2006 Open Sports Nationals
Saturday (qualifying)
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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 19:15 Courtesy of SCR's new broadband, today's pictures have been posted in a trice; you can view them via the Event Index page. If the pictures don't appear when you load the Gallery page then click on your Browser's Refresh key. Tune back in the morning and we will bring you all the news from day two of qualifying. Action starts at 10:15, see you then. 16:35 called for today With heavy rain still falling there would be no way that the track could be dried even if it stopped now, so we have been called for today. We will start again where we left off, with Supertwin Street, at 10:15 tomorrow. We will now start work on today's pictures, so tune back in a couple of hours for those. 15:15 Super Pro ET qualifying after session 2:
Ian Tubb moved up to #2 and then in the next pairing Rick Cooke took over #1 spot. Sam Freeman moved into #5 spot with a couple of pairings to go and then Barry Giles bumped him down a spot by taking #3. Lee Darby set some sort of record in his pick-up by pulling a wheelie off the line and then looking to pull another wheelie with each gear shift! 14:55 Funny Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
Stu Chamberlain in his lane this time and into #3 at that point, in the next pairing Neil Midgley moved into #3 and bumped him down a spot. Dave Bailey improved but stayed in place. Tim Blakemore and Chris Hall were shut off for a shutdown area obstruction, on the re-start Tim hit the top end timing reflectors and invalidated both his and Chris' times. Comp Bike qualifying after session 2:
A big improvement for Kev Charman moved him up to #1 spot, Dave Peters in the other lane was pushed back. Roland Chaplain improved and moved up to #2 spot. 14:55 Super Street Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
Big improvements from Nigel Barker and Ade Lockley but both stayed in place. Pro Stock Bike qualifying after session 2:
Paul King turned out for this session but broke off the line. 14:50 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Dad Brian moved into the top five in Sportsman ET so Lee Had to do the same, into #2 spot at that point. Reigning Champion John Atkinson moved into the top five a couple of pairings later, into #4, in the very next pairing our other Atkinson, Ian, moved into #2. Kev Slyfield then made a reappearance in the top five, back in at #4. 14:40 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Brian Huxley moved into the top five at #2. VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 2:
Paul Herbert up into #2 spot and Richard Merrimen up into #2. Graham Fairhead improved but stayed in #5. Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 2:
Improvements all round here, Ian Hook taking over the lead and the other four of the top five improving their ETs. We believe a new PB for Jason Weir at 9.975/143.44, well done Jason! Ray Tucker's Vette is now carrying colourful sponsorship from Amsoil, and he has his new sponsors here at the track with him. 14:20 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
Richard Sawatzki and Richard Hann improved in the first pairing to move up to #2 and #3 respectively, then in the next pairing Ed Smiley moved up to #2. Junior Drag Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
Tyler Clutterbuck took over the lead, Scott Collier having been bumped down to #2 improved but couldn't take back the lead. Dan moved into the top five at #3, Andy Irvine improved. Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 2:
Rebecca Evans moved into fifth, Vicky Molden having been bumped out of the top five then moved back in at #2. 14:10 Top Fuel Bike qualifying session 1 (left lane first): Ian Turburville 8.160/169.91, Steve Carey 7.810/157.75 Nice passes by both racers, Steve off the throttle at about 1100 feet. Qualifying standings after this session:
14:05 Supertwin Gas qualifying top five after session 1:
Supertwin Fuel qualifying after session 1:
14:00 Outlaw Flat Four qualifying top five after session 1:
The first outing for the Outlaw Flat Fours in MSA permit competition and a good show from the guys. VW Alternate Engine qualifying after session 1:
13:45 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 1:
Outlaw Anglia qualifying top five after session 1:
13:40 VW Pro qualifying after session 1:
Wild Bunch qualifying top five after session 1:
13:30 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 1:
We got our first look at Conrad Stanley's new 2000 Firebird which he has imported from the USA, a very nice car indeed. There will be a few more details in Swift Snippets on tomorrow's news update. 13:25 Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association session 1 (left lane first): Frank Bennett 7.874/165.57 bye, Bob Glassup 7.641/180.90, Clayton Round 7.315/181.59, Dave Grabham shut off, Joe Bond 24.016/42.14 bye A nice baseline pass from Frank, looked like a gentle launch. Great paired burnouts by Bob and Clayton, Bob stopping his burnout at 100 feet and Clayton staying with it to 200 feet. Clayton pulled a massive holeshot on Bob, passing the Tree before Bob reacted to the green, but very good passes from both. This is the first time I've seen Joe in competition as he was licencing last time I saw the NFAA, but already showing great ability by keeping hold of the Topo when it tried to get wayward in the burnout. Dave was shut off for a fluid leak before staging so Joe took the bye although to start with he didn't realise he was on a bye and waited in pre-stage for Dave. On the green it was almost as if the throttle linkage had broken, on full power for a very brief moment and then off it and idling up the track. 13:10 Super Street qualifying top five after session 1:
13:05 Supertwin Street qualifying after session 1:
Supertwin Modified qualifying after session 1:
12:45 Super Pro ET qualifying after session 1:
Trackside conditions at the end of Super Pro ET were 19.7 C, 43% humidity and 29.71 inches of air. 12:10 Pro Stock Bike qualifying after session 1:
Only Dave Beck turned out for this session of PSB qualifying. Funny Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
A new PB for Richard Gipp on Scary and Dave's bike, well done Richard! Steve French put out a rod at half track and left a lot of small aluminium pieces on the surface. Stu Chamberlain and Tim Blakemore crossed lanes on their passes, no harm done. Comp Bike qualifying after session 1:
11:15 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
Super Street Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
Trackside conditions after SSB qualifying were 19.5 C, 44% humidity and 29.71 inches of air. 11:00 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 1:
10:55 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 1:
Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 1:
10:40 Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 1:
Junior Drag Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
Weather conditions at the start of qualifying were 18.2 C, 56% humidity and 29.71 inches of air. 8:30 Good morning and welcome from Shakespeare County Raceway. It's day one of the Open Sports Nationals and we're here to bring you all the news in association with American Car Imports. The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and is currently broadcasting a picture every sixty seconds: as we are on broadband here at SCR we thought we would experiment with a more frequent broadcast rate. You can access the webcam from the Event Index. We had some rain here yesterday and overnight but from where I am sitting the quarter mile already looks pretty dry: Bruno is out on the track sledding even as I type and I can hear the tyres on the sled squeaking so the strip has to be pretty dry. Qualifying is scheduled to commence at 10:00 and we have three cycles on the running order. Stay tuned and as soon as we get going we'll be here with all the qualifying news. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |