers will now be kept back to form a prize fund which will be distributed to the top finishers in the UK Championships at the end of the season (how many placings receive the end-season money is yet to be decided).
  • Neither 9.90 Bike nor 10.90 Bike will have their indexes changed.
  • Both tracks will be cracking down on the abuse of crew tickets and pit parking.
  • The Tech Committee will clarify the rule concerning disqualification of Junior Dragsters for running under the class index.
The official minutes of the meeting will be produced in due course.

Hal Far eliminations.
26th November: Our good friend Michael Buhagiar has been in touch again from Malta, with news of today's events at Hal Far Raceway's last race of the 2001 season.

"The truck handicap and Open 1 class was dominated by Philip Agius in his Ford Cargo with nitrous and Noel Vella in the EVS Sisu truck powered by a Cummins diesel engine. These two frequently recorded times under twelve seconds. The diesel car class was great with cars clocking times in the thirteen second bracket.

"John Ellul in his Top Methanol Dragster was unfortunate today when his tyres smoked on his bye run in the final of the Top Alcohol class, and later in the exhibition runs the problems continued. I wish him good luck for next time. He and his team had done a great job this weekend when they ran a 5.782, the lowest time recorded by a Maltese driver here.

"In the small dragsters class we had Joe Catania's V8 , John Caruana's V8 , Charles Ellul's V8 Tee Bucket dragster, Charles Mangion's Cosworth and Gary Curmi (il-Belti)'s dragster. Also there was the Peel and Go small dragster with methanol injection. Alan Zammit in his Showtime Modified Escort, and Mario and Reuben Scicluna's "il-Layzar" modified Escort Van with a Ford Cosworth injected-nitro and a removable body had some great runs.

"Great runs came from other cars with various engine combinations such as injected-nitro injected engines, V8 engines and different engine capacities. The three Italian Pro Stock motorcycles put on a show for all present, especially the motorcycle enthusiasts."

More news on Michael's web site at www.geocities.com/dragraceway.

Joon appears at Speed and Design.
26th November: Lex Joon will be displaying his Splitfire-sponsored Top Methanol Funny Car again next weekend. The Dutch racer's latest appearance is at the Speed and Design Expo at Utrecht in Holland from next Thursday to Sunday, 19th November to 2nd December.

You can find full details on the News page of the Lex Joon Racing web site at www.lexjoonracing.nl.

Ellul tops Hal Far highlights.
25th November: Top Methanol Dragster racer John Ellul led the higlights in qualifying at Hal Far Raceway on Malta yesterday (Saturday). Our good buddy Michael Buhagiar sent us this summary of yesterday's events:

"John 'Banzai' Ellul got the National Record down to 5.782 seconds, the lowest time recorded by a Maltese Racer in Malta. In truck qualifying were Philip Agius (Ford Cargo), Benny Bonnici, and the Sisu Truck of the EVS Racing Team which ran an 11.8 second time. Action was stopped for a long time by a big oil leak from Emmanuel Mangion. The small dragster class had some good times from Joe Catania who got an eight-second run and then a 7.9 with his Cosworth-engined dragster."

Michael will also be bringing us a report from today's eliminations. In the meantime don't miss Michael's Maltese drag racing web site at www.geocities.com/dragraceway.

Everything must go at Nemesis pit.
24th November: The UK's Nemesis Top Methanol Dragster team have put their entire operation up for sale. Everything from the turnkey Nemesis TMD through their #2 Krypton car, the truck/trailer, and spare parts, is on the list which can be found by following the For Sale link on the Nemesis web site at www.eurodragster.com/nemesisracing.

The Nemesis team are not quitting, but need to sell their current operation to finance their 2002 plans. Dave Wilson and the team remain tight-lipped about what they plan to do in 2002, save that they will be "back with a vengeance", but the decision to sell the current blown-alcohol operation appears to have been spurred by a fact-finding trip to the recent NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.

On the subject of the team's trip to Pomona, Crew Chief Andy Bissett has posted a highly-entertaining account of their US travels on the News page of the Nemesis web site. Don't miss it!

Malmgren announces 2002 calendar.
24th November: Michael Malmgren and the AC Delco Racing Pro Stock team have announced their provisional calendar for 2002. The six-second runners have a packed schedule with static shows, race dates in both Europe and the USA, and exhibition races to attend.

"We are working hard here", says team member Magnus Cato. "The new shop is ready, now our bus needs some attention, then it's time to go to Birmingham for Autosport International and later ship everything out to the USA."

AC Delco Racing's provisional schedule for next year is:
  • 10th-13th January: Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham (UK)
  • 30th January-2nd February: Autoteknik 2002, Jönköping (Sweden)
  • 14th-17th March: NHRA National Event, Gainesville (USA)
  • 4th-7th April: NHRA National Event, Las Vegas (USA)
  • 11th-14th April: NHRA National Event, Houston (USA)
  • 1st-3rd June: FIA Main Event, Santa Pod Raceway (UK)
  • 5th-7th July: Nitro Nationals, Alastaro (Finland)
  • 26th-28th July: Sko Uno Drag Festival, Mantorp Park (Sweden)
  • 1st-3rd August: FIA round 4, Gardermoen (Norway)
  • 15th-17th August: Nitrolympics, Hockenheim (Germany)
  • 6th-8th September: FIA European Finals, Santa Pod Raceway (UK)
  • October date tbc: Invitational, Hal Far Raceway (Malta)
Please note that the above dates are provisional both for AC Delco Racing and for the events themselves.

For all the latest news from AC Delco Racing, check out their official web site at www.acdracing.net.

2002 ACU rules.
24th November: ACU UK Drag Bike Championship co-ordinator Ian King has posted the 2002 ACU rulebook on the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com. It can be found by following the ACU UK Championship link from the Home Page.

More Boman pictures on-line.
24th November: Our very good friends at Svensk Dragracing have posted on their web site the promised two additional galleries by Swedish photographer Stefan Boman. This second brace of galleries again features both on- and off-track pictures and only serves to confirm that Stefan is one of the best photographers the sport has in Europe.

Our buddy Christer Abrahamson at Svensk Dragracing tells us that Windows wallpaper of some of Stefan's shots will be available very soon. In the meantime, check out the two new galleries at www.dragracing.se.

Web site updates.
24th November: Also on the subject of great drag racing photographers, US photographer Bob Frye's pictures from the NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals, which took place at Pomona Raceway in July, are now guesting on Eurodragster staffer Tog's personal web site. You can see Bob's pictures at www.togsdragracing.com/2001nhra50thanniversary.

We were talking about provisional race dates a few paragraphs ago, and Santa Pod Raceway's official web site at www.santapod.com has just been updated with their provisional calendar for the 2002 season.

Fuel FC Championship looks good.
23rd November: The British Fuel Funny Car Championship is set to repeat in 2002, says Bob Jarrett, Crew Chief of the 2001 Championship-winning Showtime team.

"The Championship looks good for next year with rounds at both Shakespeare County Raceway and Santa Pod Raceway", says Bob. "A few details still need to be concluded but on the whole it looks promising. Jim Broome has been appointed our Championship co-ordinator and he will be helping in the registration process with the Clubs and the MSA. As many may remember, Jim was the secretary of the BDRA back in the 80's and his vast knowledge and insight of the sport will be a great asset to the class."

Stay tuned and we will bring you more details as they become available.

