UK National Finals
Santa Pod Raceway, 23rd-24th September 2017

Saturday



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Latest update 18:25


Super Pro ET racer Lee Darby suffered a problem in session one when the car bogged on the line and then couldn't get back to full revs. His team said 'It was probably down to nitrous or timing settings and not a big issue'. The car came back and ran a 8.89 on a 8.10 dial in in session two.


Super Pro ET racer Chris Parker is leaving his regular ride with the Nick Good Motorsport / Windscreen Wizards dragster after this event. He said 'I am working on plans and going on a fact finding mission to the US to meet a few people. After that I will make a plan which may involve racing in the US and staying there for some time on a semi-permanent basis'. The seat in the car is up for grabs, and although team owner Nick Good has had a couple of enquiries, nothing has been set in stone so far.


Pro ET racer Elodie Dubois is racing a dragster formerly driven by her father in Super Pro ET and now running a naturally aspirated Steve Schmidt engine and re-wrapped. Her best run in the first two sessions was 9.044 on a 9.04 dial in. This is Elodie's third year in the car after racing Junior Dragsters.


Super Pro ET racer Patrick Dubois is in his second season with this imported dragster which has been set up to run low sevens. Again powered by a Steve Schmidt engine, he went 7.13 in the first session and 7.23 in the second on a 7.15 dial in to go 12th.


Super Pro ET racer Christophe Dubois has brought his slick Steve Schmidt-engined Pontiac GXP to the UK a couple of times before, the family having a large trailer to house all three cars. After two sessions, he was qualified second with a 7.804 on a 7.80 dial.


Super Pro ET racer Guido Uhlir went 7.82 on a 7.92 dial in in the first session. Crewman Manuel said 'We didn't think it would run that quick and the track and conditions are really good. We have the same chassis set-up in our Jon Webster-built Opel Manta A as earlier in the year. We are now feeding more power through to the engine through ignition timing changes in small steps. As this is our first season with a brand new car we are happy.


Super Pro ET racer Scott Hauser is leading the points chase. He said 'It's been a season of ups and downs, only two meetings were completed and we went out in round one at both. When we have done well, it then rained. But we have qualified well. The car is consistent, it ran four 7.63 and a 7.64 at the Euro Finals and won two rounds, however it rained and we missed out on a bye run. The car is sorted and is low maintenance, we have had two years on this engine and the only replacement part has been a new starter motor from WASP because the old one had got slow.


Super Pro ET racer Gordon Northway suffered piston damage. He said 'The motor died on the way back from the burnout. It's a shame to have that in our last meeting of the year because at the same event last year a lifter broke. We will sort it in the winter. I am pleased with how it went and we are fifth in the SPRC points; it's our first full season after having the truck for three years, in the first year we changed the gearbox from a Lenco to a Glide. Our objective is still to run a seven.'


Super Comp racer Leah Kellett and Super Pro ET racer Joe Kellett have had a good season, both currently in third place in the National championship. Joe said 'We will run the same next year, we did think about swapping classes but I want to have another run at the Super Pro ET Championship'. At the Euro Finals, Leah had a perfect ET and also sat in Steve Ashdown's Funny Car and did the complete warm-up routine. Sh said 'It was a great experience but the cars are animals!'


Super Pro ET racer George Chiarella has installed a Procharger. Directional problems prevented the car making a full pass in the first two sessions.


Sportsman ET racers with the encouragement of Eurodragster.com colleague Kirstie, raised £1,000 in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. The cheque was prepared by Emma Doyley of the Captain Caveman team, and Liz Redden from the Wellingborough branch of Macmillan Cancer Support.


Pro ET racer Brian Huxley is with son Lee, Team Dark Horse and come into this race with a 700 point advantage. He said 'We have a lot of trophies since I started racing 37 years ago. We just try to win and don't work out the points. In fact I won a couple of championships without realising that I had.'


Super Pro ET racer Phil 'Ginner' Middleton is racing outside of Outlaw Anglia for the first time ever. He said 'I'm a bracket virgin! I was pleased to be no.4 qualifier. Outlaw Anglia is awesome and at the Hot Rod Drags last weekend, I got to the semis in five rounds of racing where Colin Millar knocked me out. My car is street legal but I couldn't run Street Eliminator as the car needs wheelie bars'. Phil runs a naturally aspirated 584cu in supplied by Steve Schmidt.


Super Pro ET racer Dave Russell pictured with team mate Joe Williams, suffered a loose flexplate and loose torque converter at the August SCR meeting. Having rebuilt the parts, the car ran one pass at the Euro Finals and the input shaft on the gearbox broke. 'It was a spare and now we have a new one', Dave said. Dave's first run was a 8.68/161 compared to PBs of 8.52/163. Joe said 'Happy Birthday Yorkie from the boys'.


Junior Dragster racer Billy Everitt is on the threshold of the 2017 Championship being 910 points ahead of Jordan Payne. Billy is celebrating his highly successful Junior Dragster career by bringing his trophy collection to put on display tomorrow.


Top Fuel Dragster licencee Kevin Chapman made his first full pass today at 4.469/203 with a broken blower belt, the car going 242mph at the eighth. He said 'Before today I had done two launches and two half passes. I'm in Antti Horto's car and RFM is a fantastic team to work with. I came to the track for the first time in 1976 and have been ever since and thought I would love to have a go, so I emailed Rune. I have had no drag racing or competitive driving experience, I just turned up on the day and the team showed me the ropes and then I did my launch. I can't put into words how it feels, it is frightening! Of the six runs I have done four were good, on one of them I smoked the tyres and on another my foot came off the throttle'. We wish Kevin, a semi retired tester and assembler of thermostatic valves, success for his final licensing passes.


Pro ET racer Lee Guy was faced with a dilemma, did he risk angering boss Mike Lacey by leapfrogging him to no.2 in the points? The answer was yes as he went perfect on a 10.40 dial in. He said 'I am going to work on my consistency for next year and rewire the car over the winter but not make many other changes'.


Pro ET racer Andy Thetford is running his first generation Camaro in Pro ET for the first time. He said 'I have been a crew member on Mick Payne's Pro Mod and said I would never be a racer. He ran rwybs in his second generation Camaro which is now planned for Sportsman ET for wife Jill. He also bought the Vega pickup from Paul Marston and is building a tube-chassised '67 Camaro. Where does he store all these cars? 'I've got the garden which our dog shares with the cars'. Andy's Pro ET car has a 510cu in Jeff Bull engine running on C-12 fuel going through a Holley 1050 carb and power to a PG gearbox The box section chassised car is tagged to 7.50.


Super Street 2017 Champion and Pro ET racer Leigh Morris's team have celebrated their success by having t-shirts made saying 'Never Underestimate an Old Man in a Jaguar'.


Pro ET racer Mark Bailey was third at the end of session two with a 9.002 on a 9.00 dial-in. He said 'The track is great and I did a good wheelie off the line. My objective next year is to stay in the 9.0s because I like the class. Thanks to the track crew for all their work'.


Pro ET racer and Eurodragster.com sponsor Mike Lacey's Camaro did a big controlled wheelie in the first session. He said 'That's the highest it has been, we did the 60 ft on the rear wheels. I am getting used to the extra power with our new engine. We also have plans for a new torque converter, fuel system, front valance, wheelie bars, vacuum pump and crank trigger all of which should put the car into the 9.0s'.


Pro ET racer and Perfect Reaction award sponsor Tig Napier posted on social media that it would be the last time that people would see his car going to the track. Cue sadness and indignation from social media community. After a while, he clarified by stating the team are getting a box trailer to put the immaculate car in. Inevitably, cue mass social media abuse - and much amusement from Tig and Cath.


Super Pro ET racer and Eurodragster.com blogger Paul Marston brought his turbo Cortina to one of the final full-prep tracks of the year. 'I did a half pass last weekend with my new converter but didn't want to wait eight months before we can run again. So we are here to get as much data as possible'. the car went to the right but Paul kept with it only a foot or so from the wall. 'I was comfortable to hold it there but it was close. I didn't want to do anything to upset it so feathered the throttle and pulled it back at the start. The manifold pressure on the launch was 10psi compared with 5psi normally. Also, the new converter locks up better and works the chassis harder. We will correct the handling by adjusting the bearing preload in the axle. Although we have changed a lot in the car, the engine setup is the same as when we bought it'.


Super Gas and Super Comp racer Stu Doignie is first in Super Gas and fourth in Super Comp. He said 'We'll just keep doing what we've been doing. We had a problem on the first warmup and then a fuel issue in session one of Super Comp but the car is ok. Next time will be like the first time, there is no headwind and the air is good and the track brilliant - I ran my fastest speed of the year'.


UK Nostalgia Superstock racer Chris Layram has Tony Pearson helping again, and he qualified the classic 302ci Falcon sixth with a 12.86 on a 12.80 dial.


UK Nostalgia Superstock racers Neil, Amy and Tom Watkins are all competing with Tom leading the points from Amy by 380 points. Tom is qualified fourth, Amy fifth and Neil seventh.


Pro Modified racer and Eurodragster.com sponsor Andy Robinson's crew member Nick Chandler is celebrating his Birthday today and wore a rainbow pair of socks. Meanwhile Andy is celebrating another championship by qualifying, and the car ran superbly to record a new PB ET of 5.946. Between rounds maintenance included removal of transmission and appropriate work on the clutch. Crew chief Mark Balzaretti said 'The car now runs a lot better to 100ft with its more powerful engine and the track prep is also a factor'.


Top Fuel Bike racer and 2017 British Drag Racing Hall of Fame inductee Steve Woollatt ran a great 6.23/208 on his first pass and 6.20/195 on his third. After his first run he said 'We want to improve on the short number and will make changes to the fuel system for the next pass and then run to half track'. The first and third runs were in the right lane which seems to be his lane of choice.


Top Fuel Bike racer Al Smith is in competition for the first time on Phil Baimbridge's new PBR Bike, with its unique three cylinder engine. Phil said 'The bike was build by myself with Neil Curtis and Al Smith, and Bob Brooks is crewing. We tested at SCR but the drive side main bearing became damaged and had to be repaired. On Al's first run today the blower belt broke after 0.9s on the throttle but it still recorded a 1.08 60ft time'. On the second pass, Al shut the bike off with a leak but the bike sounds great and we look forward to seeing it competing next year.


8.50 Bike racer Mark Dainty is in his first year but has already made great strides. He started in 9.50 Bike, won his second race in that class and then moved to 8.50 Bike. His entrance into the class was dramatic, wheelying his way down the track. He then qualified no.1 at SCR in August but the engine blew up. He said 'I started in rwybs with my turbo road bike. Next season I want to go into Super Street Bike, my Big CC-built engine is capable of 637hp, but I will need to do work on the frame over the winter.


9.50 Bike racer Dave Hall took most of 2012-16 off, running only at the very start or end of the season due to work commitments. He came to the Summer Nationals on his usual Suzuki GSXR1100L, but the event was rained off. So he was pleased to come to a sunny event. Despite his absence Dave, with many years' experience, was on it straight away and qualified no.1 with a 9.537.


9.50 Bike racer Garry Bowe said he would run in the class after his Super Street Bike had suffered a succession of blown engines. He said 'We wanted to come to the event and fortunately my son David's bike was available'. Super Street Bike engine guru Brad O'Connor also joined in the 9.50 Bike fray with a Kawasaki ZZR1400.


Super Street Bike racer Steve Venables suffered a broken rod which went through the bottom end of the engine causing Steve much woe. He said 'I had planned to go to Valdosta to race at the Man Cup Meeting from 17-19 November, but I have used all my equipment and am now using Jemma's engine'. Steve's engine broke before half track and he still recorded an 8.5 which placed him fourteenth in the field.


Comp Bike racer Scott Collier was crewed by bike owner Steve French and Baz Rathbone. Steve said 'After running a 7.5 at SCR we left the bike alone apart from repairing the peg which had broken. But when we started it this morning we had an oil leak and are struggling to find out why'.



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