2009 Auto Trader Easter Thunderball
Santa Pod Raceway, 10th-13th April 2009
Friday
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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 17:55 We have now posted today's pictures plus some extra shots from yesterday. You can check out the pictures via the event index; if you don't see the updated gallery then click on your Browser's Refresh button. That's all from us for today although the webcam will of course continue to run. We're off to finish eating the box of very yummy Finnish chocolates which Anita Mäkelä very kindly brought us. Tune back in the morning and we'll have another go at getting the 2009 UK Championship season well and truly underway and enjoy some Pro-class action too. 15:50 It's now pouring with rain so Race Director Darren Prentice has called a halt for today. Because very few Super Pro ET cars ran before we stopped that session has been voided, but this morning's Pro ET and Super Gas sessions still stand. Simon has posted a tranche of pit notes and we are working on a gallery which will contain some pictures from this morning's qualifying and some pictures from around the facility. Stay tuned for those. 11:30 Super Pro ET qualifying session 1: First out in this session was a returning Pat Talbot, the Talbot Racing rail now on alcohol with nitrous to be added later on. Pat hit shake off the line but stayed with it and clocked 8.3420/161.82. A couple of runs later Norbert Schneider made his first run in the former Quantum Leap Corrado. A great burnout and then a gentle launch, 1.4523 to sixty feet. After the next pair we had a track clean-up and then a lengthy stop for rain. It wasn't hard rain, just enough to be a nuisance. Rick Cooke and John Morris were first out after the break and then were shut off for rain as they prepared to stage. We're now on hold again for rain, stay tuned. Trackside conditions right now are 14.4 C, 72% humidity and 29.53 inches of air, track temperature is 13.3 C. 9:40 Super Gas qualifying session 1: So, how do you like the new results service then? This is all down to Steve Horn, David Anniwell and the timing crew here at SPR. We didn't want to say anything until we had tried it in a live situation. As you can see there is a little bug in the over/under column but everything else is OK so we're sure you can live with it. A big breakout for Stuart Morrice, so I am guessing that someone didn't set the throttle stop. Conrad Stanley's Firebird looks just stunning in its new colours, that will be a photograph worth waiting for later on. Christer Uhlin didn't get off the line, a pop from the motor and the fire crew rushed in with the fire extinguisher. Qualifying after this session:
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Easter Thunderball 2009. Santa Pod Raceway. England
TSI RACENET SYSTEM
QUALIFYING LIST
SUPER GAS THROUGH ROUND # 1 10/04/2009 10:48:06
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CAR # CLASS DRIVER HOMETOWN CAR MAKE ENGINE INDEX OV/UN R.T. E.T. M.P.H.
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1 1 S/GAS CONRAD STANLEY CHEPSTOW UK PONT FIREB 547 CI 09.90 + 8.9351 + .2293 9.9251 153.62
2 461 S/GAS DAVE DAY SOMPTING UK CHEVY ROD 555 CI 09.90 + 8.9931 + .0494 9.9831 144.84
3 365 S/GAS MARK WHITE HILLINGDON UK CHEV VEGA 355 CI 09.90 + 9.0072 + .4006 9.9972 120.75
4 704 S/GAS STUART DOIGNIE MOULTON UK BMW 496 CI 09.90 + 9.0366 + .0174 10.0266 149.04
5 2 S/GAS FRANK MASON KILLINGWORTH UK CHEV CORVE 510 CI 09.90 +13.1219 + .2158 14.1119 52.68
6 3 S/GAS JON MORTON BENSON UK CHEV CAMAR 555 CI 09.90 + 8.7343 + .0918 9.7243 145.18
7 1969 S/GAS STUART MORRICE LINDON UK CAMARO 468 CI 09.90 + 8.4523 - .1845 9.4423 151.00
Best R.T. was STUART DOIGNIE + .0174
Best E.T. was STUART MORRICE 9.4423
Best MPH was CONRAD STANLEY 153.62
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9:40 Pro ET qualifying session 1: The first person to leave the line in the 2009 UK Championship season was Carla Pittau, a red light unfortunately but it doesn't count in qualifying. A few pairings later Carla's husband Rick McCann pulled a 0.010 RT and a great Super Stock wheelie in Heaven & Hell As Well, the off-season engine work paying off. Antony Wilkins had a lively launch in his very pretty Morris Minor, all four wheels off at one point. Lee Huxley made his first pass in the new Top Banana car, a Sierra which appears to have a sundial on the bonnet! A nice pass from Dan Williams in his Nova put him into #1 spot in mid-session. A slight break-out for Steve Bolton in the Hulk Shogun, 9.236 on a 9.50 dial-in in a car with the wheelbase of a shopping trolley. The car is due to run in Super Comp with Dave Catton at the wheel. Andrew Gibb ran out of session with his first pass in Stripteaser, I am guessing a few damp eyes as the rebuilt Minivan returned to the track after all these years. Qualifying after this session:
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Easter Thunderball 2009. Santa Pod Raceway. England
TSI RACENET SYSTEM
QUALIFYING ROUND SHEET
PRO E.T. ROUND # 1 10/04/2009 09:36:37
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CAR # CLASS DRIVER HOMETOWN CAR MAKE ENGINE INDEX OV/UN R.T. E.T. M.P.H.