Smax meets Auntie.
23rd November: Still on the subject of Fuel FC, we reported on Monday that Smax Smith and the Mainline Menace Fuel FC were due at the BBC's Pebble Mill Studios yesterday to add some drag racing expertise for an episode of the forthcoming "Panic Mechanics" series. Our good friend Ivan Sansom went along to Pebble Mill to bring us this report.

Whilst the Panic Mechanics series producer asked me to keep the details of the programme under wraps, you might wonder what Edd China, Andy Saunders, Paul Burnham, Pip Higham and a whole bunch of other luminaries of the UK drag and custom scene have been up to in some workshops at the back of Pebble Mill which would require nitrous, turbos, some Hoosiers, a Pro Mod style aero deck, a day at Shakespeare County Raceway early next month, and enough Plastic Padding for Saunders to say he never wants to work with the stuff again.

Having Smax and Odgie five minutes walk away from my office also provided an excellent opportunity to catch up with the Menace and find out how things were panning out for next season. Over to Smax: "We're picking up some bits of sponsorship ready for the 2002 season and have a shopping list which includes a TFX block, some Johnson heads, new clutch cannon and, hopefully a body - although have you seen the price of secondhand bodies in the US - $10K minimum - a bit out of my league at the moment. We might be able to do a deal which will see us running a Camaro, although nothing is fixed. If I can pick up a new body it should be good for two tenths, so we'll be looking to keep Spuff on his toes next year!"

Panic Mechanics is due to start on BBC2 in January, and has seven episodes in the can. You'll have to watch to find out just what weird and wonderful vehicles are lurking under tarpaulin in the Pebble Mill car park

Elvington drags a success.
23rd November: On 7th November we previewed a drag race which was due to be held at Elvington in Yorkshire, UK last Sunday. Super Comp racers Mark Flavell and Des Taylor were at Elvington last weekend and very kindly sent us this report.

"How many quarter-mile drag strips are there which can boast 1320 feet of smooth flat concrete? Dallas and....Elvington. We went, we ran and we were impressed.

"If we've got anything to, do with it Elvington will have great future. The surface isn't perfect but it's damned close. We would imagine that if you factored in a reasonable summer's day, unlike the cold 18th November baptism which we experienced, then we'd say that it will be very, very quick!

"The strip runs up the right hand side of the 'Pan'. This is the area three-eighths of a mile square originally designed as the collection area for the mighty B52 bombers. The finish line is at the edge of the Pan where the giant airframes would have taxied out on to the main runway support road, so if you have parachute problems then you can be assured that there are almost two miles of excellent quality flat, straight shutdown area to stop. You then pull off to the right down any of the several link roads to the main runway, returning to the pits facing in the right direction to start all over again. Simple and straightforward, you bet!

"One of the things we quickly noticed was that the dragster's tyres were spotlessly clean on returning to the pits, not covered with the debris of a eroding old airfield infrastructure. All of the concrete is firm and free from gravel, sand etc. During the preceding week we'd experienced quite a lot of rain, quite evident in the surrounding fields yet there was none to be seen as the airfield operating surfaces are elevated slightly above the surrounding land.

"The event was billed as a drag race but was really a Run What You Brung. With very little effort it could be great. Ask anybody who was there, the enthusiasm to return and race was in everybody's conversation. We look forward to future events and hope to see you all there.

"Trevor Duckworth - thank you very much."

Web site updates.
23rd November: The Swedish Pro Street News web site has upped sticks and moved URLs to www.spn-photo.com. "It's simpler to type or tell people", says webmaster Hasse.

VWDRC AGM.
22nd November: The UK Volkswagen Drag Racing Club's Annual General Meeting is to be held on Sunday 9th December 2001 at the Northampton Marriott Hotel (formerly the Swallow Hotel), starting at 1:00 pm.

Members are reminded that all points for the agenda and votes for the Wagonmaster driver of the year are due by this Sunday, 25th November.

Any non-members thinking of racing in the VW classes next year are welcome to attend. For directions to the hotel or any other information, E-Mail Spencer Tramm at spencer.tramm@net800.co.uk, or phone 01954 210028 after 6:00 pm.

Carter negotiates corners!
22nd November: FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion Andy Carter will be a special guest at a book launch tonight (Thursday). Publishers Haynes are launching their new book Scalextric - Cars and Equipment, Past and Present at Waterstones in London's Piccadilly. Forming part of the festivities is a six-lane Scalextric track which will feature a race series during the evening. Andy will be joined by, amongst others, Don Wales, nephew of Donald Campbell and a speed record driver himself, and Formula One drivers Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell.

The event is due to be featured in a large number of motorsport publications. As well as motorsport publications, media in attendance will include the Evening Standard, the Express, the Times and BBC Top Gear.

"This is great publicity for us and we are looking forward to meeting the other drivers", said Dan Welberry of Carter Motorsports. "It is also the start of what we hope will be an ongoing relationship with Haynes Publishing. It is our intention to do all we can to increase the profile of European Drag Racing, and events like this do our efforts the power of good."

Carter starts to build budget.
21st November: 2001 FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion Andy Carter is making progress on his title defence with the announcement that he already has a budget to cover two rounds of next year's FIA European Championships.

"I have a budget for the Main Event and the FIA European Finals next season", says Andy. "OK, so that's only two races in the FIA European Championship, but Dan Welberry of Carter Motorsports Marketing is working very hard on finalising a budget for the other races. We need to be at all rounds to achieve my and Crew Chief Eddie Corr's goal of retaining the FIA European Top Fuel Championships. Watch out Barry!"

Regular readers of Eurodragster will know that Rune Fjeld, who owns the Top Fueller which Andy drive to the Championship, could have more bids for a drive next season than he has cars, and Andy is looking at every avenue. "At present I can't confirm which car I will be driving, but I'm in talks with three owners at present", says Andy.

Although Andy is already planning for 2002, he has some 2001 thanks. "I would like to take this opportuniity to thank Eddie Corr - it's been a tough six years in fuel Ed, but we are as hungry as ever; all the crew; Terry and Tina Gibbs; Brian Payne; all the fans; all the sponsors - and sorry to anyone I have forgotten. Finally, I would like to say a big Thank You to all of the people who have joined the Carter Motorsports Supporters Club so far, keep 'em coming!"

You can find more details on the Carter Motorsports Supporters scheme on Andy's official web site at www.andycarter.net.

Howells leads Wild Bunch awards.
21st November: Press release courtesy of APIRA Press Officer Jerry Cookson:

"Sarah Howells and her Wild Bunch nostalgia team collected one of the highest accolades in UK drag racing history last weekend; the 'Don Garlits Spirit of Drag Racing Shield'.

"Presented at the Wild Bunch Awards evening held at Drayton Manor, Staffordshire Sarah was presented the Shield by outgoing winner Gerald Cookson. Overseen by SCR commentator and Press Officer Jeremy Cookson, the award was presented in recognition for her services to drag racing in her recent television appearances, enthusiasm for the sport and for being an excellent ambassador for the Wild Bunch. Joining Sarah on stage were team members Andy Gosling, Ray Ford and webmaster Ed Yates.

"Junior Fuel racer Chris Hartnell came away from the Manor with a host of trophies for his efforts in the 2001 season. As well as becoming Super Series champion, Chris walked away with the Custom Chrome; Real Steel and Roy Wilding Nostalgia Race Car Series as well as Best Prepared Slingshot Dragster chosen by APIRA Scrutineer Glenn Stockton.

