UK Testing Weekend
Shakespeare County Raceway
Sunday 16th April

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17:00 report courtesy of Jerry Cookson and Simon Day

Hi and welcome to the final Test & Tune Report from Shakespeare County Raceway. Unfortunately, todays test was cut short by some twenty minutes before 5.00 pm when Chris Andrews Ford Econoline got wildly out-of-shape and hit the armco hard. Chris did well to hang on the the car but the front and back left corners will need some attention. Earlier in the day Chris, along with his dad Vince and fellow racers the Huxley's, got the car down to a 12.69. Wild Bunch racer Tony Smith also got into trouble when an oil line came off at the 1000 ft mark. Minus the Minivan body this time, Tony was going all out for his quickest run of the day when oil got under the tyres and very nearly collected the Kawasaki rear engined dragster of Andrew Wilcox. Tony did a great driving job and managed to pull up in front of the FAST safety truck without further harm.

Derek Annable took his first gentle lap in Doug Bond's Top Methanol Dragster, and was due out later to close the day.

Roy Wilding was still adapting to his new nostalgia fuel car very quickly. However, time will tell when the bugs are really sorted. Neil Townson had one more stab at getting his '32 Model B hot rod down the track. With the 500ci KB sounding more like a fuel Funny Car, and what looked to be a perfect run ended early when a blower pulley broke apart and through the belt early into the run.

Dave Gadney, the new owner of Jim McGhee's former Super Gas ride certainly got to grips with the Nightmare Cavalier with ease. Dave ended the day on a high at 9.48/144 mph.

Paul Hudson put in some early laps ready for Super Series, although Paul needs to get to grips with why the cars still burning out and launching to the right if he intends to win a round or two with the Money Hungry Camaro. In the Juniors, Jack Hewitt nearly got the J&W Automotive modified into the eights, a 9.03 at 77 mph got the better of his nearest challenger Paul Lindley Allen who posted a 9.891/66 mph. Also testing was Jonathan Bond in the Shell Oil backed Junior Stock dragster, and finished on a best of 16.52.

On the bike front, Jerry Collier was trying out some new stuff on the Jade Racing gas bike but was firmly fixed in the high tens. However, Jerry was still very optimistic about the forthcoming Supertwins season. Teamate 'Castrolman Rick' Davies (you'll known more when you see his leathers) managed a couple of elevens on the 'arbon Copy' Jade machine., but the rider to show early promise in the Supertwins category was John Floyd. The Yamaha man posted a 10.07 @ 128 mph.

Well thats it for now. Thanks to the Eurodragster team for allowing Simon and myself to use there Testing weekend pages to update the news as it happens. Join us again in two weeks time for the opening round of Super Series #1. Its going to be a blast. See ya.

14:30 report courtesy of Jerry Cookson and Simon Day

Good afternoon from Shakesreare County Raceway. It's been a brilliant morning sofar. The staging lanes are so full you would think that you were at a Super Series event.

So far we have seen some impressive runs from Jerry Collier and the rest of the Jade Racing Team, 10.80/125 has been the best sofar. Also in the bikes Paul Wing put down an excellent startline launch. Pro E.T. runner Dave Baldwin is running a new lumpy cam in his Austin Devon and put in a sideways 13.3 to keep it off the guard rail. Vince and Chris Andrews from Wolverhampton have put in a first run of 12.69 in there father and son owned Customline, and there's more to come said Vince.

In the supercharged ranks, Roy Wilding has just put in his first observed run in his nostalgia slingshot. After a problem in firing the big Donovan up and getting the pre race jitters out of his system he was later quoted over the p.a. that he was 2" from crapping himself" Niel Townson has just put in his first burnout and launch of the 2000 season with the 500ci KB '32 Altered which really bought the crowd to there feet.

In Junior Dragster Jack Hewitt has run a 9.64 in the Rapid Rat modified and Paul Lindley Allen has run a 12.72. There are a few other Juniors in the pits which we haven't seen.

Back in the altereds, Ian Hanson debuted his new car. A blown small block Chevy that look's so good he could run it in both Wild Bunch and Pro E.T. Look out for this car at Super Series 1. Just before I sign off, new boy Dave Gannay who is now in control of Jim McGhee's old Super Gas Cavailer has just run a wild 10 second lap. A baptism of fire in the biggest way possible.

A further update will appear later in the day