Freddie Turza, an engine builder of thirty years' experience, works in R&D for Eurodragster.com sponsor VP Racing Fuels and is always available to racers with queries about VP's products. He can be contacted any time at fturza@vpracingfuels.com.

Freddie told us of two new VP Racing Fuels products coming onto the market. "DBI is especially designed for engine builders breaking in motors on the dyno", he said. "We are aso introducing C85 Ethanol. Ethanol is starting to make its mark - it makes good power and is inexpensive but it is inconsistent and induces corrosion. The burn value is less than gas so you have to use more. Our new C85 addresses this and has shown a power increase of four per cent over E85. We will also be introducing C9 92 Octane non-ethanol unleaded fuel which is very stable and has a long shelf life."

There is a lot of commercial confidentiality in the fuel area but Freddie told us that he has worked with numberous US Pro Stock teams, Rickie Smith and Pat Musi. In Europe he has worked with Jimmy Ålund, Michael Malmgren, Roger Johansson and Nigel Payne.

Paul Derwent (right, with Nigel Walker) said that Mini Gears, who produce gears, racks and machined parts, will again be sponsoring Super Pro ET racer Dave Ward in 2012. They have also sponsored Oxford Brookes' Formula Student car with parts for their unique V-twin motor. Paul said that the company did good business at Autosport. "We had sixty leads from this show last year, and yesterday (Thursday - Ed) we had forty. It takes us five days to get that many leads at a show like MAC."

Paul had to be closed-mouthed about the companies which Mini Gears supply but he said that one customer is Racing Green for whom they produce steering racks. "We are not trying to compete with other companies", he said. "They make the product and we make the parts which go into it."

Mini Gears were very pleased to have been shortlisted for the Motorsport Industy Association's Service to Industry award. The award ultimately went to another company but Paul said that it was a privilege to be nominated.

Former racer Barry Miller of Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, who preferred not to be photographed, said that the company's drag racing involvement was lessening due to racers' retirements. He did however say that business is good at BMRS which manufactures hoses and fittings and in the USA wiring looms.

"We started the year pretty busy but if we're not busy at this time of year then we're not going to be busy at all", said Barry. "We have a number of new projects including Indy Car and NASCAR's recent switch to fuel injection from carbs has generated a lot of work especially since the regulations have only just been firmed up. The complexity has gone up on the wiring side but the hose but is easy - two little hoses where there was one big one!"

Steve Clark (left, with Nigel Payne) of Eurodragster.com sponsor Nimbus Motorsport is finding business good. "The accountants and bankers seem to think we are recession-proof although I don't know how wise that is!", he said. "We have been here for twenty years - we have come to Autosport almost every year since 1990.

"Our usual support of drag racing will continue with the usual candidates. We are still involved with other motorsport also - we are keeping things pretty much as they are since the formula works. We will have some announcements to make after the show which will be pertinent to drag racers. What I can mention now is that we will be working more with VP Racing Fuels, we are one of their stockists."

UK National Super Modified Champion Nigel Payne said that this will be an R&D season for the Sticky Situation team, with four outings planned: two in Super Modified and two in Super Pro ET.

"We have changed a lot on the car and will have to see how it goes", said Nigel. "We picked up a lot of help at the PRI Show. It's amazing how coming to shows like this helps with sponsorship. As well as Nimbus Motorsport, Dart Engineering have been helpful with a lot of stuff. We have had help from Goodridge hoses, Fuelab Fuel Systems who have supplied us with a new fuel system, VP Racing Fuels America, Stack have supplied us with a new datalogger, Motive Gear, Cam Auto Performance, and Performance Unlimited have supplied us with Total Seal piston rings. Goodridge have arranged for the car to appear at the Cologne Motor Show and we have already been booked to bring the car back to Autosport in 2013."

Nigel's son Jordan is straining at the leash to get into a Junior Dragster again. "He has been saving all of his pennies, he is super keen", said Nigel. "We will sort something out - some testing and maybe a race meeting."

If you were tuned in to Eurodragster.com News this week you will have read that 2011 ACU UK Super Street Bike Champion Steve Venables is to receive support from turbo specialists Owen Developments. Steve's bike is on the Owen Developments stand this weekend and Al Cook told us that Owen are building a Super Street Bike of their own to promote their turbo business. "The bike will be based on a Kawasaki ZZR1400", said Al. "The turbo will be based on Garrett casing but will have Owen internals and Tial stainless housing."

This hefty pair of turbos belongs to Richard Billings' Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator Mustang which was also on display on the Owen Developments stand. Owen Developments can supply and upgrade just about every type of turbo available but only recently got involved in drag racing.

"We have been supplying the British Touring Car Championship with a homologated turbo and we supply the whole FIA Formula 2 grid with turbos and wastegates", said Mark Harrison. "We are also technical partners to the Mini Challenge. We are agents for Garrett and their only distributor this side of the Atlantic. We are also distributors for Garrett Performance and the sole distributor for MHI Performance Turbos. Precision Turbos and Turbometrics approached us. No matter what anyone wants, we've got it."

Lee Owen said that the company had a rallying background before getting into circuit racing, hillclimbs, drifting and bikes. Drag racing is a new venture for the company. "As the manufacturers have brought in better products we have been able to apply our knowledge and expertise", he said. "Alan persuaded us to get into drag racing."