"The evening was also special for father and son team Tom and Alec Coe judged as Best Newcomers and Achievers, Scottie Durrant and the Dog Squad Team for being the Best Sportsperson and Best Dressed Team of 2001, and to Derek Annable for his performances in the Rear Engined Dragster category. The Perserverance Award and Big Bang Trophy went to keith Charman and Tony Smith respectively.

"Supercharged Outlaw racer Frank Bennett (Fiat Topolino) took the Unlimited Class win from Jim Seward who, not only picked up the ET award for his stunning 6.878 at the NSRA Hot Rod Drags in September, but also took top MPH at 193.97, the quickest and fastest the 'Harry the Spider' Fuel Altered has ever run.

"Congratulations also go out to 8.50 Class winner Roy Wilding (Hemi Hunter) and Neil Townson who took the 7.50 Class win with his 3 window coupe altered.

"In closing, a special but tearful 'Lifetime Dedication to Motorsports' was presented to Gerald and Joan Cookson for 40 years of active competition in drag racing staring with the pioneer days at Santa Pod in the mid-sixties.

"All in all, another successful evening managed, as always, by Angi and Roy Wilding honouring the 2001 Wild Bunch Nostaglia Association Series Champions.

Bad Boys Imagin's Bill Sly took photos of the award winners and will post a small selective gallery in due course."

SPR end-of-season sale.
21st November: If you're beginning to think about Christmas presents for the drag racing fan in your life then you might be interested to hear that Santa Pod Raceway are having an end-of-season sale of their official merchandise. "You can view the items on the Santa Pod web site, under Sub5 Racewear" says Chris Ware of Trakbak Racing, "and you can order by calling the track on 08700 782828."

The Sub5 catalogue can be found on Santa Pod's web site at www.santapod.com.

We have had a number of queries from fans about the 2001 European Championship Review video, so we asked the guys at Trakbak. Rick Cuthbert kindly made enquiries on our behalf and informed us that it is expected to be released early in the New Year.

Eezi-up with ease.
21st November: Think Pink Racing Crew Chief Roland Chaplain has been in touch with some information which will doubtless prove useful to his fellow racers.

"I don't know if any other racers have had difficulty getting a company to make or modify the tops and sides of their Eezi-ups or pit tents without taking out a mortgage, but I certainly have", says Roland. "However, I have just found a company near Peterborough who have quoted a very reasonable price for modifying our Eezi-up. If any racers need an awning made to fit the side of their van, wagon or trailer etc., or need their existing Eezi-up or pit tent upgrading, or windows fitted, or would like properly fitting sides or a roof then let me know what you want and I can get you a quote.

"The company is used to making such items for car, go-kart and motorcycle race vehicles, and can either supply clip-together metal frames or fit covers to your own frames."

If this is what you've been looking for then contact Roland at rpc1002@cus.cam.ac.uk.

Web site updates.
21st November: The Top Fuel Team Switzerland web site at www.topfuel.ch has been updated with a review of Peter Beck and the team's expensive season, together with a number of new pictures in the Photo Gallery. Don't miss the photograph showing #2 of the one hundred and one uses for a cylinder liner!

Borgs sit out Hal Far finals.
19th November: Malta's Borg Brothers Top Methanol Dragster team have decided to sit out next weekend's race at Hal Far Raceway (see Saturday's news). Mario Borg has run a Five on his every full pass at Hal Far this season, and the Borg Brothers remain the only Methanol team to have run a Five on Maltese soil - but they won't be repeating these feats next week.

"We were disappointed at the lack of competitive cars at the last event, and have decided not to enter the next event", said tuning adviser Bernie Hepworth speaking for the team.

Meanwhile our good friend Michael Buhagiar has dropped us a quick line about yesterday's Run What You Brung at Hal Far Raceway. "There were a number of Mk 1 Escorts with various engine modifications, Philip Agius' Maksar Ford Cargo and Mario Attard's Scania trucks, Saviour Desira's Funny Car, and a new V8-Nitrous dragster", he says. Michael's personal web site, featuring the latest news from the Maltese scene, can be found at www.geocities.com/dragraceway.

Swedish Driver of the Year.
19th November: Congratulations to 2001 FIA European Top Methanol FC Champion Leif Andréasson on being elected Swedish Drag Racing's Driver of the Year. Leif won the Bilsport Magazine-backed award against tough competition in the form of 2001 Swedish Top Fuel Tour Champion Micke Kågered and 2001 Nordic Drag Racing Series Pro Mod Champion Patrik Wikström.

You can find more details on Leif's official web site at www.andreassonmotorsports.com.

Another TV date for Smax.
19th November: UK Fuel FC racer Smax Smith has yet another date with a TV crew this week. Smax, who has appeared as a presenter on Top Gear GTi, is taking the Mainline Menace FC to Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham on Thursday.

"I'm filming for a new series called Panic Mechanics", says Smax. "I don't know what we're going to be doing but it should be fun!"

The Godfather's greatest fan?
19th November: Dutch Supertwin Top Fuel Bike racer Ton 'The Godfather' Pels appears to have made an impression on one young lady in particular, if the picture on the right is anything to go by. "At the 2001 Nitro Olympics in Hockenheim, we were paid a visit by a real fan!", says Monique Pels.

If that's you in the picture then let us know at news@eurodragster.com.

Gleadow "badder" in 2002.
19th November: UK Junior Modified racer Adam Gleadow has promised to be back "Bigger, better and badder" next year. Adam finished fifth in the 2001 UK National Junior Dragster Championship, and has a few thanks.

"Thanks to John Ledster for helping us with the licence upgrade for Hockenheim, Frank Perkins at Metro Racing for all the help and tuning advice, and of course our sponsors: Demon Tweeks, Lucas Oil Products Inc, NGK Spark Plugs and Windsor Graphics. Thanks also to all of my fellow Junior Drag Racers with whom we have enjoyed this season. See you next year!"

Check out the Time Machine web site at www.eurodragster.com/timemachineracing for all the latest from the Gleadow camp.

2002 FIA race numbers.
19th November: Many thanks to FIA Championship points co-ordinator Kjell Petterson for forwarding the official FIA-class race numbers for the 2002 season:

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
Andy Carter England TF 1
Anita Mkel Finland TF 2
Barry Sheavills England TF 3
Kim Reymond Denmark TF 4
Mikael Kgered Sweden TF 5
Peter Beck Switzerland TF 6
Pelle Lindelw Sweden TF 7
Tommy Mller Sweden TF 8
Alan Jackson England TF 9
 
TOP METHANOL DRAGSTER
Rob Turner England TMD 1
Manty Bugeja Malta TMD 2
David Wilson England TMD 3
Eero Kilpelainen Finland TMD 4
Miki Falkstedt Finland TMD 5
Doug Bond England TMD 6
Darryl Bradford England TMD 7
Wendy Baker England TMD 8
Lyndsay Deuchar England TMD 9
 
TOP METHANOL FUNNY CAR
Leif Andréasson Sweden TMFC 1
Ulf Leanders Sweden TMFC 2
Mikael Kgered Sweden TMFC 3
Leif Helander Sweden TMFC 4
Jrgen Johnsson Sweden TMFC 5
Arvid Grdem Norway TMFC 6
Dezsoe Krivan Switzerland TMFC 7
Alex Joon Holland TMFC 8
Urs Embacher Switzerland TMFC 9
Urs Erbacher Switzerland TMFC 10
 
PRO STOCK
Niclas Andersson Sweden PRO 1
Michael Malmgren Sweden PRO 2
Jacob Ferrer Sweden PRO 3
Jari Konola Sweden PRO 4
Rune Berg Norway PRO 5
Christer Andersson Sweden PRO 6
Eero Knihtila Finland PRO 7
Leena Nystrm Finland PRO 8
Jan Muren Sweden PRO 9
Peter Emilsson Sweden PRO 10

Web site updates.
19th November: UK Top Methanol Dragster racer Lindsay Deuchar has updated his web site with broadcast details of the latest episode of the FIA TV coverage, which includes footage of the Barnsley racer (which is who they meant by Lindsay "Doisher" - Ed) in action at the FIA European Finals. The Photo Gallery on the LA Racing site has also been updated. Check it out at www.laracing.co.uk.

