2003 FIA Main Event
Press Day
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17:45
Today's pictures have now been posted, you can reach them from the Event Index page.
So that's all from Press Day, we're now all geared up to come along to Santa Pod on Friday morning to start bringing you the news from the Main Event proper. Thanks for tuning in today, we hope that you enjoyed our coverage.
Thanks for their help today to Steve Horn, Darren Prentice, the start line and safety crews, Kjell Petterson, Caroline Day and Keith Bartlett. A big Thank You also to Andy Marrs for setting us up another laptop for the Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam. In a pre-FIA Main Event week which has seen Tog and Sharkman each suffer a failure of their Eurodragster laptop, and Tog being let down big time by a car rental firm which should probably remain nameless (think Star Trek), it's great to know that there are people you can rely on whatever happens.
We'll be back here at Santa Pod on Saturday morning with pit notes and action from day one of qualifying at the FIA Main Event, although stay tuned to Eurodragster News between now and then for any last-minute stories which may arise.
Today's coverage has been brought to you in association with American Car Imports.
16:30
Micke Kågered made it to the collection area and sat waiting patiently for a few spots of rain to stop, but they never did stop and so the team eventually towed the Top Fueller back to the pits.
Gordon Appleton hit tyre shake again on his last pass. The shake was even deforming the rear spill plates - that's how bad it was. Gordon calmly pedalled and straightened it out, running 6.953/204.60. John Ellis pulled another big burnout but was shut off on the line for spots of rain.
Roger Pettersson and Ronny Aasen's last passes of the day were both very solid, Roger clocking 7.650/173.06 and Ronny 7.785/147.76 which he shut off at about 1100 feet.
Stuart Doignie's last pass of the day was a 10.882/131.01 and Gino Bernadine rounded off his day with a 9.440/136.51.
We're now working on today's pictures so stay tuned and we'll let you know when those are posted.
15:10
We are expecting to see Micke Kågered in the Bahco Tools Top Fuel Dragster some time soon, the engine has been warmed up and the pit is a hive of activity.
John Ellis' latest pass in the Lethal Pro Mod was a 7.545/185.91, the tyre shake left the characteristic caterpillar tracks on the racing surface and I would imagine that John has a headache right now.
Our Pro Stock Bike contingent have each put in a second pass, Roger Pettersson again backing off the throttle at half track and then on it again to clock 8.339/167.03 and Martin Bishop staying in his lane this time to record 8.453/144.52.
Phil Bennett's second pass in his Super Comp rail was a 10.100/100.41, the car launched well but then the engine note dropped, this may well have been another planned short pass to bed-in the engine. Dave Townsend is still clicking off the 9.9s with a 9.929/139.32 on his last run, whilst Stuart Doignie has put in passes of 10.211/130.93 and 10.554/131.97, the latter of these including a twitch as the throttle stop came off.
Nick Curtis' last couple of passes were a 10.861/124.50 and 10.467/135.51 on his 9.90 Bike.
13:50
When we left you, Pro Stock Bike racer Roger Pettersson was about to put in a run. Roger put in an 8.721/160.55 with a significant feather of the throttle at half-track.
Micke Kågered and Andy Carter had their second match race in the Ford Lightnings, Micke again taking the win, on a holeshot, 13.761/98.75 to Andy's 13.680/99.61. There was 0.108 seconds between them at the finish line.
Gordon Appleton is really taking advantage of the open track, another pass of 6.740/205.35 and Crew Chief Adrian tells us that there are more runs to come.
On the Super Comp front we've had the first run today by Phil Bennett, returning to the track with a gentle pass to three hundred feet, getting the reins back. Mark Fairhurst followed up with an 8.870/151.30.
On two wheels, Rachel Pattison clocked 9.120/150.35 on her latest SSB pass, up in race control Rat said that she had run out of nitrous at the top end. Neil Curtis is stacking up the runs with a 10.724/125.59 on his 9.90 Bike.
Just as we went to post this update, Ronny Aasen fired up his Supertwin so let's stay with it and see how he does. Nice burnout...shakes race control to its foundations...7.597/168.37 and another happy crew chief!
John Ellis is lined up next, stay with us and we'll let you know how he does.
13:15
Niclas Andersson's latest TMFC licencing pass was a steady 7.030/218.83. Niclas is visibly gaining in confidence in the car, his burnouts are very accomplished and he is clearly getting a handle on the car, a solid straight pass this time. Kjell Pettersson tells us that Niclas will have to make one more pass for his licence.
Gordon Appleton and his team have dealt with their tyre shake woes, Gordon clocking 6.726/204.68 on his last run. John Ellis pulled a two hundred foot burnout before his second pass of the day, a 7.540/183.74 with a little shake off the line.
Andy Carter and Micke Kågered are having two match races in the Ford Lightnings supplied by American Car Imports. Micke took the first in George Greves' car with a 13.656/100.67 to Andy's 15.146/94.70. The guys have swapped cars now and are lined up behind race control.
Pro Stock Bike racer Martin Bishop has an engine made of parts cannibalised from the two other engines he has already used this season, his first pass of the day was looking good until the bike drifted and crossed lanes. Martin told us a very funny story about his season so far which we will be running on tomorrow's Eurodragster News so tune in tomorrow for that. Pro Stock Bike racer Roger Pettersson and his Crew Chief Roger Lyrén are currently in the collection area waiting to run.
Stuart Doignie has put in another pass in his immaculate BMW-bodied race car, a very early shut-off 10.983/90.93 which left traces of oil on the track, hopefully nothing serious. Super Gas racer Dave Townsend and Super Comp racer Mark Fairhurst got close to their respective indexes again with runs of 9.917/139.29 and 8.943/151.43 respectively...and just as we went to post this update Dave ran a 9.900/139.00, the first perfect run on the new scoreboards.
Rachel Pattison is getting closer yet to another eight on her SSB, her last run a 9.017/157.00, whilst Neil Curtis clocked 11.039/124.34 on his 9.90 Bike.
Roger Pettersson is next up, stay tuned.
11:30
Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway on an overcast but dry morning. It's FIA Main Event Press Day and we're here to bring you the action in association with American Car Imports.
The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and broadcasting a snapshot every two minutes.
A big Hello to Spencer Tramm whom we know is tuned in, trapped in his office by the need to make enough money to run his new race car.
The action started very early this morning so we have not actually done our pit walk yet, but let's take you through everything which has happened so far.
The first racer to receive a three-digit Reaction Time and ET display on Santa Pod's new scoreboards was Top Methanol Funny Car rookie Niclas Andersson, who is on observed runs. Niclas clocked a 0.957 RT and stayed on the throttle to half track, as he got off the gas the car turned hard right but Niclas pulled it in and got on the throttle again, clocking 8.760/150.52 - the first thousandth display on the new boards and it's a zero!
Gordon Appleton has put in two passes in his Wheelgame Racing Pro Mod, a very rapid turn-round between passes there. Gordon hit frightening tyre shake on his first pass, a number of observers saw both rear wheels off the track at once on that pass, a 0.544 RT the only stat worth quoting on that run. Same again only different on Gordon's second pass, 0.556 RT, scary tyre shake, but Gordon pedalled and then got off it, recording a nine-second pass.
Fellow Pro Mod racer John Ellis put in a great burnout, a classis Pro Mod twisty launch but then appeared to have trouble getting gears at three hundred feet and got off the throttle. Crew Chief Ray White said that the Lethal C team had brought a "twig" rather than a stick today. "We have as much power as we need", he said. "Now it's a case of working on the clutch to get the power down."
Supertwin racer Ronny Aasen finally got to make a pass on his beautiful bike after mechanical and weather-related woes and a hell of a lot of hard work. The bike sounded very strong indeed, Ronny taking it easy towards the top end and clocking 7.988/154.14. His crew looked very happy with that, and with good reason.
Also on two wheels, Rachel Pattison clocked her best-ever sixty foot time on a 9.152/149.67 with her Super Stret Bike, that with the bike far from straight. "It keeps going sideways, I don't know why", she said. Rat's second pass, made whilst I was typing this paragraph, netted her a 9.023/150.33. We have also seen Neil Curtis put in passes of 11.333/120.61 and 11.242/123.76 on his 9.90 Bike.
Stuart Doignie has made his first pass in his all-new BMW-bodied race car which is a very nice piece indeed, very clean lines and it runs as straight as an arrow. The car is I believe headed for Super Gas but is running Super Street numbers at present, Stuart's first pass an 11.993/96.73 with feathering of the throttle.
Gino Bernadine's Escort is just going quicker and quicker, a first run of 9.880/130.86 with, his crew told us, minimal boost, was followed up by a 9.310/138.27. Gino's first pass was against Super Gas racer Dave Townsend who clocked 9.898/139.81. Super Comp racer Mark Fairhurst's first run of the day was an 8.947/150.91.
That's all the on-track action caught up with, so stay tuned and we will bring you more of the action in a short while.