Mopar EuroNationals
Santa Pod Raceway, 29th-31st July 2016

Sunday


Click on a picture for a large size image. 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


Latest update 15:40


Mark Drew from Devon owns this Challenger, which made passes in rwyb.


Austin Jacques is testing his Capri which he has owned for two years. He said 'I'm doing licensing passes so I can run in the National Championship'. Austin's engine is a 598ci BBC with Powerglide gearbox and a nitrous system plumbed in but not in use today. Austin said the car is tagged to 7.5s and the plan is for a full pass this afternoon.


Gasser Circus racer Tim Holmes' '64 Polara 500 is here, albeit not in competition. The number plate MXXWEDG gives a hint as to the type of engine.


This Challenger's Watts Shop logo (modelled on the 1970s-80s Rod Shop team in the US) indicates Duncan Watts had a hand in it.


Pro Mod racer Marck Harteveld had his best qualifying run disallowed because of being over weight. Marck said 'We have done a lot of work to get the car under the maximum weight of 2800lb, at the start of the season it weight 2930lb. We started with carbon fibre hood, doors and trunk lid and lightened the back. We also got a titanium transmission tunnel. Our next change is to get lighter zoomies for Hockenheim which should save another 20lbs and keep it below the weight limit'. Nevertheless the car ran better than ever in two out of session passes, a 6.296/220 this morning and 6.232/221 in the afternoon.


Pro Mod racer Mick Payne was delighted to have his first six second pass at this event, a 6.781/208. He said 'I've been coming to the Mopars ever since it started and the organisers stuck with me even when I changed to a Chevy, although there was a bit of banter. We repaired the damage from the Main Event, thanks to Dave Milam for his help and to Andy Robinson for getting spares, also Steve and my team have done an awesome job. We want to run another six now.' That duly happened with a later 6.99, but with chutes not coming out and Mick spinning the car 180 degrees to keep it pristine and avoid the field.


Pro Mod racer Michel Tooren qualified no.1 with a 6.1195/236 PB and then went on to improve that in round one of eliminations with a 6.074/236. He said 'The car felt really straight along the track and the team are tuning it wonderfully. It's reliable and I hope to repeat against Andy Robinson'. Michel slowed to a tyre shaking and pedalling 6.42/228 but still won against Andy.


Pro Mod racer Wayne Nicholson, Belinda and the team have had their best performances out of the Lucky Seven Corvette in some time. 'The car feels a lot better going down the track and we are re-establishing the baseline and then making small steps from there. We are still conservative having run to a best of 6.45/220 a few seasons ago'. A best of 6.93/201 in qualifying was followed by a 6.84/205 in round one and then an out of session 6.72/209.


Steve Rawlings was suffering different teething troubles in his new Vette. 'The inhinbitor switch cut out near the start line, also the vacuum pump broke and in resolving that we found two more issues to deal with. This morning it grabbed a bit of sky on the launch, so we lowered the launch rpm and reduced the timing by two degrees. I want to do two full passes of 7.4/180 at least today so have calmed it down. But my cloud recognition is sadly improving'. The next pass was 7.647/195 with hopefully another later this afternoon.


Pro Mod racer Roger Moore with daughter and team member Lucy went to the semi final after qualifying third with a 6.395/218, a PB speed. In the first round he slowed to 6.55 against a returning Bobby Wallace. 'I had shake with a tight clutch and couldn't see the rev counter so it went on the limiter. The engine is still damaging pistons and we are managing the situation rather than curing it. Nitrous experts around the world are scratching their heads over it'.


Roger Johansson is advising Pro Mod racer Bobby Wallace as he runs with a new more powerful engine. He said 'It's good to be here to help Bobby adjust the car's setup to go down the track with a much stronger engine, which should take him from 6.5s to low sixes. It will take small steps but he is almost there'. A test 6.76/208 showed the car's potential. Roger said of his crash at the Main Event 'I was lucky I was in a good car at a good track with good safety personnel. I was in Addenbrokes in Cambridge for four weeks and then a further week in Sweden. There were two operations, the longest lasting 16 hours.' He is now planning his return to the track and has ordered a new Rick Jones rolling chassis and Mustang body, to fit the largely intact power train from the crashed car. 'I hope to be ready by the Main Event 2017 depending on when and where I can test'.


Pro Mod racers Bert Englefield and Andy Wright (pictured right) have built on their performance improvements. Andy said 'We are using a little bit less fuel each run. After this meeting we will be putting in a fuel management system with a bleeder control via solenoid to meter it down the track. The car has found its ideal spot for handling.' Bert ran 6.247/228 in round one and 6.267/226 in the semi final to reach the final against Michel Tooren.


Pro Mod racer Kev Slyfield had problems with tyre shake which gave him a losing 6.45 against his car builder and Eurodragster.com sponsor Andy Robinson. 'It shakes in second and you can put more or less power in to cure it, we are trying to decipher which. We think it is underpowered so in the test we will give it the Full Monty. The conditions are good for it.' Kev again found tyre shake in the test run.


This '70 Z28 Camaro was looking good in the pits.