Testing starts Hal Far finals.
17th November: Testing starts tomorrow (Sunday 18th) for the last race of the season on the island of Malta. The race itself takes place at Hal Far Raceway next Saturday and Sunday (24th-25th November), but racers will be taking advantage of this weekend's Run What You Brung to get in some last-minute testing.

"We have three European Pro Stock Bikes coming to the race next week", says our good friend Michael Buhagiar. "From the local scene both John Ellul and Manty Bugeja have confirmed that they will be there with their Top Methanol Dragsters."

If you want to find out more about the Maltese Drag Racing scene then Michael Buhagiar's web site at www.geocities.com/dragraceway is a great place to look.

RWYB ends Santa Pod season.
17th November: Tomorrow's Run What You Brung at Santa Pod Raceway is its last event of 2001, and so is your last chance to take a turn down the famed strip until January 27th of next year.

Gates open at 8:00 am and the strip opens at approximately 10.00 am. Entry to the track is £8; under-16s get in free. If you want to take to the track then £10 and the production of a valid DVLC licence will get you unlimited runs down the famous quarter-mile strip. Racers have to meet all safety standards for their class.

For more information check out Santa Pod's web site at www.santapod.com.

Opinions sought on ACU proposal.
17th November: ACU UK Drag Bike Championship co-ordinator Ian King is inviting opinions on a proposal to run the ACU Funny Bike class at the FIA Main Event and the FIA European Finals in 2002.

For full details check out the Pit Lane Gossip page of the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com.

Holland sponsor at USA show.
17th November: Titanium International Limited, who sponsor UK Funny Bike racer Dave Holland, will be displaying their wares at the Performance Racing Show in Indianapolis from 29th November-1st December. "We will be showing some parts from Dave's bike which we produced in titanium" says TI's Nigel Hoskinson, who has become a drag racing addict since becoming involved with the DJH Racing operation. "I have also been loaned some exhibits by Knut Soderquist of Carbon By Design."

Nigel has extended an invitation to Eurodragster's US readers and, of course, any UK visitors to meet him on Stand 5013 at the Show. Be sure to tell him we sent you!

FIA/UEM Tour on UK Channel 5.
17th November: Thanks to Andy Holten and APIRA Press Officer Jerry Cookson for alerting us to the appearance of European Drag Racing on the UK's Channel 5 TV station. The FIA and UEM coverage is broadcast early on Tuesday mornings, with the next episode scheduled for 03:30 this Tuesday, 20th November.

Jerry Cookson posts a regular TV log, covering both terrestrial and satellite coverage, on the News page of the APIRA web site at www.eurodragster.com/apira.

Web site updates.
17th November: Swedish ET 7.50 racer Robert Wallmark has launched a web site at home.swipnet.se/Bezerkdragracing. Robert's wild, short-wheelbase Bezerk altered is a firm fan favourite and has quite a history behind it, having started life with Sherm Gunn in the USA before being owned by the UK's Keith Harvie and then going to Sweden. Robert's professional-looking web site gives fans everything they could ask for including a history of the car, team run-down, photo gallery, sponsor page, links and more. The site is currently Swedish-language only, but if you like your altereds then it doesn't matter if you don't speak Swedish!

The Feel the Noise web site at www.feel-the-noise.com has been updated with photographs from the recent "End of Season Bash" at Shakespeare County Raceway. Webmaster Bob Valder tells us that the new pictures can be found in the newly-added RWYB section. In addition the Dragsters section has been split into nine sections with a number of Top Methanol racers getting their own pages.

Adam to twang his tiddler.
15th November: UK Super Comp and Super Gas racer Tim Adam is celebrating his double National Championships, the first time that the feat has ever been achieved in the UK.

"I was first and second in the two National Championships last year", said Tim, "There was only one way to improve upon that, and that was to take both this year. I won't sit here and say it was easy, as it clearly wasn't the case."

Tim told us that his season has been a story of ups and downs. "We've been ursing all sorts of problems", he said. "It has been important to weigh up engine damage and winning, we have had a recurring oil light problem which made me very jumpy in the seat. The feeling that you may be on your way to an expensive rebuild mid-season was not something I wanted to even contemplate. We had to treat the engine with great respect, by doing this we finished the season with no damage at all."

Tim is very grateful to the team which kept him going this season. "Our achievements have only come from determination, commitment and team work", he said. "Big thanks go to Mandy, Nick and Jo Davies, Matt Gatland, Ginger Lou, Dan and George, and Timmy the dog. Without these people I would never have won the Championships."

So what's next for the dual Champ? "I hear you say, is Tim going to be content with this double win? The answer to this is no!", he said. "I have a burning desire to 'twang my tiddler' and run all three classes - Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street!"

Coleman buys Speedflow dragster.
15th November: Famed engine builder and dyno operator Kenny Coleman has purchased Fay Fischer's entire racing operation minus the engine, which as we reported last week has already been sold to Nick Kemp. Kenny last raced over ten years ago and has been keen to get back into the UK scene for some time.

"I've been looking for a quality dragster for a while now but couldn't find what I wanted until the Speedflow car came up for sale", said Kenny. "I've watched Fay race and I know that the car is safe, consistent and straight, everything fitted to it is quality kit and it was just too good to pass up"

"Everything has been sold via Eurodragster, we didn't get a sniff from the magazine ads", said Fay's husband Paul Fischer. "We still have some tools and the Day-Van for sale, visit www.speedflow.co.uk for details."

Paul confirmed that the popular Lucky Fisch team are not out for good. "Fay hasn't retired", he said. "We need to spend more time and money on Speedflow for a while, before making a return sometime in the future."

Boman galleries on-line.
15th November: The Svensk Dragracing web site at www.dragracing.se has pulled off quite a coup by publishing the first two of four photo galleries featuring the work of Swedish photographer Stefan Boman. Stefan has been photographing European drag racing for many years and is one of, if not the exponent of the art of drag racing photography in Europe. Having worked with Stefan we can testify that he is a very nice chap, to boot. As you would expect, the first two galleries on the Svensk Dragracing site feature some fine shots from both on and off the track - don't miss them.

Web site updates.
15th November: The Swedish Pro Street News Magazine at www.swedishprostreetnews.com has been updated with one hundred photographs from the Nordic Pro Street Cup Banquet. "Almost two hundred and eighty people attended, it was a very good party!", says webmaster Hasse. "All of the NPSC winners got their well-earned trophies."

Eurodragster staffer Sharkman has updated his personal web site Sharkman's Top End Tales with a large number of photographs from the Flame and Thunder Show at Santa Pod Raceway, plus new entries in the famous School of Excellence from the principal himself. Off-season updates will include Windows wallpaper and video clips. "Some or all of the videos currently available will have to be deleted to save server space, so if you want any of the early videos to keep, download them while you can", says Sharkman. You can find Sharkman's web site at www.eurodragster.com/sharkman.