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1 608 PRO DANIEL WILLIAMS FLORE UK NOVA 555 CI 09.74 + 8.7889 + .2532 9.7629 139.72
2 946 PRO CHARLIE CHIVERS CARTERTON UK CAPRI 455 CI 10.72 + 9.6829 - .0414 10.7549 126.42
3 251 PRO K MOSELEY CLAPHAM UK DUSTER 498 CI 10.40 + 9.4201 - .4027 10.4601 128.23
4 550 PRO DAN PAGE DIDCOT UK FIREBIRD 427 CI 11.21 +10.1768 + .0288 11.2978 118.48
5 48 PRO MICHAEL HOWLING KINGS LYNN UK DODGE DART 454 CI 09.80 + 8.9253 + .2025 9.9053 133.53
6 314 PRO STEVE HUDSON HERSHAM UK FORD 23T 350 CI 10.30 + 9.3914 + .4441 10.4214 127.49
7 7 PRO CARLA PITTAU LONDON UK CHEV CAMAR 434 CI 09.83 + 8.9828 - .0352 9.9658 133.92
8 626 PRO LIZ MALCOLM HEMEL HEMPSTEAD UK DRAGSTER 122 CI 10.98 +10.0722 + .1586 11.1702 118.17
9 731 PRO RICK DENNY PETERBOROUGH UK P F/BIRD 461 CI 11.31 +10.3887 + .1156 11.5197 118.45
10 777 PRO NEIL HUNTER CHESTERFIELD UK CAPRI 446 CI 09.68 + 8.9581 + .2305 9.9261 134.72
11 648 PRO JON TURNER MAIDSTONE UK BARRACUDA 440 CI 11.20 +10.3864 - .1439 11.5064 119.71
12 79 PRO DAVE CHERRETT WORCESTER UK FORD A VAN 440 CI 10.00 + 9.3771 + .0262 10.3771 123.00
13 542 PRO KEITH HERBERT HILLINGDON UK SPORT FURY 446 CI 10.88 +10.1983 + .4815 11.2863 118.01
14 315 PRO NIGEL GREEN SCARBOROUGH UK BEETLE 149 CI 11.08 +10.4468 - .0242 11.5548 113.39
15 90 PRO BILLY GANE CHELMSFORD UK COBRA ROAD 461 CI 09.90 + 9.3850 + .0883 10.3750 130.18
16 84 PRO RICK MCCANN LONDON UK CAMARO 406 CI 10.00 + 9.5616 + .0108 10.5616 122.14
17 25 PRO LEE HUXLEY WORCESTER UK SIERRA 460 CI 11.00 +10.7797 + .4173 11.8797 101.23
18 306 PRO CARL BURTON COATES UK SIERRA 4300 ROVER 11.20 +11.0600 + .1672 12.1800 111.20
19 782 PRO DAVID RUSSELL CHIDDINGTON UK MARINA VAN 540 CI 09.00 + 9.4618 + .2647 10.3618 94.78
20 700 PRO PHIL TOPPIN FELTHAM UK FORD T 470 CI 09.00 + 8.0696 + .3504 8.9696 149.36
21 911 PRO ANTONY WILKINS WYMINGTON UK MORRIS MIN 468 CI 11.99 +10.7312 + .3420 11.9302 111.43
22 587 PRO CHRIS HODGKINS EVESHAM UK DRAGSTER 383 CI 09.76 + 8.7005 + .0440 9.6765 139.42
23 728 PRO STEVE BOLTON ROMFORD UK SHOGUN 510 CI 09.50 + 8.2864 + .5521 9.2364 140.26
Best R.T. was RICK MCCANN + .0108
Best E.T. was PHIL TOPPIN 8.9696
Best MPH was PHIL TOPPIN 149.36
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8:30 Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway for our coverage of the 2009 Auto Trader Easter Thunderball in association with American Car Imports. The Webster Race Engineering/Lex Joon Racing USA Tour 2009 webcam is on-line and is posting a picture every sixty seconds. If you were tuned in to the webcam you will have seen that we had a beautiful sunrise this morning. It has clouded over some now, according to the weather station conditions outside are 12.9 C, 81% humidity and 29.53 inches of air. A special occasion today as Track Announcer Colin Theobald has his first day as lead commentator and it is his birthday! So a very Happy Birthday to Colin and good luck with the new career. We are due to start at 9:30 with Pro ET qualifying, stay tuned and as soon as the wheels start turning we'll bring you all the news. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |