UK Testing Weekend
Santa Pod Raceway
Sunday 16th April

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18:40

Today's pictures have now been posted. You can get to them from the race update index page.

16:15

Nick Grayston put in a good pass in his Pro ET altered, 10.73 and sounding and looking problem-free. Martin Curbishley was right on the numbers in his Super Gasser running a .57 light, 9.90/135.83. Nigel Payne followed up his earlier passes with a 9.55/139.52, Ian Marshall tells us that they had a problem with the car earlier but that it has been sorted out. Steve Wells hooked right and headed straight for the guardrail on his latest pass.

A battle of the breakouts as Super Street's Anne Peck and newly-qualified Stuart Doignie took to the track together, Anne running 10.89/125.16 and Stuart 10.23/124.17. Sarah Day was on and off to a 10.29/142.31 in the roadster.

On two wheels, Karl Larcombe hit bad wheelspin away from the line and recovered to clock 10.04 at a huge 154.18 on his Super Street Bike. Matt Nixon similarly hit wheelspin but got back in the groove and carried on to a much improved 9.89/144.27.

Paula Atkin got out of shape off the line and clocked 10.58/107.65, Dave Townsend following her with a 10.17/129.74 in his Super Gasser. Andy Kirk backed out early but still ran 9.74/135.21 in what is, this season, a Super Gasser. Anne Peck then came back and ran 10.82/125.15 and Stuart Doignie broke way out of the Super Street index again with a 10.28/124.55.

That's all from the track for today. We hope you have enjoyed this weekend's updates, brought to you with e-manumit.com and High Performance Heaven. Thanks for staying with us.

We will post today's pictures later on, you will be able to get to these from the race update index page. Eurodragster's next live update will be from next weekend's Easter Thunderball here at Santa Pod Raceway.

15:15

A couple of racers we haven't mentioned so far are Andy Kirk (Super Gas) and Nigel Payne (Super Gas). Andy has put in a couple of very twitchy runs - the car gets to almost half track and then goes out of shape. Andy's last pass was an 11.96/73.78. Nigel Payne is again running in Paula Marshall's "Highlander" Super Gasser and looks like he's always been driving it. His last pass was 9.60/138.04. Paula tells us that Nigel will be running the car at the Thunderball and Super Series 1.

Martin Curbishley got out of shape on his last pass, shutting it off to 15.71/64.43, whilst in the other lane Stuart Doignie put in his first full pass at 11.14/115.34. And now I would imagine he has his licence! John Watson in the ex-Mick Mith Camaro has put in runs of 13.98/93.59 then stepped it right up to a 10.09/133.40, arrow straight. Paula Atkin's latest pass was an 8.89/145.86, we've also seen Gareth Weavers in his Pro ET roadster run 10.95/123.91.

Sarah Day has now taken over the driving seat of the "Double Trouble" roadster and managed a 6.74 - I didn't think roadsters were legal in Pro Mod! No-one's owning up to having their foot in the staging beam, but anyhow this was a much better-looking pass for the Days, let's hope they've got on top of their problems. Steve Green has made another pass at 9.89/111.80, launched as if he had a rocket in the car and then backed out at the top end. Again the car was accelerating very hard indeed before Steve got out of it.

Stuart Peck is back in Super Street form with a 10.905, he's obviously found his shut-off marker from last season since that's two 10.9s in a row.

Apologies for the relative lack of bike news. There are only a couple of racers here whom we recognise, the vast majority of the two-wheeled contingent seem to be street bikes, some of whom have been entertaining us with quarter-mile wheelies. Matt Nixon has put in another pass, paying the Christmas Tree a brief visit. Fellow Super Street Bike competitor Karl Larcombe got pushed back after a burnout.

14:05

The track was prepped over the lunchbreak and then all the racers came out to play. Dave Day had the drogue parachute come out in the burnout box and so was pushed back, then came back to take quite an easy pass, the motor not sounding totally healthy. But as I type this Dave is back in the collection area ready for another try.

Stuart Peck put in a fine pass of 10.771 in the Rat Rage Super Street Camaro, whilst Dave Townsend took it easy in his Super Gas Mustang. Steve Wells put in a great burnout as usual and then took what I would say was a three-quarters power pass...and he's just pulling to the line as I type for another pass...wheelies away from the line and runs 11.49/113.60.

Steve Green had two huge nitrous burps away from the line in his Ampar-sponsored Super Pro ET Cortina, pushed back then reappeared and put in a storming 8.878/152.82, the car was visibly accelerating hard in the second half of the track. Nice one Steve! Paula Atkin ran an impressive 8.921/142.04 in her Super Comp car, no problems at all for Paula by the look of things.

Dave Day has just put in his second pass, an on-and-off 10.50/134.98. Martin Curbishley in the other lane to Paula Atkin recorded 10.307/103.51 in his Super Gasser. Al Golding took an easy ride in his Pro ET Firenza, we would guess he was bedding in new parts.

A new name to us is John Watson, who has bought Mick Smith's Pro ET Camaro. Jeff Bull is in attendance with John, who took it very easy indeed on his first pass, no burnout and leaving the line by taking off the brakes rather than nailing the throttle. Stuart Doignie has been impressive on his two observed runs, doing exactly the right thing each time, no doubt impressing race director Darren Prentice.

Al Golding has just put in another pass, no burnout then rolling away from the line for sixty feet and then nailing it. Obviously some pre-planned test regime underway there.

On two wheels, Matt Nixon has put in a couple of passes on his Super Street Bike, an eleven and a ten, nothing visibly wrong so probably just easing himself back in after the winter break. Sandra Chaplain has run a best of 10.80 on her 10.90 Bike.

One of Geof Hauser's sons is taking a turn in a Hauser Race Cars Junior Dragster, a best of 14.36 so far and speeds between 37-39 mph.

Stuart Peck is just pulling up to the line in his Super Street Camaro...10.92/112.42, he got off it way before the finish line. Dave Townsend's next pass in his Super Gas Mustang was a 12.08/90.77, shut off at 1000 feet and the chute deployed.

We will probably be back with one more report later on, and of course there will be pictures to post at day's end too. Stay tuned.

11:30

We've got a few more race cars here now. Bob and Stuart Doignie are here with their "Flying Doctor" Super Street Pop, Stuart is here to do observed runs. "We are taking turns to drive the car this season", said Bob. "We will each do two races on and then two races off". Ten Super Street cars are entered for the Thunderball next weekend. "It's so competitive now", said Bob, "it's like a mini Super Gas".

Steve Wells is trying out a new manual four-speed transmission on his Pro ET pick-up. "It's taken some getting used to", said Steve. "I'd go through the gears, one - two - three, then put my hand back on the steering wheel, and the shift light would come on and I'd think what's that for?".

Steve Green is here with his Super Pro ET Cortina with what looks to us like a new rear wing. Al Golding is also here with his "Grounds For Divorce" Pro ET Firenza so we should be OK for some wheels-up action later on, and Paula Atkin is now here with her Ford Rapid Fit-sponsored Super Comp 100E.

Much hilarity a short while ago as a guy in a street car was under the misapprehension that "drive up to the Tree" meant just that, and he drove through stage and drew level with the Christmas Tree before the start line crew realised what he was doing and brought him back.

The track crew will shortly be spraying the track, I would imagine that we'll then see the racers come out to play.

10:20

We've just been visited by Fuel FC driver John Spuffard. He tells us that the Showtime Fuel FC is now back in the country, and is in its workshop here at SPR. The car is more or less ready to go, the chutes have to be attached and a new clutch is ready to be slotted in. A spare block and crank are arriving on Wednesday, the day before Crew Chief Bob Jarrett arrives from the USA. John has invited us to pop down to the workshop to take a look later on, if we manage to take him up on this offer then we will of course take the digital camera!

10:00

There must be a malfunction. It's not cold and it's not wet - but it's not quite perfect since the computer here is also playing Shania Twain on the PA. That aside, there's not a cloud in the sky, it's turning into a nice spring day. The track itself has dried out but Sharkman has been up to the Top End and reports that the shutdown area is still damp in places.

The pits are sparsely-populated at present. We suspect that everyone has waited to see what the weather has done this morning before making the decision to come along, no doubt there'll be a sudden influx very soon.

Stay tuned.