Doing the Ten Bolt Tango.
13th November: Our latest team report is from the UK's Heaven and Hell Pro ET team, who finished in runner-up spot in the UK National Championship. Carla Pitau and Rick McCann's unique view of events is entitled Ten Bolt Tango and sets a new world record for gratuitous mentions of aubergines. You can read Ten Bolt Tango by clicking here.

Racers: Don't hesitate to send your season reviews or your latest news to news@eurodragster.com.

Web site updates.
13th November: The official web site of the UK's Fireforce Jet FC team has been updated with details of their current competition, which invites kids to design a new paint scheme for the Fireforce 2 Chevy Lumina. The competition page includes a template which can be saved and /or printed off. Check it out at www.fireforce.co.uk.

The Maverick Racing web site at www.maverickracing.co.uk has been reworked. Simon Oxberry of Maverick tells us that as well as weather station database software, which is available for free trial download, there are other utilities for motorsport and engineering, with more to be added at regular intervals.

SPRC award nominations invited.
12th November: Eurodragster's readers are being invited to submit nominations for the Santa Pod Racers Club Perpetual Awards for the 2001 season. SPRC's Perpetual Awards are presented annually at the Dinner Dance for various aspects of the sport which are not covered by the Championship trophies. The only criterion for nomination is that those involved must have competed at Santa Pod Raceway at least once in the 2001 season, with the exception of the Alex Brachtvogel Memorial Trophy which is also open to non-competitors.

Nominations are being accepted for the awards listed below. Please note that some awards are only open to car racers, and some only to bike racers, but we have made it clear where appropriate.

Most Promising Newcomer: Nominations are open to both car and bike racers. 2000 season winner: Phil Pratt (10.90 Bike); Other winners since 1995: Mark Fisher, Jon Hogarth, Paula Marshall, Ritchi Smith, John McIntyre.

Best Appearing Car: 2000 season winner: Paula Marshall (Highlander Super Gasser); Other winners since 1995: Al Cook, Steve Green, Wayne Saunders, Tim Adam, George Chiarella.

Best Appearing Bike: 2000 season winner: Steve Ashby (9.90 Bike); Other winners since 1995: Mark Watkins, Phil Brachtvogel, Ian King, Ken Cooper, Paul Willis.

Most Professional Appearing Team: Nominations are open to both car and bike racers. This award is not just for a professional appearance on-track, but also for appearance off-track such as pit areas and support vehicles. 2000 season winner: Turner Racing (Top Methanol Dragster); Other winners since 1995: Team Cooperized, Nick Davies, Gordon Appleton, Al Cook, Team Nemesis.

Paul Giddings Memorial Trophy: This bike-only trophy is awarded for carrying on through adversity. 2000 season winner: Ian King (Top Fuel Bike); Other winners since 1995: Martin Bishop, Ian Kilner, Tony Clark, Straightline Racing Team, Helen Curran.

James Edgar Memorial Trophy: This trophy is awarded to the most outstanding crew member of the season, and is open to both car and bike crews. 2000 season winner: Mark Fossey (Crew Chief, Paul Willis' Pro Stock Bike); Other winners since 1995: Rob Loaring, Ray Cross, Steve Turner, Rune Fjeld, Ken Cooper.

Alex Brachtvogel Memorial Trophy: This trophy, first presented to the late Alex Brachtvogel at this year's ceremony and now named for him, is awarded for outstanding service to the sport of Drag Racing. Nominations are open to racers, race officials, track and safety crews, club officials, media, or anyone else who has contributed to the sport.

Nominations should be E-Mailed to nominations@eurodragster.com. Please ensure that:
  • Where appropriate your nominations have competed at Santa Pod Raceway in 2001
  • You have made it clear which nominations are for which awards
All nominations will be acknowledged and will receive the consideration of SPRC.

Gainesville outcomes.
12th November: It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for UK racers at the AMA/Prostar World Finals at Gainesville, USA. You can find entertaining weekend reports on the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com and results on Dragbike.com, but in brief:

Brian Johnson (Top Fuel Bike): Qualified #3 6.487/220.80, Round 1 def. by Ron Webb, ran 6.334/226.13

Dave Beck (Pro Mod Bike): Qualified #12 7.016/191.08, no elimination details available at time of writing

Dave Holland (Pro Mod Bike): DNQ 8.231/152.33

Went to the chapel and we...
11th November: Swiss TMFC racer Dezsoe Krivan has just about recovered from his wedding and honeymoon, which took place in the USA last month.

Dezsoe and Iris were married during the recent NHRA AC Delco Las Vegas Nationals, in a ceremony attended by many friends and famous names. "It was a perfect day for Iris and I", says Dezsoe. "We were married in the Racers for Christ tent on Saturday 27th October, surrounded by friends and competitors in the race. My best man was racer and long time friend Carl Ruth, and all of our dreams came true when John Force showed up to celebrate with us and eat a slice of wedding cake. Iris and I would like to thank all of our friends and racers who made it happen."

We send Dezsoe and Iris all of our best wishes for a long and happy future.

Page enjoys pressure drive.
11th November: UK Fuel racing legend Gary Page enjoyed his brief return to the cockpit of a Top Fuel Dragster, even though it gave him a headache. Gary put in a pass in Rune Fjeld's number two car at the Flame and Thunder Show at Santa Pod Raceway last weekend. The front end came up and the tyres started to shake almost as soon as Gary hit the throttle.

"It was nice to drive the car again, although it hurt a bit!", said Gary. "It's just a shame that it shook."

Gary's last drive in a Fuel car was in 1998, when he drive one of the Showtime Fuel FCs, and his last pass in the Top Fueller was a while before that. "The pressure was all on me", he said. "I hadn't driven that car for a few years, and I'd never worked with that particular crew before. Of my old crew I only had Duncan and Terry, who have worked with me for years, on the start line. Terry has always strapped me in since my brother died."

Gary is hopeful of returning to the track in 2002. "There are a few ideas, but nothing definite yet", he said, "so I can't tell you what I've for lined up for next year. But as soon as I know, I'll tell you!"

Stay tuned and as soon as Gary knows, you'll know.

Final SPRC Championship standings.
11th November: The final standings in the 2001 Santa Pod Racers Club Championships have now been ratified and are available via our Points Standings page. Again many thanks to points co-ordinator Yvonne Tramm, to SPRC for allowing us to post the points, and to Spencer Tramm for passing the points to us.

Web site updates.
11th November: Swedish Pro Mod racer Håkan Nilsson and his team flew out to the USA in August on a hunt for a new race car to replace their rapid 'Vette which was wrecked in a crash at Piteå in July. The team took in a couple of races and visited one or two luminaries along the way; you can see an entertaining Photo Diary of the Nilsson Motorsports US Tour on their web site at www.nilssonmotorsports.com.

UK Super Comp racer Zane Llewellyn has updated his Bristol Doorslammers web site with an illustrated report from the Flame and Thunder Show, where a number of the west country team were in competition, together with news on the Bristol street rodding scene. Check it out at www.bootsoop.freeserve.co.uk.

