SPRC Summernationals
Santa Pod Raceway, 22nd-23rd June 2013
Sunday


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Latest update 16:05


Super Pro ET racer Nick Spence has made a return to racing for the first time since 2006 in the former Xtreme Racing dragster previously campaigned by Derek Flynn and Matt Glassup. Nick said "I have done circuit racing, bikes and boats and then wanted to come back into drag racing. Racing in bracket classes is cost effective and fun and needn't require much work on the car. I bought this one as a rolling chassis and acquired an Engine Data Analysis motor and an Andy Frost-rebuilt Powerglide trans. The engine is a 632cu in BBC with two 1150 Holleys and produces about 1000hp on C14. We tested at Avon Park but had problems this is our first time of running full passes. We have found we need a taller differential in the rear and there is too much wing." Nick thanks Kenny Coleman, Geof Hausser, Richard and Peter Walters, Nigel Turner, Robert Lake, Dave Massam and Andy Frost.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Noah Stutz was delighted with a successful weekend. He said "The car and the crew have been perfect and I was happy with all of the runs. Our first full pass the car went to the left and we then put more weight on the front and it went straight. The team are practising quick turnarounds eighty minutes and are very excited about entering the NitrOlympx with two Top Fuel cars." Noah says his Super Comp dragster, built to show car standards, is for sale and more sponsors are being sought to finance a European Finals entrance.


Top Fuel Dragster racer and Eurodragster.com sponsor Urs Erbacher and crew chief Robin Grice were pleased with Noah's licensing performance. Urs said "Noah is a good driver and reacts well to what the car is doing. This is a new setup for the car which we ran in the US and had front halved and back halved in 2011 and then raced in Abu Dhabi. We have a complete new crew, one for each role on the car and existing crewmen are being shadowed by the new team who have been instructed in the shop. Robin is overall crew chief and therefore will be using two sets of data."


Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association racer Nick Davies has suffered a frustrating weekend with electrical gremlins. Car owner Lawrie Gatehouse said "It's telling us something but I just wish it would speak lowder as we're not hearing." A rotor arm broke yesterday and we changed magnetos and cam but still no improvement. In the burnout the engine is making a noise like it's on the rev limiter. We ran without breakage last year but even the 700 years of combined knowledge on the team cannot find what is wrong."


Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator racer Al Williamson was shut off and pushed back after the burnout in Q4. His best time this weekend is 10.200/140.


Super Gas racer Stuart Doignie brought his new car out at the 2012 Euro Finals where he suffered teething troubles but still made the semi final. Stuart, who runs the car in partnership with new racer Tim Lane, said "We've only done seven runs in it and this is its second event. We bought it as a rolling chassis from Andy Frost and stripped it down, rebuilt and repainted it. In Street Eliminator it was set up for more weight transfer and we have tightened the suspension." The car recorded a 0.007s RT yesterday. Plans are for Tim to license for Super Comp at the Euro Finals and for the car to be double entered.


Sportsman ET racer Matt Moxon runs this stunning Mustang. The car runs 13.7s at almost 100mph and he qualified fourth and won in round one of eliminations


Super Twin ET racer Chris Mott is on a bike borrowed from Nigel Batsford as he awaits a new air-cooled Harley Engine for his own V-Rod bike. He qualified no.2 with a 10.28 on a 10.19 dial and went out in round one with a break-out 10.13.


Pro Mod racer Steve Hall is battling new car gremlins. He said "We made three passes and I have had trouble holding it on full throttle after the launch. We ran a 6.9 at the Main Event and made two runs at the Peak Performance day on Friday with a best of 7.0/204. Then we got slower and slower." Qualifying produced a best of 7.53 and shut off in round one of eliminations. Steve is looking to build the floor of the car to aid full throttle use.


Pro Mod racers Roger Moore (pictured left) and Graham Ellis share a joke before they met in round one. Reigning champion Roger said "We are back after a break and have been making changes to the clutch to get a harder launch with a single move. We're pleased with the results so far." Graham said "We have lane choice and there are no mechanical issues." Graham qualified no.3 with 6.59 and Roger no.6 with 6.76. In the race Roger overcame a smoking engine to defeat a shake-plagued Graham.


Pro Mod racer Rick Garrett ran two checkout passes in qualifying after suffering engine damage at the Main Event. "We had a broken piston ring which caused damage to rods and engine internals. We completely rebuilt the engine. We are still creeping up on the performance and need to do more passes and go rounds to get track time in."


Pro Mod racer Wayne Nicholson failed to make a pass. He said "We fitted a brand new flex plate which was not round, so the car wouldn't start. When it did eventually start, the engine started breathing and the fuel washed oil off parts, so we weren't happy running it. We will take it home, fix it and run the old flex plate."


Pro Mod racer Kev Slyfield said "We still have little things slowing us down and as soon as they are solved we can start tuning the car. We overpowered the track on the first run and then when we took power out, it dropped cylinders. Kev qualified no.8 with a 7.69 and went out to Bruno Bader in round one.


Pro Mod racer and Eurodragster.com blogger Andy Frost recorded a PB of 6.49 yesterday. He said "After the Main Event we stripped the drive train and the vibration turned out to be a tyre. At the test day we were struggling with the transmission. We fixed that and run a PB on the last of four attempts and then had tyre shake on the final qualifying run. We have been working with Shane Tecklenburg over the internet but have basically kept the same settings from the Main Event. Thanks to Jon Webster's work the car is running straight." Andy also thanks his crew Tony Grayston, Jake Grayston and Arthur Stuffins.


Pro Mod racer and Eurodragster.com sponsor Andy Robinson's bad luck continued with brand new rods breaking. Crew man Jerry said "After kissing the wall at the Main Event we discovered there was only damage to a front tyre and body panel. We are not sure why the rod failure happened but put in the spare engine which we ran last night and just now. Fortunately we can run test passes today. The engine has about the same power as what we had in the Studebaker but the car is much lighter with moveable ballast."


Pro Mod racer Bruno Bader ran 6.19, 6.22 and 6.16 to qualify no.1 and a 6.20 in round one of eliminations. He said "It may look easy but it isn't." However the knowledge of the tuning conditions at SPR from over 20 years of racing have helped.


Super Street racer Martin Lewis has raced "Mustang Sally" since 1995 when owner and crew member Colin Weber first built it. Martin said "I ran sportsman for five years and was then talked into getting a full tube chassis for it. Thanks to Steve Large Engineering for their work. The chassis could be tagged to 8.50 and I may aim to run Super Comp but without a throttle stop. The car has a Boss 351 engine with single carb and C4 trans." Martin is sponsored by Oyester Container and Equipment rental BV. "We ran a 13.7 on the car's first time out. To improve we need to get off the start line better and fix the shift point on the gearbox. We are looking to add 15 mph and reduce the ET by a second." Crew chief and co-owner is Babs Weber.


Pro ET and Super Street racer Dave Cherrett suffered suspected gearbox damage that may have damaged the engine. He said "It locked up at 330ft and took a 90 degree left turn and ended up on two wheels. There was a funny noise and we will need to strip it apart. We can only test on track." Brother Stephen went one round in Sportsman ET eliminations. The team's trailer is resplendent in a wrap supplied by Eurodragster.com sponsor Paul Foote.


Super Gas racers Mark White and Jon Morton relax with car builder Kev Cerasale before eliminations. Mark admitted "Between the events, we only need to do routine maintenance." Jon said "We will be running Dan Page's Super Gas Nova for the first time in a couple of years at the Mopar Euronats. It will have a new Scott Shahiroff engine of 540cu in that could run in Super Comp." Kev said he is busy with a couple of new builds, one a slingshot dragster powered by a Hemi engine.


Super Street racer Karen Stevens and Pro ET racer Mike Lacey had a successful weekend. Karen said "I have now done nine runs and you notice more and it seems to slow down after a few passes. On my first full pass I didn't want to lift!" Mike ran a perfect ET of 9.400. He said "We had run two 9.400s previously in qualifying and just changed our dial in to match."


Super Pro ET racer Martyn Jones suffered rocker stand damage on a 6.49 pass. He said "I was on four cylinders on that run and lifted at 900ft. Sadly there is valve train damage but we will order new parts and do our next date which is a Mini event here in which I will be match racing Karl Harrison in his funny car."


Super Pro ET racer Tom Atkinson qualified 16th with a 9.14 on an 8.99 dial in. He said "We have been badly affected by the headwind which has slowed us by a couple of tenths." In eliminations Tom went out to Scott Hauser in round one.


Super Pro ET racer Liam Jones has bought the Talbot Racing dragster and licensed on his first day in it with no previous experience. He said "I have watched racing for 12 years and knew Gary from the team from a friend. I have surpassed by objective by licensing and running as quick as 8.45 on a detuned car. The first full run was manic but I feel I am getting used to the car and knowing where the finish line is. Today the cross wind is making it lively. I will do the Euro Finals and National Finals and would like to go more consistently and quicker at those events. Ultimately I will use nitrous.


Super Pro ET racer Marc Henney raced at two events here last year and has returned for the Main Event and Summer Nationals in 2013. Marc said "We have been slowed by the headwind but the car is mechanically fine. It runs on E85 and we have not changed the tuneup since the Main Event." The 620cu in Chevy engined rail has run a best of 7.57. Marc's crew is Marc Dworschak.



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