2007 FIA European Finals
Thursday (qualifying)


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Latest update: 19:40

Werner Zudrell (above) is from Austria near the Swiss border and this race is his SPR debut. "We raced at Turtmann, Hockenheim and Malmo. Werner runs a '68 Plymouth Barracuda in Super Gas with a 525cu in Keith Black B-1 block. "The car is a stock frame with a twelve point roll cage. I bought it as a 12 second car and fully restored it. Our best time is 9.6 which we ran today. My mechanic is from Switzerland and he is like a watchmaker."
Bob Doyle (Super Gas) has run his self-built "Z Case" Datsun for some 15 years since he built it, the last three in Super Gas. "I ran all seven sessions today and it's been very consistent, going a tenth slower and then picking that up again next time." The engine is a 335cu in Donovan with a little shot of nitrous which is used as a tuning device.


Conrad Stanley has became no. 1 qualifier in Super Gas at the end of the day. "The team has been doing more promotional work and it is starting to get the right responses. Anna is no.1 in Junior Dragster. We both won at SCR so we're happy with the way the season is going. Conrad is pictured with co-owner Trevor Graves and Trevor's son Scott and Conrad's son Robert in the background.

Martin Curbishley is being helped by Jon Webster in setting the car up. He said "The new engine is making so much power it's picking up the front wheels, so we are changing suspension settings." New sponsor (and Eurodragster.com sponsor) Direct Plastics will be attending the event on Saturday.


Paul Knight ran six of the seven sessions until the fluids started getting a little warm. "It's gone well so far this weekend. I'm really pleased with the response after the London Drag Racing show", he said.

Dave Day is pictured with son Elliot. What do you do when you have to take a hiatus from racing due to an expanding family? Build a minuature replica of your racecar for your new son. Dave said "It tool me three years and will go 4mph but I have two 24 volt motors at home..." Dave was delighted with Sarah getting back in the saddle and feeling confident enough to run a mid-eight on a planned 60 foot launch,


Mike Bentley, who is being helped by Zane Llewellyn this weekend, qualified third at the end of today. So why is the car for sale? "I've some building work to do at home and then want to import an alky-fuelled rail", he said. The Sierra has a big block Ford and 'Glide with throttle stop and has to be one of the more successful sportsman doorslammers in recent history.

What is the collective noun for six Paul Marston Racing cars? The cars pictured netted Dave Catton 1st in Super Comp and 13th in Super Gas, Tethys 3rd in Super Comp, Steve Bolton 7th in Pro ET, Mike Howling 17th in Super Gas, and team leader Paul 10th in Super Pro.


Paul Vrind is now racing in Pro ET having run Super Gas for many years and winning the Dutch championship twice. "I got to the finals of this event last year and was runner-up. I ran a PB of 9.72 today and also did seven runs, more than in the entire weekend at Hockenheim. The track workers here are incredible." Paul has raced since 1992 and has owned his Chevette for six years. "It was built with friends from a project in the UK that was never finished."

Simon Rowland (Pro ET) is at his first competitive meeting in his Formula Tanker Rental dragster, but raced for a few years in 10.90 bike in the 1990s. "I have been coming to the track since 1992 but this deal came together very quickly", he said. "Formula Tanker Rental have been delivering fuel to Formula One teams at testing and races across Europe for over ten years and became interested in supporting drag racing." In a departure from usual drag racing practice the sponsor owns the team. "I got married on 29th June and the car was delivered on 30th so it has been frenetic", he said. Why is the car called E-Hell? "It's an exclamation from Cheshire and has become my catchphrase." No need for the catchphrase today as Simon was as high as 3rd at one point.


Roy Wilding is having a busy weekend, doing double duty between his Chariot of Fire altered and the S&K rear engined Super Pro Dragster, which Roger Sinclair prepares and Roy contributes to the running of. "I'm having a ball. I ran a PB of 8.13 and it felt skittish but so exciting to go that quick. I love it but the engine's in the wrong place!" The altered which is one of the nicest you could see is for sale at £10k turnkey. "I have my eyes on a modern nitro slingshot from the U.S.", Roy added. Roy's car building business is very busy and he has been working on no less than nine projects in recent months.

Phil Sweeney's new Super Pro altered has been running 8.7s after a successful debut at SCR when it ran an 8.62 at 151mph. "The chassis is from John McIntyre's Mac's Rat which has been refreshed and the engine is from I.C.E." said Phil. He installed the Powerglide trans and axle and also painted the car. Pictured with Phil are team members Tony Roberts, Ian Jones and Abbey Huggins.


Making its competitive debut is Nick Good's Super Pro ET dragster which has run a easy-going 7.23 so far with more to come when the rear axle ratio is reduced from 4.33 to 3.79. The car has a paint job from HRG Paints & Panels similar to the previous car. "It was designed for this one," explained Nick. The chassis is ex-Gary Malin's Serious Playtime and has been refreshed by Geof Hauser. "We received it four weeks ago so the car has effectively been built in three weeks", he said. "Thanks go to Team Flavell and Rod Harrison for their help with the engine and setup." Sponsors are www.beovax.co.uk, www.chrisbrownuk.com, Morris Armitage and Gas-Weld System. Nick's crew are Andy, and Bob Hester.

David "Crunch" Crunkhorn is making his second outing in Martyn Jones's Super Pro ET dragster after a successful debut at the SPRC Summernationals. "I had to finish my licensing in the single qualifier which was on the Sunday morning and then it was straight into eliminations. I was going to run at the National Finals but my hernia operation got put back to 19th September and Martyn told me he didn't think it was a good idea to drive ten days after the op."


Mark Flavell (centre, with Craig Owen, left and Malcolm Rigg, right) said "We're pleased with the car's performance. We lost our good engine at SCR tow weeks ago and put our number two motor in with a setup that should run 7.5. It has in fact run 7.47. The track prep is brilliant and we're just enjoying ourselves as we are not in contention for the championship."

Steve Saunders (pictured with Babs and crew member Tom) says it has been "marvellous" to have run a new personal best of 8.7 in the radically rebuilt Zephyr Mk2." The car has been extensively reworked including new chassis, new front and rear suspension, 5" roof chip and is 300lb lighter than before. "There is more in it and we plan to work on it in the winter to get further improvements. 2007 is our testing year." Steve thanks www.parsonscontainers.com for their support.


Pictured is John Everitt's team, with the name of John's late son Oliver on the back of the Alien altered. Saturday is the second anniversary of Oliver losing his life in a road accident and John's first run on Saturday will be dedicated to his memory. For today, the team have been pleased to run consistent 8.0s and the car has been "working perfectly" on new tyres, with only a warm engine preventing it running in all sessions.

Eurodragster.com sponsor Malcolm Francis of Air Sea Logistics has been running a spare engine after his main engine let go earlier in the year. A "gentle check-out pass" yielded a 9.02 for the Super Comp Pontiac Grand Am.


Nicky Frost (above) broke out with a 9.81 on a 9.90 dial-in in her Pro ET Camaro. She said "We installed a new two-speed Powerglide built by Mike's Transmissions after breaking the TH400 at Easter. We did six passes at the Main Event and another two at the Summernationals, so we are still getting used to it." Thanks go to husband Nick and Super Pro's John Atkinson for the installation. Nicky's engine is by Eurodragster.com sponsors I.C.E. Automotive.

Mark Bishop's big block Ford powered Topolino is part of the only father and son team running in the same class in UK drag racing (Kim runs a Willys Coupe also in Pro ET). He said "We ran our first ever ten this morning. This is my rookie season and my only prior experience was the licensing passes in the car." The car runs a Powerglide and the chassis is from Webster Race Engineering. The current 460cu in motor is planned to grow in size over the winter.


Carl Burton, Pro ET sponsorship co-ordinator, is also doing rather nicely in the championship. "I'm ten points behind no. 2 place and that is my target", he said. After session two, he was qualified fourth. The sponsorship scheme now has Mer Ultimate Car Products (cleaning and polishing materials) and Motorshack high performance superstore. "We have our first ever end of season buffet, dance and prize giving at the Cromwell Hotel, March, Cambridgeshire on 24th November (tickets £12.50 per head) - all are welcome."

In fifth place in Pro ET after session two, Anders 'Bostic' Envall has US racer and engine builder Karl Ellwein (above, left) as a guest this weekend. Karl has been instumental in raising the racing profile of the Impala SS, running the East Coast Impala SS Racing Series and recently commenced an engine-building business in Maryland. Bostic said "Karl was my mentor in getting my Impala to run as quick as 9.84 and in return I encouraged him to start the business." Bostic's engines had been built by his great friend Lennart Bergqvist who died in 2006.


Dave Nelson (above, left)and friend John have built a new 186" slingshot, which will race in Pro ET on its debut and then head towards Super Comp. "It's all our work, with drawings, tube bending and advice from Roy Wilding and help from Webster Race Engineering and Ian Marshall. It's our first new build and we learnt a lot." The engine is a big block Ford of 528cu in which is married to a C-6 trans. Unfortunately missing throttle and water system parts look like preventing it from running this time out.

John Morris, whose Probe now runs under the name "Animal Magic Racing" (which will mean something to people of a Certain Age), has an AC invalid carriage as its tow car, with some drag racing accoutrements.


Andy Williams' Wild Child dragster suffered major engine damage on his final run on the press day. "Some pistons broke and a number of rods and lifters also", he said. "The team are helping to analyse what went wrong but the motor is too badly damaged to repair at this meeting. We had a good season until this point and the high spot was qualifying second in Denmark. If we're not racing next year, it will only be because of lack of funds."

John Atkinson (Pro ET) thanks Mo Blackburn for supplying a new convertor. "It feels fine", he said. "Last year we had a lot of transmission troubles and this year has been affected by convertor issues." The potent Cortina Mark 1 Estate ran a 9.55 on a 9.27 dial-in in the first session.


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