Final UK Championship standings.
10th November: The final standings in the 2001 UK National Drag Racing Championships have now been ratified and are available via our Points Standings page. Congratulations to the confirmed Champions:
  • Super Comp: Tim Adam
  • Super Gas: Tim Adam
  • Super Street: Team Rat Rage (Stuart and Anne Peck)
  • Super Pro ET: Steve Green
  • Pro ET: Team Tokyo Toy (Steve Dunn and Jon Evans)
  • Sportsman ET: Al Platt
  • Junior Dragster: Phill Cook
  • 9.90 Bike: Paul Watson
  • 10.90 Bike: Steve Templeman
We are very grateful to UK National Championship points co-ordinators Yvonne Tramm (SPRC) and Simon Groves (APIRA) for their hard work this season, to both clubs for allowing us to post the points, and to Spencer Tramm for his help.

Final standings in the 2001 SPRC Championships will be included in tomorrow's (Sunday 11th) news update.

Carter saves an engine.
9th November: FIA European Top Fuel Champion Andy Carter managed to save an engine in his match race against Barry Sheavills at Santa Pod Raceway on Saturday.

Andy (pictured right with contest winner Sophie Cooper) hit tyre shake about eighty feet off the line. "Sometimes you can feel shake coming, but this came out of nowhere", he said. "It felt as if the coupler had come out, as it had on Gary Page's pass in the car in the afternoon, so I didn't pedal it. It's a good thing I didn't, because I was right - the coupler had come out and if I had pedalled then the revs would have gone through the roof and we would have lost the engine."

After sharing Rune Fjeld's number two car with Gary Page on Saturday, Andy has discovered one experience he is not keen to repeat. "Driving a car after someone else is not the right way to go into a race", he said. "That is not a criticism of Gary because he is a great driver, nor of Rune because of course it is his car. It just put a lot of pressure on everyone and I'd never want to do it again."

Andy was quick to congratulate Barry Sheavills on his victory in the match race. "Well done to Barry and his crew on a good victory", he said. "But I'll get him next time!"

Meanwhile, Carter Motorsports have announced more details of the Carter Supporters Network, the initial plans for which were published here last month. There are three levels of support available, one for individual race fans and two for corporate backers. Benefits of membership include exclusive news updates, baseball caps, signed photographs and more, plus signage on the dragster and in the pits for corporate backers. Individual membership is £50 per year, and the corporate packages are £500 and £1500. You can get more details from Carter Motorsports PR Dan Welberry at danwelberry@hotmail.com.

Splitfire TMFC on display.
9th November: Dutch TMFC racer Lex Joon's Splitfire-backed Camaro will be on display tomorrow (Saturday) at the Arrola miniature car show. For full details check out the News page of the Lex Joon Racing web site at www.lexjoonracing.nl.

Junior Drag Bike latest.
9th November: Regular readers of the King Racing web site will know that a Junior Drag Bike class has been proposed for the UK. The rules for the new class have been ratified by the ACU, which means that the class could be run in 2002, not necessarily that it will: the running of any class is at the discretion of the organising clubs. The introduction of Junior Drag Bike is likely to be discussed at the SPRC/APIRA Riders and Drivers Meeting on 25th November (see yesterday's news for more details) so any interested parties are advised to attend.

The rules for Junior Drag Bike are currently available on the Pit Lane Gossip page of the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com, dated 6th November; 2002 ACU rules for all classes will be posted on the King Racing site shortly.

See King for Gainesville/ACU, too.
9th November: Whilst we are talking about the King Racing web site, it will be one of the sites to check out this weekend for news from the AMA/Prostar World Finals at Gainesville where Brian Johnson, Dave Holland and Dave Beck will be flying the flag for the UK. This is of course BJ's last-ever race meeting on his Top Fuel Bike before he retires and hopes are high that he will make that elusive five-second pass. If he does so, the Pit Lane Gossip page at www.kingracing.com will be amongst the first to bring you the news. You will also be able to find qualifying and elimination results from Gainesville throughout the weekend at Dragbike.com.

The King Racing site has also been updated with the final standings in the 2001 ACU Drag Bike Championships; they can be found on the ACU UK Championship page.

UK Riders and Drivers Meeting.
8th November: UK racers are reminded that the annual joint SPRC/APIRA Riders and Drivers Meeting is now only two and a half weeks away. It takes place at the Diamond Centre in Irthlingborough on Sunday 25th November, starting at 1:30 pm and finishing at 5:00 pm.

If racers have any items which they wish to be added to the agenda of this meeting, then they should be posted or faxed by Monday 19th November to either Paula Marshall at Santa Pod Racers Club:

SPRC
PO Box 12
Rushden
Northamptonshire
NN10 0ZU

Fax: 01933 355558

Or to Wendy Talbot at the Avon Park International Racers Association:

APIRA
121 High Road
Wortwel
Harleston
Norfolk
IP20 0EN

Fax: 01379 740100

SPRC Dinner Dance form on-line.
8th November: The booking form for the Santa Pod Racers Club Dinner and Dance, which takes place at the Bedford Moat House Hotel on Saturday 9th February 2002, is now available for download from the SPRC web site although all SPRC members should by now have received a copy in the post.

Please note that SPRC are not accepting on-line entries; the form should be downloaded and printed, then filled in and posted to SPRC. You can find the Dinner Dance booking form, which is in Microsoft Word format, on the Entry Forms page of the SPRC web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc.

Sheavills' "six-cylinder" future.
7th November: UK Top Fuel Dragster racer Barry Sheavills had some new ideas about his future after winning the Top Fuel match race against Andy Carter at the weekend's Flame and Thunder Show at Santa Pod Raceway.

"I think I'll only run at the Flame and Thunder Show from now on!", joked Barry. "I was really pleased, it's brought me right back up after the terrible weekend I had at the European Finals."

Barry took the win light with a 5.818/176.97 pass in the Tetrosyl-backed dragster in far from ideal conditions, getting off the throttle just after recording 227.48 mph at half-track. As Barry passed the eighth, one bank of cylinders went out and the header blast from the other bank caused the dragster to drift towards the guardrail. "Up to that point it was going real quick", he said, "but in those conditions it's better to be safe than to hit the barrier, so I got off it. But I was pleased that we put on such a good show for the fans."

Post-race analysis showed that the motor had been running on only six cylinders. "That's the least amount of power on which the car has ever run", said Barry, "and it turned out to be ideal. I asked Rune (Fjeld, car owner and Crew Chief - Ed) if I could run on six cylinders in future!"

Barry had some words of consolation for Andy Carter, whose race was over when he hit tyre shake not far off the start line. "Commiserations to Andy, Eddie and the team", he said, "but they did a good job when they needed to - that's how they won the FIA Championship."

VWDRC Championships decided.
7th November: The Flame and Thunder Show saw the sixth and final round of the 2001 Volkswagen Drag Racing Club Championship. Although both champions were decided before the weekend there were battles going on for second place in both classes. In VW Pro, Nigel Green beat Scotty Evison in the Slush Puppie car to overtake Russ Fellows for second place, whist Scott was named Champion in his first year back racing after a short layoff.

The VW Sportsman Championship had already been decided too by Neil Robinson earning a big lead with wins in three of the first four rounds of the championship. Second place was still open for four drivers, Martin Ayton in his Sirocco, Super Series 4 Sportsman ET runner-up Steven Lee as well as outside chances for Neil Davies and perennial championship winner Cath Bishop. The second and third placed cars made it to the final where Steven beat Martin in the final, however by reaching the final Martin had secured enough points to hold off Steve's challenge. Martin's second place is the first time in VWDRC history that a water cooled car has finished in the top two in the championship.

