Festival of Power
Santa Pod Raceway, 30th March-1st April 2018

Pro Peak Performance Test and Tune Day



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14:50

Still very wet here and the radar is not pretty so we have been called for the day.

We will post today's gallery shortly.

13:45

Raining hard again. Stay tuned.

13:30

Jet dryers now out on the track doing their thing.

12:50

Now raining quite hard, ambulance going off-station so I guess we have called lunch. Stay tuned.

12:45

Super Street Bike match-up between Alex Hope and Rick Stubbins next up. 1.4066 sixty for Alex, 8.4240/165.46, spin for Rick and idled through. Daniel Donat Lencses and Mark Hope followed also for SSB... shut off for spots of rain.

12:40

Track groomed, Collin Morrice back for his run in the Super Comp Camaro. Tyres spun at the hit and a left turn, 19.3860/60.71. Adam Charnley followed in the Sportsman ET Crossfire, 13.1822/109.36.

Yannick Richard and Ian Chrichlow next up for an 8.50 Bike match, nice 8.5287/160.20 for Ian, troubled 17.7659/95.70 for Yannick. Over to 9.50 Bike and a for Dave Bowe, 9.5793/139.97.

Matthew Dowdy and Harley Coulsell paired up in their Junior Dragsters. 0.0707 to 0.0864 RTs respectively, 8.8128/77.73 for Matthew and 10.1721/65.02 for Harley. Caitlin Wilson followed on a single, -0.0240 RT but nicely-judged 7.9015/83.77 at the stripe.

Back on to two wheels, Dave Batcheler for Comp Bike and Jemma Venables for Super Street Bike, both on their first runs of the day, and season. Instant spin and right turn for Jemma, off the gas, maybe a planned half pass for Dave with a 16.3969/39.04 and stopped by the emergency exit, 13.8929/67.77 for Jemma. First outing for SSB racer Dave Thomas, tyre spun up and off the gas 24.5255/79.29.

12:20

Paul Brown first after the track prep in the Super Pro ET dragster. 0.0918 RT, 9.2201/142.11 at the stripe. Sportsman ET v VW Pro next, Dave Nicol and James Gould. Jame's motor revved quite high and then sounded to stop at the hit but it was an aural illusion since off he went, 13.9730/106.14 to Dave's 13.0469/112.90.

Collin Morrice ready to stage in the Super Comp / Gas Camaro but shut off for spots of rain in the second eighth.

12:15

The new counter-rotator built by Eurodragster.com sponsor Andy Robinson Race Cars is earning its keep. Certainly looks and sounds the part and plenty of rubber is going down.


11:50

Third run of the day for Paul Brown in the Super Pro ET dragster. Very short burnout this time. 0.0943 RT, 9.3145/142.58 at the stripe. Dave Nicol and Clive Dandridge for Sportsman ET and also for the getting Your Money's Worth Award. 0.0365 RT for Dave, 0.0577 for Clive, 12.9331/113.20 for Dave and 14.0534/97.88 for Clive. Adam Charnley again hot on their heels, 12.9855/110.94.

First outing for Dave Bowe on the 9.50 Bike, 9.5443/140.40.

First outing also for Harley Coulsell in his Junior Dragster. 0.1800 RT, what happened next I would describe in a full-sized car as driving through the clutch. 10.8905/63.34 at the stripe.

11:50

Yannick back after a quick sled of the track. Motor not right, fell on its face at launch. 11.9223/94.10.

Clive Dandridge next out of the bleach box in his Mustang, Dave Nicol joined him. 0.2402 RT for Clive, 0.4416 for Dave, 13.8743/97.76 for Clive to Dave's 13.1249/113.02. Very quickly around the corner after that pair was Adam Charnley, 14.1025/110.14 and that was with some tyre spin.

First run of the day for Collin Morrice in the Super Comp / Super Gas Camaro. Tyres spun off the line, off the gas, 17.6297/63.24. Rob Creswell and James Gould matched up next run, 13.4904/105.16 for James' VW Pro Golf and 16.7179/84.10 for Rob's Sportsman ET Fiesta.

Second run of the day for Caitlin Wilson in the Junior Dragster. 0.0456 RT, 7.9422/83.48 at the stripe.

Very quick return for Dave Nicol in the Sportsman ET Aston Martin. 0.2713 RT, 12.8583/113.20, tyres squeaking a lot of the way. Adam Charnley followed in the Sportsman ET Crossfire, also on a single. Rolled the beams by about a yard before hitting it but still 12.9864/111.09.

Second run of the day for Leo Lester, 9.8231/143.47 on the 9.50 Bike. On the subject of bikes I can hear a Fuel Supertwin motor warming up, I am guessing Chris Hannam's bike which is ridden by Neil Midgley. Cannon is at home with Sciatica, a nice girl from what I remember.