"We wanted to get involved with someone who could support turbos. Mark did the Motec and loom for us - Owen were a one-stop shop. They have a lot of aftermarket performance parts for Garrett turbos which give them more legs and make them last for racing applications. The company has a rolling road so they can take the customer car and map it and the customer drives it out the door."

JDS Pro, Super Pro ET and Comp Eliminator racer John Bradshaw is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his new car Project Zed Nissan. "The car left the USA yesterday and will arrive in about two and a half weeks", he said. "The motor will be a four-litre Nissan V6 with a standard crank and if that works out well in testing we will have race cranks made which will be ready in July.

"We aim to commence testing in the UK and if it works out OK then we will send the car to Sweden for a race or two. The car will be going to the PRI Show at the end of the year and then we might spend a week testing at Orlando - we will probably get more runs in a week there than we do in a whole season over here! Then it will be put into a container and shipped to Australia to start racing in Easter 2013. The Jap scene is huge in Australia - the three quickest Jap cars on the planet are there and the quickest has run 6.38."

John's current six-second, 200 mph Nissan will also be stretching its legs this year. "We will be running in the JDS and also at some mainstream rounds", he said. "We plan to turn up the boost - we ran 6.63 on 2.8 bar of boost and this year we will use 3.8. It'll either run a fair bit quicker or will break more often. We were cautious in 2011 and that gave us some consistency - now we'll find the limits but we may find some pain! We plan to start as we did last year with a big run out of the box. It has a lot left in it.

"We will be going to Le Mans with Motul to do a burnout on the main straight, we also have shows on the British Superbike circuit and on the Isle of Man. We also plan to return to Hockenheim. This will be our busiest year by a country mile!"

Similarly to Nigel Payne, John is looking forward to seeing his son race in Junior Dragster. "Callum is very excited about his first season in Junior Dragster", he said. "He will be starting at Easter."

The motor of the Turner Motorsport Top Methanol Dragster is on display on the stand of Eurodragster.com sponsor Goodridge. We caught up with Steve Turner on the stand of the Turners' and Eurodragster.com sponsor Lucas Oil Products where he was telling Lucas Oil UK MD Les Downey just how satisfied he was with a new product now in use in their Top Methanol Funny Car.

"Lucas produced a 50W oil with additives especially designed for alcohol motors", said Steve. We made six runs at the Finals and we didn't have to change a bearing - everything looked so much better."

Steve added that the Turners' TMD is up for sale to finance the Funny Car with which they plan to contest the full FIA Tour this season.

Former Top Fuel Dragster racer and multiple FIA European Champion Andy Carter said that he is enjoying supporting son Albert's karting career even though the schedule is punishing. "We are racing on thirty seven weekends this year", said Andy. "We race on three weekends then there is a weekend off but you are still spending three days a week working in the kart. It's hectic but Sarah, Albert and I are enjoying it. It's a totally new challenge."

You can check out Albert Carter's web site via www.andycarter.net.

Kevin Studaker of Total Seal (left, with Dave Powell of Performance Unlimited) took on the job of explaining to your far from mechanically-minded reporter the task of a good piston ring.

"A piston ring maximises engine efficiency by making it a more efficient air pump", said Kevin. "Total Seal have a patented two-piece gapless top ring. We manufacture all of our own rings in-house. We produce stainless steel AP Steel top rings and second rings, and M2 Tool Steel top rings, all in-house. We coil them, profile, lap amd heat-treat the rings from raw wire. We offer one of the thinnest rings available, 0.5 millimetres axial by 2.55 millimetres radial. We can offer various coatings and custom walls - we are not limited by much but by how much you want to spend!"

Kevin cited Bob Book, Nickens, Reher-Morrison, Patterson Racing, WJ and KJ, "99.9 per cent of Pro Stock", Richard Maskin and Greg Stanfield as satisfied customers. UK Super Pro ET racer Nick Good, who happened to be at the Total Seal stand when we stopped by, confirmed that he too was a happy customer. "When we started to use Total Seal rings it cured out problems instantly", he said. "We have less than five per cent leakdown across the board."

Whilst wandering the aisles of the NEC we encountered UK Pro Modified racer Bert Englefield with Crew Chief Andy Wright and the rest of the Lucas Oil-sponsored team. When asked about their plans for this year Bert made a couple of pitches for Quote of the Year.

"We've got no money, I can tell you that!", he said. "It's getting new paint, a bit of a valet job" interjected Andy. "We may make it street-legal so that we can race Andy Frost", said Bert. "We're just looking for wipers and a washer pump and we're away!"

Bert did let on that the car will have a new Mark Williams axle and carbon fibre brakes for 2012, the latter allegedly to assist on those occasions when Bert "Has so much fun that he forgets to pull the parachute".

Wayne Jackson and Junior Dragster racer son Brad were on the Lucas Oil stand to meet with Les Downey about this year's plans. Wayne confirmed on Les' behalf that Lucas Oil would continue to sponsor UK Junior Dragster this season. "We are very grateful and very pleased", said Wayne, "especially in these challenging times."

Wayne is organising a Junior Dragster day at York Raceway on 8th July about which more shortly. We understand that Brad may well make his first outing in Sportsman ET that same weekend.