The final standings in the 2001 VWDRC Championships are now available on our 2001 Points Standings page, courtesy of the Volkswagen Drag Racing Club and points co-ordinator Spencer Tramm, to whom thanks also for the above details.

Elvington hosts drag race.
7th November: Drag Racing is set to make a return to Yorkshire's Elvington Airfield in a couple of weeks' time, writes UK Super Comp racer Mark Flavell. Elvington has been a regular venue for Streetfighters Straightliners events, but it has been a while since there was any other form of drag racing there.

"In this month's Hot Rod Gazette, there is an article about a drag race event at Elvington on November 18th", says Mark. "The track they use for the sprints etc. at Elvington is two miles of just-about-perfect concrete. I phoned the guy behind it, Trevor Duckworth, and he seemed really switched-on. The people with whom I am in immediate contact are really buzzing at the prospect. Frank Mason will be there with his Super Gasser, as will Steve Saunders with his Pro ET Zephyr, and of course Des Taylor and I will be there with our Super Comp dragster. Trevor wants as much support as possible to get our sport established at Elvington. It's well worth calling him, as I did, and listening to his ideas and his enthusiasm."

If you have any enquiries about the race on November 18th, Trevor Duckworth can be contacted by phone on 01484 718164.

Fay's motor to power a truck.
7th November: UK Super Pro ET racer Fay Fischer, one of Eurodragster's sponsors through ukracer.com, has announced that the motor of her Speedflow dragster is headed for a truck. Although Fay holds a Heavy Goods Vehicle licence, it's not that sort of truck.

"Our ICE 516ci big block Chevy has been sold to Nick Kemp, who will drop it into his tube-framed Chevy Blazer", says Paul Fischer. "It will be mated to a Lenco four-speed, enabling Nick to keep the motor revving in the power band - which is more than we could do with only a two speed despite the loose converter."

Nick is quoted as saying that he is to "get serious" in the no-too-distant future. Fay's dragster, meanwhile, has been broken up and everything is for sale. For more details, check out the Dragster for sale page on the Speedflow Racing web site at www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lfracing/sale.htm, E-Mail Fay at info@speedflow.co.uk, or call her on 020 8530 6664.

Mystery girl helps Harry with blow.
7th November: UK 9.90 Bike racer Dave Stanley managed quite a feat when his team had both a good and bad start to their weekend at Santa Pod Raceway.

"On the way to the Pod for Flame and Thunder Show, my Crew Chief Harry had a blow out on the bike trailer", says Dave. "It got his attention and he pulled over in a hurry. Whilst he was standing looking at it, thinking 'Not the start we were after', a white Renault Master van pulled up and Harry was greeted by a woman who had seen the 9.90 race number and knew what it was. She helped Harry to change the wheel and then off she went."

Harry's rescuer didn't leave a box of chocolates and a small card, so her identity remains a mystery. "This happened at about 5:00 pm last Friday, on the A14 just outside Ipswich", says Dave. "We don't know who she was, other than that she races or is part of a team who race at Shakespeare County Raceway, but we would like to say a big thanks for helping. Also, if she's single we would both like to marry her as any woman who drives big vans, knows race numbers and stops to help is our sort of woman!"

Meanwhile the Wordweaver-sponsored racer was having a crisis of his own. "At about the same time I was just about to arrive at Santa Pod, and was driving down the tight lanes about two miles from the track when a car going like a bat out of hell came round a corner on my side of the road", says Dave. "I had nowhere to go and we hit, only a glancing blow but enough to smash my driver's window and send glass flying into the van. The vehicle sped off. Cheers mate! As this happened so close to Santa Pod, I did wonder if it was someone who was coming from the track. If it was you or someone you know then get in touch as I am owed a window and, not least, an apology."

If anyone can help with the identity of Harry's saviour or Dave's attacker, then please E-Mail him at wordweaver@ntlworld.com.

Web site updates.
7th November: The Feel the Noise web site at www.feel-the-noise.com has been updated with Anni Valder's photos from the UK National Finals at Santa Pod Raceway. The update also includes the addition of over thirty five new sections, mainly in the Bikes area, with many teams now having their own pages. Other expanded areas are Junior Dragsters and VWs, both of which are now split into sub-classes. Following a major site re-organisation this week, webmaster Bob Valder would be grateful to hear of any errors, broken photos or links.

Houndog returns.
5th November: Fans will be delighted to hear that one of the most popular names in UK Drag Racing is to make a return to the track. UK Drag Racing legend Nobby Hills is working on a restoration of Houndog 11, which was the first Fuel FC in the UK to receive a five-second time slip. The Corvette body and the chassis of the last car to carry the Houndog name have been located, but the story is a little more complex than that.

"The idea was to restore the car and to put it into a museum, because it was the first five-second car", Nobby told us at the Flame and Thunder Show on Saturday. "But having got into it more, I found that the bug is still there, and so we will want to bring it out and run it occasionally."

As with any restoration project, the first part of the job was locating the original parts. The FC was last seen on-track in the mid-1990s in Top Alcohol, owned by Martyn Hannis and with Kenny McCormack at the wheel. "The body is quite good", said Nobby, "it won't take a lot of work to put it back as it was. I tried to buy the rolling chassis, but the owner wouldn't sell it, so I ordered the tubing for a new chassis, and then he called and said that he'd sell it! I can see that I'm going to end up with two cars!"

Nobby is building a new chassis whatever happens. "I've worked a long time on the jig", he said. "It certainly makes life easier, it's ten thou out at the most. The tubing is all bent and ready to go, so we will have a new, up-to-date chassis with the old body on it. We want to run a real nice race car but it takes a lot of money!"

Nobby also confirmed that legendary Houndog shoe Owen Hayward will be in the driver's seat on those occasions when the restored car runs. Stay tuned for more details of progress on the restoration, as Nobby has promised to keep us informed.

In the meantime, you can find a lot of information about the Houndog Drag Racing team on the Walkin' the Dog tribute site at www.geocities.com/houndog_dragracing.

Flame and Thunder Show.
5th November: The last race of the UK season, the Flame and Thunder Show, took place at Santa Pod Raceway on Saturday under clear blue skies and was attended by the usual huge crowd.

Barry Sheavills took the win in the Top Fuel match race against Andy Carter after Andy hit tyre shake off the line. Barry stayed glued to the track and recorded a high five second half-pass, clocking 227 mph at half-track. Gary Page also suffered tyre shake off the line in his pass earlier on in the afternoon, later confirming that he had had his bell well and truly rung.

Al Platt (Car bracket), Richard Every (Bike bracket), Nigel Green (VW Pro), Steve Lee (VW Sportsman) and Joe Bond (Junior Dragster) were the class winners. Martin Hill and Tony Baker put in two passes each in the Fireforce Jet FCs, Martin Hill running a 5.99 on his second pass, whilst Steve Murty recorded an eleven-second pass in the Pirelli Pro Jet truck.

You can find Flame and Thunder Show reports on the UK1320 web site at www.uk1320.com, and on the Dragster World web site at www.dragsterworld.com. The Dragster World web site also features the result of their recent contest to win a die-cast Fuel FC.

Racers: Don't forget to let us know over the off-season if you have any news for your fans or fellow competitors. Whatever class you're in, whatever the news, write us at news@eurodragster.com and we'll publish it here. We're still accepting season reviews too.

Page's surprise ride.
2nd November: The offer of a ride in one of Rune Fjeld's Top Fuellers at tomorrow's Flame and Thunder Show came out of the blue, says UK Fuel legend Gary Page. "On the Monday after the European Finals, Rune asked if I fancied a drive in the car", says Gary. "I said 'Alright then'! It was nice to be asked."

Gary last drove the car - which Barry Sheavills, Gordie Bonin and Andy Carter subsequently drove to successive FIA European Championships - in 1997, recording a best of 5.15. Since then Gary has taken a turn in one of the Showtime Fuel FCs and worked on Barry Sheavills' crew. "I like working on the cars, and it's great to see them run well, but I really like to drive", he says.

There are as yet no firm plans for a regular return to the seat of any race car. "This is a good opportunity", says Gary. "There are some ideas floating around but nothing definite."

Malmgren's secret revealed.
2nd November: In our news item on Monday we reported that Sweden's AC Delco Pro Stock team and "A secret partner" had something rather special lined up in the way of displays at Autosport International at the NEC, Birmingham, in January 2002.

We are now able to reveal that AC Delco and Santa Pod Raceway will be teaming up at Autosport International, with Michael Malmgren's Camaro the centre of attraction together with a bunch of new products from AC Delco, and an interactive exhibit.

"We will have a special simulator with a complete Christmas Tree for visitors to try out", says Magnus Cato of Malmgren Racing. "To add to the fun, the fastest visitor will be invited to compete in a head-to-head challenge with Michael."

Last year's display at Autosport International was the first time out for AC Delco, and they were so impressed with the reaction that they have increased their commitment. "The stand itself will be almost twice the size as last year's", says Magnus. "It's the place to be!"

The official Autosport International web site at www.autosport-international.com already contains a stack of information on the 2002 show, including ticket prices and online booking.

Bruiser's Year One success.
2nd November: Paul Marston Racing and the Super Comp PT Bruiser have enjoyed a measure of success in their first year, winning at the Mopar Nationals, sweeping the board at the Brighton Speed Trials, and consistently going rounds in competition. The Bruiser is also one of the most widely-covered race cars in recent years with frequent appearances in the media generating interest for drag racing as a whole. Needless to say, Paul Marston is very happy with his season.

"2001 has been simply a great first year for us at Paul Marston Racing", says Paul. "The newly-formed Paul Marston Racing gave itself a tall order, developing a brand new race car in its first season. The development work has been demanding, and the dedication, hard work, and 'it it knocks you down, just get straight back up' attitude of my team is something of which I am very proud. The fans at the track mostly see one side of a racing team, the entertainment on the track, after all thats what we are there for! Sometimes they may see a little of what it really is like to run a race car in the pits between rounds. But to get there is a team effort: everyone plays their part, and this year I could not have wished for a finer team. The Drag Racing season in England lasts six months, the team however runs for all twelve, that's the kind of dedication and hard work that the fans don't see. A lot of people said that what we set out to achieve with the PT Bruiser could not be done. The fact that we have done it is the best compliment which could be bestowed upon the boys and girls at PMR. They have earned the respect of a lot of people and they have always tried their best to reciprocate to fellow racers and teams."

Paul is also grateful to his fellow racers in Super Comp. "They have all made us as welcome as possible during the season and are a credit to our great sport", he says. "Their help, advice and camaraderie has been great and their competitive spirit on the track totally professional. Super Comp has been a tough class and we finished the best we could have hoped for in this our first season, behind the big four. Super Comp is a class on the move and its ranks will be swelled in 2002 by some seasoned campaigners, the return of Dave Day in the Double Trouble Ford Roadster and the arrival from Super Gas of veteran campaigner Martin Curbishley. In addition to this, I have heard of another six teams looking to enter the fray in 2002."

Paul Marston Racing's primary sponsor Chrysler UK, and associate sponsors Mac Tools, ATI Transmissions, Individual Clothing Company, Red Line Oils and Five Oaks Carriages, have earned Paul's undying gratitude. "Without you guys we simply would not be on the track", says Paul. "Your support for us and in turn our great sport of Drag Racing is a credit to you. We have had a lot of commitments to fulfil. The PT Bruiser has attended over twenty events this year on behalf of our sponsors. It has been exclusively featured in four national magazines, various national newspapers, TV programmes, radio shows, countless regional newspapers, and also throughout Europe. We hope that we have helped to increase your circulation, given value for money to all of our sponsors, and that we will be able to count on your continued support during the 2002 season."

"I must also especially thank Hauser Racing for all their help, the Mopar Muscle Association for the Euro Nationals, and the Brighton and Hove Motor Club. And to every single person who has seen us race or attended one of the exhibition events, especially everyone who has visited us and spoken to the crew in the pits - you are why we are here, thank you for being part of our great sport.

"Lastly, the most special thanks must go to the guys at Eurodragster.com. You have been here for European Drag Racing for so long and helped to achieve so much. It would be near-impossible to think of our great sport enjoying so much success without you (steady on - Ed). Keep up the good work, your efforts do not go unnoticed."

Bid for a ride-along.
2nd November: Many thanks to our good friend Andy Marrs of TSI Timers for alerting us to a charity auction currently taking place on the eBay web site. Up for grabs is a ride-along in a doorslammer, donated by Santa Pod Raceway to benefit the Chivas 200 Foundation. Also included in the package are VIP tickets, a video, and free entry to a Run What You Brung.

Bidding closes Sunday lunchtime, and at time of writing the highest bid stands at £255. For more details check out eBay at cgi.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1289482127.

Inside DJH Racing.
2nd November: UK Funny Bike racer Dave Holland had both high and low points in the 2001 season, setting new personal bests and outpacing all comers on however many wheels at the Brighton Speed Trials, as well as suffering mechanical niggles of various types throughout the ACU UK Championship tour.

Nigel Hoskinson of Dave's primary sponsor Titanium International, who has in the space of a year become a drag racing addict, spent the season on Dave's crew and kept a diary which he has very kindly shared with us. Nigel's diary makes interesting reading, giving fans a real insight into the amount of work necessary to go racing, although the situations described will be familiar to many a racer!

For the inside story from the DJH Racing pit in 2001 click here.

Dave Holland is one of the UK racers competing at next week's AMA/Prostar World Finals at Gainesville, USA, together with Top Fuel Bike racer Brian Johnson at his last-ever race, and Dave Beck who is a regular competitor on the AMA/Prostar tour.

Flame and Thunder Show reports.
2nd November: Regular readers will know that the season-closing Flame and Thunder Show at Santa Pod Raceway is Eurodragster's traditional day off from race reporting after a long season of Raceday Updates. If you can't make the race, though, don't despair as Gareth Evans of UK1320 will be posting results from Santa Pod early tomorrow evening; you will be able to find the results via the News page of the UK1320 web site at www.uk1320.com.

Phil and Gary Cottingham are also planning a post-race Flame and Thunder Show report on their Dragster World web site at www.dragsterworld.com.

Web site updates.
2nd November: Design, PR and marketing company Motorgraphic have launched a web site at www.motorgraphic.uk.com. Racers and fans will be familiar with John Andrews' work as he has designed for, amongst others, the Nemesis Top Methanol team and the Super Series, including race programmes in previous seasons. "Whatever your needs, whether its a new team logo, a proposal for your next big sponsor, comprehensive PR support, or simply looking great at the track, Motorgraphic have the skills and resources to give you the winning edge", says John. Check out the Motorgraphic site for examples of John's work and for more details of the services available.

Earlier news


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