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17.00

Andy Carter is here with the Lucas Oils show dragster in the trading area this weekend. I went over to have a chat about the forth coming season. "I'm looking forward to the Main Event. Everything is ready and we are looking for a good start to the season and go as many rounds as possible" Andy will be attending the Press day in London on the 8th of May and also the Performance Tuning and Modified Show on the 11th of May at Santa Pod Raceway. Andy also comments "It's a real shame what's happened with Derek. Hopefully he will get a new ride as it's a shame for Top Fuel as he was a new British guy"

One man with a big smile on his face this weekend is VW Alternate Engine racer and class sponsor Andy Raw. "We've got taller tyres and dropped the psi along with new rocker covers and it has been hooking up really nicely" For the next meeting Andy is hoping to change the ring and pinnion in the rear axle and then hopefully will be into the eights. Then Super Pro beckons! Andy's PB was taken this weekend with a 9.43 at 132 mph but as I type he has just beaten it with a 9.40 in eliminations on a 9.40 dial in. Well done Andy and team! Andy has two new sponsors on board and would like to say if it was not for them he wouldn't be here this weekend. Big thanks go to Pit Stop Autofactors of Mildenhall and Fast Tech Engineering of Newmarket for their support. Andy is also sponsored by his own business TSR Engine Conversions. Huge thanks also go to his crew who have worked so hard all weekend to make it so successful.

VW Sportsman racer Dave Bridge has been investigating a slight stutter on the engine after his latest qualifying round. They are looking through the jets for a possible blockage. However no breakages as yet! "I have had a lucky dial in all weekend which is 13.75. I changed it on my last qualifying round to a 13.65 and then I go and run a 13.75!" At Easter Dave won the Perfect ET award but red lit by two hundredths to fellow Sportsman VW racer Adrian Wigley.

VW Pro racer Russ Fellows has been having a great weekend with his nine second Beetle. The car is road legal and runs on pump gas and Russ actually drives the car from his home in Chester all the way to the race track. His personal best is a 9.81 at 141mph which was made on his first run this weekend. Previously he has also run the car at the European Finals in Comp Eliminator although was knocked out in the first round of eliminations. Russ hopes to run a 9.7 if possible this weekend. A new addition to the Beetle this meeting is a new parachute and wheelie bars which were added yesterday and as Russ runs consistent nines it is mandatory to have a parachute.

VW Pro racer Paul Herbert is hoping for a dip in the 12's for the first time this weekend with his nitrous injected 1679cc powered Beetle. Paul has won VW Sportsman three years in a row so is a hot contender to go through the rounds. "The last three runs have all been personal bests and we are so close to running a 12 and also a 100 mph run" Paul will be having a low key year due to running full rounds several years in a row but says he will make a return at the Bug Jam in July and also an outing at the European Finals is possibly on the cards. Paul would like to mention his sponsors VW Vanshack, Dub Monkey, Autopark Used Car Center and 76 Fuels.

Newly promoted Junior Modified driver Rhiannon Bellenie has just acquired a new dragster for the 2008 season. Rhiannon, daughter of Pete who runs in Super Street Bike, has been driving the SPRC dragster for a year since gaining her licence. The rail was bought this weekend from fellow Junior Dragster driver Rosie Hunt and Rhiannon jumped straight in and is absolutley loving it. It came at a very good time as you will see in my next pit note. Rhiannon's personal best has been smashed by just over six seconds from seventeen second passes to 10.7's in her new Modified rail. She describes it as "Very fast" and continues by saying "I'm really enjoying the class but I keep getting red lights". Rhiannon isn't sure about going to the Spring Speed Festival next week but adds that her Dad will be on his Super Street Bike instead. She will hopefully be attending all the rest of the rounds this year.

Gabrielle McDonald has had a tough weekend after her engine from her Junior Modified Advanced dragster expired from the inside after a qualifying run earlier today. Dad explained that a broken crank shaft and con rod were responsible for the breakage. She explains; "I was so upset as I wanted to do so well. I heard this big bang and I was worried that I might have been on fire" The family hope to make the Main Event and would like to make the European Finals as well. Fourteen year old Gabrielle has been using the SPRC Stock Dragster after the detonation of her engine to collect points. As you may have noticed from reading the programme, the McDonald family come from Ireland and Gabrielle explained how long the journey is. "It's a seven hour boat trip then a further three to four hours drive so I sleep for most of it!" Gabrielle is the first child from Ireland to compete in Junior Dragster and hopes to bring her friends over to find out more about Drag Racing in general in the future.

Steve Wells has had a busy weekend in his Orange Pop Pick Up so far. In testing yesterday he had quite a bouncy ride on the rear tyres. After putting more pressure in the tyres and taking some clutch out it began to launch more gently. Last night he suffered a burnt clutch and the team had the engine in a million pieces up until 11pm. "It's all worth it as it went well this morning and we will be uping the launch RPM to see if it still bounces." The team hope to enter Super Comp at the Main Event in May but will have a low key season due to Jayne returning to college this year. Steve's been running consistent mid nine's today with a PB of 9.22 and has hopes of an eight later in the season. Steve has a sponsor he would like to mention which is camauto.com

10:00

I caught up with Super Street bike racer and Eurodragster.com News sponsor Jamie Sneddon yesterday after becoming the number three qualifier in 9:50 bike. Jamie came off the throttle early and coasted through to record the time. Jamie is here purely for track time and to adjust the settings after he had encountered wheelspin at 60ft during the day. Hopefully it will be all sorted with an adjustment on the suspension ready for the next meeting as Jamie will not be making an appearance in today's eliminations.

Junior Dragster driver Becky Evans has had a successful weekend so far cutting very close perfect lights. Becky reminds me that she is infact a past winner of the perfect light award at Shakespeare County Raceway on one of her first competitive outings. "it's been a nice sunny day and i've had three good lights. It has got better as the day has gone on" Becky's personal best in her Junior Modified Advanced dragster is a 7.80 over the eighth mile so far. In the current standings this weekend(As I type), Becky is second qualifier with a 0.016 light.

Chris Jones and his Suzuki Hayabusa has had a mad thrash so far this weekend after wiping out the water pump amongst other cracked casings. The current reigning 9:50 bike champion took the bike to Mark Fisher's workshop then back again to make the qualifying session yesterday afternoon. Chris describes the bikeas a "Work in progress" and has had consistent mid 8's in three runs this afternoon. Chris says he will try harder today to reach the correct index!

I got a chance to catch passenger in waiting Paul Wilkinson just before he took a trip down the track in the Quantum Leap Corrado. Paul's significant other half Kate bid on the passenger ride prize in a charity auction about two years ago. "Kate bid on another item but lost out after it reached £800 so decided this would be good!" Paul adds that he did offer the ride to Kate but she thought he would enjoy it just that little bit more. Paul is no stranger to extreme sports as he has completed a parachute jump as well as having time spent on a test track. Asked how he felt before the run he stated "Intrepidation but excited!" Interestingly enough this is Paul's first time at Santa Pod but recognises the rig of Andy Kirk as he only lives around the corner. Paul is keen to make a return to the drag strip in the near future.