ET Bike next up, first run of the day for Paul Adams. Sounded not to be in gear on the first launch attempt, Tree recycled. Tyre spun up not far out, off the gas and idled, 23,2841/34.93.

ET Bike is a great reason to say a big Hello to Derek and Fiona Flynn of Eurodragster.com sponsor Gold RV. Derek went above and beyond to get this year's Eurodragster.com / Gold RV Perfect ET Award decals to us here at the track, so a big Thank You to him. Said decals are now available in Signing On.

Paul Walklate next round the corner in his VW Sportsman T5 Camper. 0.4521 RT, gentle on the gear shifts, 16.478/88.37 and a cheer from a couple of people below me.

11:35

8.7481/157.41 opener for 8.50 Bike racer Ian Chrichlow. Solid off-the-trailer run

Next up Dave Nicol, 13.0453/113.46 followed by Adam Charnley with a 12.8730/110.68.

Second run of the day for Paul Brown in the Super Pro ET dragster. Slight hesitation off the line, 9.2184/142.96. James Gould followed in his VW Pro Golf, 13.8429/106.15. Back to Sportsman ET and a 16.8810/85.68 for Rob Creswell, screech from his tyres at the hit.

Frankie Taylor next round the corner with the Banshee Junior Dragster, fantastic paintjob to match Dad's Outlaw Anglia. Shut off before staging, nothing wrong with the car just requested to change lanes by the starter. In the meantime first run of the day for Daniel Weir in his Junior Modified, 0.0917 RT and 10.1955/65.30 at the stripe. Frankie Taylor next up, 0.0396 RT, motor hesitated a little, but still 8.5682/75.30.

First run of the day for 9.50 Bike racer Leo Lester, 10.0160/139.93. First run of the day also for Mark Dainty on his Super Street bike ably crewed by Andy Haley. Tyre spun up at the hit, off the gas and idled down the track. Daniel Donat Lencses next up, also on a Super Street Bike. 1.3359 to sixty, slight hesitation from the motor in the second eighth, 7.8503/179.26 at the stripe. Staying on two wheels Alex Hope and Mark Hope paired up on their Super Street Bikes. Mark there first 8.7813/164.85, 8.9883/165.47 for Alex. Yannick Richard next for 8.50 Bike, motor sounded as if it didn't want to stay lit and then he was signalled to shut off.

11:15

0.0144 RT for Clive Dandridge on his second run of the morning, 13.8546/98.59. 16.6457/86.50 for Rob Creswell in the other lane.

Off the trailer 14.0844/101.86 for reigning VW Pro Champion James Gould, motor hesitated slightly off the line.

11:10

First up Dave Nicol and Adam Charnley for Hutchinson & Dibley Sportsman ET, first runs out for both in their new rides. 12.8538/109.77 for Adam and 13.3053/111.26 for dave, put the hammer down a bit hard off the line so lost a little time. New PB for Adam.

Caitlin Wilson next round the corner in the Midd-De-meaner Lucas Oil Junior Dragster. -0.1068 RT, sounded like a brief misfire passing the Tree, 8.0221/83.32. First run out in his new Junior Modified dragster for Matthew Dowdy, the car is a real work of art with some nice touches and a great paint scheme by Eurodragster.com sponsor OCS Paint. 0.0127 RT, motor spluttered a little passing the Tree, but still 8.8611/78.02.

Back to Sportsman ET next pair, Rob Creswell and Clive Dandridge in their Fiesta and Mustang respectively. Great 0.0272 RT for Dan Dredge. 24.1097/64.88 for Rob, 13.9889/97.03 for Clive.

Burnout to the Tree for Gearhead Garage Super Pro ET Super Pro ET racer Paul Brown then rolled to 300 feet or so before coming back - getting a feel for the new surface I suspect. 0.0671 RT, tyres turned a tiny bit, 9.2965/142.52.

Adam Charnley and Dave Nicol back for another go, Adam in the Coldfire lane and Dave in the Autoglym lane this time. Adam pretty much stood on it off the line, 13.0860/107.80, gentler start from Dave but still a 12.9399/113.88.

10:55

"One up, one down and I'm done" is the message on the track radio from Ian in the tractor.

09:45

Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway for our coverage of the Pro Peak Performance Test and Tune Day brought to you in association with John Woolfe Racing.

It is a nice day here at Santa Pod, sun and high cloud. The strip is all but dry, whilst the shutdown area is receiving the attention of the jet dryers after rain last night.

A big Good Morning to the Eurodragsterholics, especially to Kai Plathan and the faithful Otto in Finland and Ivar Kolberg tuned in from Norway. A big Hello also to our Eurodragster.com colleagues Kirstie and Simon whom we look forward to seeing tomorrow. To those of you stuck on a day job today, we will do our very best to bring you the news quickly but please don't get yourselves in trouble.

The plan for today is for a live report and then a gallery at the end of the day. So stay tuned, and as soon as the first vehicle fires up we'll let you know.


Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com