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End-day report by Jerry Cookson

With several National Championship teams present preparing for next weekend's official start to the season, the year at Shakespeare County Raceway got off to a rather windy but sunny start despite an unexpected rain and hail shower mid-afternoon delaying proceedings for a short while.

Of those who did manage to lay some times down Charlie Chivers, who will be running in two classes as from next weekend, ran a day's best of 10.687/123.94 with the Taxi Express Capri. Local boy Chris Hodgkins ran a string of high nines with his Pro ET dragster, the best being a 9.886/135.71.

9.50 Bike riders Richard Sawatzki and Andy Burfitt braved the conditions to and ran a couple of 9.6s and 10.7s.

Making a statement for girl power in the Junior ranks were Roise Hunt and Jayne Kay, the original Wild Bunch Kid. Reaction times of .04 and .06 proved to everyone that Jayne had lost none of her competitive spirit over the winter break especially with her consistent 8.4s on every lap. Rosie, meanwhile, was still getting to grips with her Junior Modified dragster with low nines over the eighth mile.

Putting in some passes before the start of the Outlaw Anglia season was Rich Colby with a 10.877. Also out for the first time putting down some test laps was Bob Hancox with a new Big Block set in the Runaway Ford Prefect resulting in a rewarding 14.36.

Former Wild Bunch Crew Chief turned racer Mark Richardson was out in his Pony Express Model T altered which has not been seen for some time and which has been completely rebuilt since the nineties. Mark very quickly adapted to the car as the 355 Small Block began to put in some consistent times.

Another new car hitting the strip was Victoria Higham's '68 Chevy Nova which only left the workshops of Dave Evans' Never Again Racing a few days ago. The car packs a 468 ci Big Block Chevy prepared by Jeff Bull and Victoria was quickly banging the numbers out with a day's best of 12.82.

Trevor Kitney brought along his radical or, in his terms, modded Escort sporting an 8.5 litre Ford V8 with a 14-71 blower. Former street racer Trevor encountered a couple of minor oiliing problems but it is hoped that the all black Escort will be back to the track quicker than its two-year lay off after nuking the old V8 lump some time ago.