Al Golding had a new ally block after bad damage at this event last year. 'I had ordered some new rockers and they hadn't arrived so I have used some old ones. But one broke, and before that I wasn't able to keep the engine running on eight cylinders. We replaced the ignition leads after it ran on five, and on the second pass it ran on seven. The rocker broke on the third pass so we're out for the event. I will put the new rockers in when they arrive and aim to do a Saturday Night Special by the end of the season. I don't want my new C23 fuel going to waste!'


Darren Peart was delighted to run his first seven in the Wildcat Racing engined Cortina Mk 3. He said 'We put more timing and nitrous in it bit by bit and it was great to see my first seven. I have a single stage of nitrous but a programmable controller which means I can vary the horsepower between 280hp and 350hp down the track. It could go up to 400hp and I could use more off the line.' Darren was also runner up in the TS bracket race.


Pro Mod racer and Eurodragster.com sponsor Andy Robinson had a big engine repair job after burning a cylinder head and gasket. Team member Jerry Clayton said 'We had to put a new cylinder head on, but also replace a liner and weld the block. The liner wouldn't come out and we had to make a special tool to pull it out. We finished at ten but it was a lot of work. So running a 6.12/232 this morning felt like payback. Against Michel Tooren we will have to turn the wick up and I hope it will be a good race'. In the semi final Andy shook on the launch then went into tyre smoke and crossed the centre line in his attempt to chase down a fast-disappearing Michel Tooren, narrowly avoiding impacting the left retaining wall.


Visitors from France brought this tube chassised truck over for its initial passes and after a cautious start they were running consistent mid nines.


Gordon Northway's pickup ran in Top Sportsman and the times improved to the mid eights, with the team hoping for sevens very soon.


Driving job of the meet came from Pete Youhill in his Chevelle SS which executed a 180 degrees turn after fluid got on the tyres on the launch. Nick Curtis in Jack Brewster's 'Just Mustard' Firebird was on full throttle in the left lane and missed Pete by inches. After suitable clean-up, both cars were able to return to competition.


Dave Gibbons of Rough Diamond altered and Bob Glassup's Capri NFC team took to doorslammer racing in Paul Marston's Monza, running a 8.79/150 on Sunday morning, but going out to Darren Peart in TS round one heads-up.


Nick Curtis got to grips with Jack Brewster's Firebird and ran 8.265/166 in TS round one heads-up. Nick's previous experience includes Southern Belle Racing Chevrolet Malibu team and the Team Lawbreakers Chevy.


Paul Letchford was also running good times with a 7.9439 PB at 170mph to defeat Mark Bailey in TS round one heads-up and a 7.95/169 to defeat Darren Peart in round two.


Rene Ehrismann from Switzerland in his '55 Chevy, a former Tim Cook PM car, ran 7.3629/181 to defeat Lee Huxley.


Eurodragster.com sponsor Belinda Bull was top qualifier in the Top Sportsman heads-up race at 7.06/192 and improved to a 7.04 at a slower 185 and 7.031/190 in round two. Conditions on Sunday morning were excellent with cooler air and a warm and sticky track, leading to many PBs.


Cliff Turner's neat '67 Dart was running 9.00s on Saturday in qualifying but dropped half a second in the first round of eliminations.


Local racer Dave Townsend is now down to the 7.0s zone at 195mph. Tyre shake followed by directional issues in round two deprived him of a win against the consistent Paul Letchford.


Joel Kerr's nitrous Firebird ran 8.711/154 in qualifying however another 8.7 in eliminations came up short against Tim Mugridge.


Tim Mugridge's '68 Camaro saw Super Mod duty and is back in the sevens after an engine refresh. However head gasket trouble hit in round one and he was unable to appear in round two.


Gasser Circus racer Sean Milson's increasingly rapid Morris Z van has the correct attitude and runs low 10s off a 10.09 dial-in.


Katie Booth in he Mighty Mouse Anglia produces consistent wheelies on launching and runs 10.6s. The Gasser Circus is based on dial-ins with a 13.50 cut-off.


Ray Turner was winner of the Gasser Circus round held at Dragstalgia two weekends ago and here went through as winner in round one against Lee Pike and Jerry Denning's Nova.


Brian Gibson's 'Identity Crisis' pulled a huge wheelie in the final qualifying session but was still able to return an hour later to run a 11.53 on 11.2 dial-in in a defeat to Katie Booth.


John Gibson's 'Crowd Pleaser' '55 Chevy qualified fourth with 11.06 on 11.02 dial in.


Ray Irish's Willys Pickup is another mid eleven second runner but broke out to a 10.907 in round one.


Steve Dixon's Falcon came up winner in his race against Ray Irish, running a 12.01 on 11.90 dial in.


Clive Dandridge is running his Nostalgia Super Stock/Outlaw Street Mustang in RWYB this weekend with times around 15.0s.


Whilst the weekend is mainly about Mopars, other muscle cars are allowed and were displayed in the show n' shine exhibition.


A superb Superbird was in the Show n' Shine with an ultra clean 440cu in six barrel engine.


There is an ever increasing number of contemporary muscle cars, a great example being this Challenger from 2009 in the rwyb.



Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com