2006 Easter Thunderball
Friday (qualifying)
|
The latest updates are at the top of the page. Click on your Browser's Refresh key to be sure of seeing the latest news. Click here to go back to the event index 21:30 Today's pictures have now been posted, you can view them from the Event Index page. If you don't see the pictures when you load the page then click on your Browser's Refresh button. FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion Lex Joon has given us an on-site update to his exclusive Racer Blog which you can view by clicking here or via the usual route on Eurodragster.com Event Director Kjell Pettersson has told us that an extra Top Fuel licencing session has been put into tomorrow's running order at 10:45 am, we understand that Håkan Fällström and Urs Erbacher are both planning to run. Tune back in the morning and we'll bring you all the news from day two of the Easter Thunderball. 20:05 Super Modified top five qualifying after session 3:
An improvement from Graham Ellis consolidated his #1 position. Craig Gibbs moved into fifth, small improvements on each run and I think he'll be back in the sevens before tomorrow is out. The Camaro is carrying "This one's for you Dad" over each door. That's qualifying for today. Stay tuned as Sharkman is working on today's pictures so we'll let you know when those are posted. 20:00 Funny Bike qualifying after session 3:
Improvements for both Tim Blakemore and Stu Chamberlain but they stayed in place at #3 and #4 respectively. Richard Gupp made his first outing on Sarah Jane Head and Dave Varey's new bike, 11.653/69.33 sounding as if the bike ran out of gears at about half track. Pro Stock Bike qualifying after session 3:
No changes to the qualifying in this session, only Len Paget turned out. 19:55 A very sound sixty foot squirt from Håkan Fällström. The tyres didn't light on the burnout, but the car still clocked 0.885 to sixty feet and Håkan clicked it right on the sixty foot marker. There was a lot of discussion amongst the team after Hå'kan's run. Wild Bunch qualifying top five after session 3:
Helen Smythe back into the top five at #4, improvements from Roy Wilding and Phil Sweeney but they stay in place. Super Street qualifying top five after session 3:
John Grant took over the lead and Leigh Morris was back into the top five at #5, then Martyn Sanger moved back into the top five at #3. Super Comp qualifying top five after session 3:
Mark Fairhurst moved up into third, then in the next pairing Chris Isaacs went into the 8.9s and bumped him down again. In the very last run of the session Belinda Bull took #1 spot on her first competitive outing in the car, well done Belinda! 19:35 Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 3:
Jayne Kay improved her RT but stayed in second place. Next up is Håkan Fällströ's second observed run in Top Fuel. This should be a half pass, but then the last run should have been sixty feet... 19:25 Urs Erbacher has made his first observed run in the Fat Attack Top Fuel Dragster. A very competent burnout, the team very well co-ordinated around the car in the staging area too. 0.890 to sixty feet with wing-high header flames, there was vapour from the engine just as Urs gor off the throttle at about eighty feet - difficult to say whether Urs got off it before the vapour or after, it all happened very quickly. Urs rolled through to through to a 16.580/37.49. Just after Urs ran, there was a huge cloud of white smoke from one of the Fuel car pits. From here it's difficult to make out which pit it was, so to stop ourselves getting in trouble through mistaken identity we won't try to say who it was. Super Gas qualifying top five after session 3:
Trackside conditions after Super Gas were 13.8 C, 34% humidity, and 29.88 inches of air. Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 3:
An improvement from Nicola Lagrue but she holds station, and Brian Huxley into fifth. 19:05 Comp Bike qualifying after session 3:
Less tyre shake a the hit from Cannon and a big jump in ET and speed, let's not forget that was only his third run on the bike, nice one Cannon! A nice pass from Kev Charman, we're guessing that the Gas went on this time. Lined up behind us now is Urs Erbacher for his first observed run in Top Fuel Dragster. Stay tuned. 19:00 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
Vince Gibbs back into the top five at third in this session and another nice wheelie! Super Street Bike qualifying top five after session 3:
Wayne Bradley into the 8.3s and fifth place at that point, even more smoke than usual from the bike in the shutdown area but nothing amiss. Steve Venables then moved up to third bumping Wayne down a place. In the very last pairing Jamie Sneddon was first into the sevens this year and into #1 spot. Nigel Barker clocked 185.77 mph in this session, some of these bikes are making very big speeds. 18:45 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 3:
Paul Wing improved to hold on to fourth and Dave Hall moved into the top five at #5. Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 3:
John Sleath didn't back up his ET record in this session but he has plenty of opportunities left this weekend. Jerry Charles almost put his Capri into the wall in the burnout and then went way out of shape on the run, the car turning hard left at the Tree and then fishtailing wildly left and right but Jerry kept hold of it. Back into the eights, and #4 place at that point, for Ian Hook and from up here it looked as if he had his hands full on that pass. An improvement for Steve Nash although it sounded as if the car was misfiring. 18:35 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
Three racers on +0.003 after this session, Wayne Hiscock being the latest. Jim Smith moved into the top five, then Nick Good took #1 spot and moved him down again. Another good run for Liz Malcolm in this session, +0.006 on her dial-in, but her earlier pass is still good for #2 so there's some early form for Sunday's eliminations. VW Pro qualifying top five after session 3:
No changes of position but improvements from Nigel Green, Brian Burrows and Tim Bell. VW Alternate Engine qualifying after session 3:
VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 3:
Still Graham Fairhead in #1 spot but Abi Tether moved to second, Martin Ayton and Chris Bray improved against dial-in, and Laura White took fifth place. 17:50 Super Modified top five qualifying after session 2:
An improvement from Andy Kirk in the frankly beautiful Rat Fink car moved him up to first after the first pairing. Next up were Graham Ellis and Rob Smallworth, Graham taking #1 spot after his absence from the top echelon was noticed in the first session! Paul Mander put in another observed run in his Plymouth Arrow, 10.075/136.78 with some feathering of the throttle at half track. That's qualifying cycle two done, we're now straight into cycle 3. 17:45 Funny Bike qualifying after session 2:
A big improvement from Neil Midgley and a new ACU speed record if he can back it up. Tim Blakemore was right with Midgo to start with but the bike was heading for the right guardrail and he had to back off and pull it straight at about half track. Pro Stock Bike qualifying after session 2:
A big improvement from Len Paget moves him up to #1, an improvement too from Paul King. Paul Watson's first pass of the day was shut off before half track, maybe a checkout pass. 17:40 Martin Hill put in a seven-second checkout pass in the Fireforce 3 Jet FC, a great flame and thunder show and then the afterburner coughed a little and Martin was off the hard pedal at half track. Wild Bunch qualifying top five after session 2:
Big changes to the top five as Darren Law takes over the lead, Phil Sweeney in the other lane went into second then Roy Wilding bumped him down to third. Chris Hartnell's pass included a pig pedal on landing from the wheelie so there is more to come from the Backdraft slingshot. A pedal from Alec Coe, too, which put him the right side of his dial-in! Super Street qualifying top five after session 2:
Paul Spiers moved up into fifth in the first pairing of this session, then John Grant came in at number three and pushed him to sixth. Bob Lees improved on his ET to hold onto #1 spot, and in the last run of the session Jonas Dantanus moved into second. Super Comp qualifying top five after session 2:
Mark Fairhurst moved into third at that point, Chief Starter Ian Marshall leaned in toward's Mark's cockpit, I guess to ask him to put his visor down and just got out of the way as Mark launched. Andy Williams improved and moved up to fourth and then Chris Isaacs came in at third to move Mark and Andy down a spot. Finally Tim Adam improved but stayed in second. Trackside conditions are 15.5 C, 28% humidity, and 29.92 inches of air. Track temperature at 60 feet is 21.8 C. 17:15 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Nick Gay took over the lead whilst Nicola Lagrue improved her time to index and Sandie Gibb moved into fifth. Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 2:
Jay Hauser into fourth place the only change to the top five in this session. Next up is Martin Hill in the Fireforce 3 Jet FC. 16:55 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 2:
Another Perfect ET, this time from Frank Mason, well done Frank! Norway's Olav Skiervo moved up to #3 spot, it didn't take him very long to get a handle on this track! Fellow Norwegian visitor Christer Uhlin is in ninth at 10.174. Trackside conditions at the end of the Super Gas session were 16.9 C, 26% humidity, 29.91 inches of air, and the track temperature on the start line was 25.3 C. 16:45 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Session 2 must be the money round as Nick Spence takes the Eurodragster.com/LA Racing Parts Perfect ET Award with his #1 qualifier, well done Nick! Rich Gilbertson in at #2 and Mark Flavell in at #4, Rick Cooke's earlier run now good for fifth. Danny Cockerill turned out for this session in his Pro Mod, a great burnout with the revs just zinging up at the end, then driving through shake and off the throttle by about half track. Matt Wright made his second pass in his Chevy truck, taking it nice and easy on the half pass, 10.358. Super Street Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
An improvement from Jamie Sneddon moves him up to third whilst Gary Drury clocks a new PB to take fourth spot and move down an improving Steve Venables. Comp Bike qualifying after session 2:
An improvement from Cannon, again with tyre shake, but again another nice throttle job. Phil Leamon improved his ET with a couple of hesitations so there is more to come from the Vehvac bike. An improvement too from Kev Charman but he stays in third. 16:25 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
A new #1 and #2 as Steve Coombs and Andy Bird improve, and Paul Wing and Al Young move into the top five, book-ending Fred Furlong who didn't improve on his session #1 ET. Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 2:
No change to the top five but improvements for the first four. John Sleath is on an ET record if he can back it up, well done John! Well done also to Jerry Charles on his new Personal Best. 16:15 VW Pro qualifying top five after session 2:
Nigel Green took over the lead in this session, Tim Bell improved. VW Alternate Engine qualifying after session 2:
VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 2:
Improvements from the top two but they stay in place, Abi Tether improved and moved up to third whilst Chris Bray moved into fifth. 16:00 Håkan Fällström's first observed run in Top Fuel was very impressive, it looked like he had been doing it all his life. A nice burnout, 0.938 to sixty feet, off the throttle at about 300 feet, 7.636/99.08 at the stripe. Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Vic Amato won the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award with a 0.000 RT in this session, well done Vic! Marius Blackburn moved into the top five, bumping an improving Kev Slyfield down into fifth, Kev knocking down Spencer Tramm who had improved with another PB of 9.146 on a 9.12 dial-in. Joe Stevens then moved into second, we think maybe a PB, well done Joe! A few pairings later Paul Marston moved into second with the Whoopass Monza, so some pretty major changes to the top five apart from #1 which remains with Liz Malcolm. 15:35 Pro Stock Bike qualifying after session 1:
Super Modified top five qualifying after session 1:
We think a Personal Best speed for Tim Garlick, well done Tim! Trackside conditions are 17.4 C, 28% humidity, and 29.91 inches of air. Track temperature at 300 feet is 28.2 C. Next up is Håkan Fällström's first observed run in Top Fuel. 15:20 Funny Bike qualifying after session 1:
14:20 Wild Bunch qualifying top five after session 1:
A breakout but a Personal Best ET for Alec Coe, well done Alec! Super Street qualifying top five after session 1:
Super Comp qualifying top five after session 1:
Jack Brewster is A-OK after what looked like a fearsome crash at the top end. The car started to disappear into a cloud of smoke at about 1000 feet, drifted left, then just after the finish line turned hard right and hit the guardrail head-on. There was a trail of fluid on the track from about 900 feet, doubtless that got under the rear slicks. Word quickly came back from the top end that Jack was uninjured. Trackside conditions are 16.8 C, 34% humidity, and 29.88 inches of air. The track temperature on the start line is 23.5 C. We're on hold for clean-up and rescuing Jack's car from the top end, stay tuned. 13:55 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 1:
Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 1:
13:40 Comp Bike qualifying after session 1:
The first outing for Chris Hannam's new bike, a very nice-looking piece of work it is too. Cannon hit tyre shake off the line but calmly feathered the throttle and off he went, a good opening pass and Cannon certainly looks at home. Super Gas qualifying top five after session 1:
13:20 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
Super Street Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
Graham Dance's bike is sporting very nice new paintwork courtesy of Eurodragster.com sponsor Specialist In Design. #1 qualifier Dave Smith also has a subtly different paintjob and it looks just great in the sunshine. 13:00 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 1:
Interesting to see a lot of the Street Eliminator racers using parachutes in this session. There may be a story behind that so we'll get Simon to see what he can find out. Trackside conditions are 14.0 C, 36% humidity, and 29.88 inches of air, track temperature at 300 feet is 22.3 C. 12:50 VW Pro qualifying top five after session 1:
VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 1:
VW Alternate Engine qualifying after session 1:
12:40 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
In the second pairing Simon Barlow's Orange Pop got out of shape off the start line and hit the guardrail. From Race Control we saw the left rear tyre smoking and then suddenly digging in, hooking the car right, Simon had the brakes on but the car had too much momentum. Simon is quite OK, the car didn't look too badly damaged. Phil Toppin at 10.975, Spencer Tramm at 9.147 and Rick McCann at 9.934 all ran Personal Bests, well done guys! 11:50 Martin Hill was next in the Fireforce 3 Jet Funny Car, a test pass as Martin has changed engines to a completely overhauled item. A great flame and thunder show and then a couple of coughs and fireballs from the afterburner off the line and Martin got off the throttle and rolled through to a nine-second pass. Track temperature at sixty feet after Martin ran was 24.5 C. That's the end of the licencing session, although Race Director Darren Prentice tells us that Håkan Fällström will be appearing at 14:00. 11:45 Trackside conditions are 14.2 C, 42% humidity and 29.88 inches of air. Track temperature at 300 feet is 21.8 C. Next for licencing was John O'Sullivan in the Mr Mopar blown-alcohol Pro Mod. John had the car up on one wheel during the burnout, and almost ran over Chief Starter Ian Marshall's feet as he came very close to the central refuge! A sensible launch for the first run out today, 1.508 to sixty feet and then idling through to 17.779/53.20 at the strip. 11:30 First up in the licencing session was Nick Davies in the Havoc blown-alcohol altered. The car is now sporting a two-port shotgun scoop after Nick found last weekend that he couldn't see the finish line until he got to about half track. A great burnout to 100 feet and then 1.234 to sixty feet and off the throttle before half-track, 9.244/97.46. Shark at trackside said that Nick was up on the rear wheels at 150 feet. John O'Sullivan's Mr Mopar Pro Mod and Martin Hill's Fireforce 3 Jet FC are in the collection area, stay tuned. 8:20 Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod. It's the first day of Easter Thunderball qualifying we're here to bring you all the news in association with American Car Imports. The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and broadcasting a picture every two minutes. We had some rain overnight and early this morning but the sun is starting to break through and the forecast is very good for the whole weekend. Trackside conditions right now are 9.9 C, 58% humidity, and 29.83 inches of air. Of course, we'll bring you the track temperature as soon as the strip opens. Action starts at 11:00 with a Top Fuel and Pro Mod licencing session, then we are into Sportsman qualifying at 12:00 with three complete cycles scheduled. Simon will be here very shortly and will be bringing you pit notes throughout the weekend, so keep an eye on the Pit notes pages for those. We'll be back here at 11:00 with all the news from the Top Fuel and Pro Mod licencing session. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |