Webster Race Engineering Test Day
Santa Pod Raceway, 24th March 2004
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16:45
We've been called for the day without a wheel turning. Ian, Darren, Nigel, Kjell and the guys have been working very hard indeed all day to dry the track after each deluge but now it's getting cold(er) and damp and there is no way that the surface is going to dry.
So that's it for today I'm afraid, a real pity since there was the potential for some really good action here at Santa Pod. With the APIRA Test and Tune at Shakespeare County Raceway scheduled for 3rd-4th April and a Run What You Brung here at the Pod on Sunday 4th racers have one last chance to get in some pre-season testing.
Our next scheduled Event Coverage will be from the APIRA Test and Tune at Shakespeare County Raceway, and our next scheduled Event Coverage from Santa Pod will be the Easter Thunderball.
For help today we would like to thank Steve Horn, Darren Prentice, Ian Marshall, Nigel Anniwell, Kjell Petterson, Jon Webster, and all of SPR's start line and safety crew.
Today's Event Coverage has been brought to you in association with American Car Imports.
16:15
Strenuous efforts are underway to dry the track here at Santa Pod - we haven't given up yet so stay tuned.
In the meantime we have posted a number of photographs from the pits, which you can access via the Event Index page.
14:30
We don't know whether it was our fault for saying that the track was nearly ready to go, or Race Director Darren Prentice's fault for saying "I think it will blow over", but as soon as we posted the last update it hammered down with rain again. After the rain stopped I went out with Darren in one of Santa Pod's new pieces of kit, a sweeper with a huge capacity for lifting water from the surface of the track which speeds up drying considerably. Darren pointed out some of the off-season improvements here at SPR including two replacement toilet blocks in the corner of the facility where the road passes the barn and then bends to the right towards the pits, and a new media centre.
The track was dry again at about 2:25 and then...well, right now it is hailing so hard that you can't see the end of the track. The event has not been formally called yet, so stay tuned and we will let you know the latest as soon as we hear.
12:45
The rain has stopped and the quarter mile is looking very good, the shutdown area is looking a little damp but the jet dryer is plying its trade and hopefully we'll be on our way soon. Right now it is 8.5 C, 69% humidity and 30.18 inches on the start line.
We have paid our first few pit visits, and here's what we found out.
Trev Capewell said that everything is fine with the Southern Rebel TMFC. "We've got no major problems", he said. Johnny Helander is here from Sweden to help out and he said that he was very happy with the car. "We have had the car apart and been over everything down to the nuts and bolts", said Trev. The Saab-bodied FC is sporting a very smart new paintjob designed by Darren West of Power Race Graphics. "We've got a reference to the Greek flag on the front of the car, that's for my wife", said Trev. "There's a blue pearl on the paint which you will see if the sun ever comes out! Also we have the green as a reference to the previous car". Trev said that he was very pleased with the painting job which was done by Dave Hersey at Townley Panel and Paint. We asked Trev what his plans were for competition this season and he said that he would definitely be contesting the Easter Thunderball but that he had a family commitment in Greece on Main Event weekend. "If I think we can be competitive then we will do the European Finals", he said. Trev said that he is not worried about stepping up to a TMFC. "I'm really looking forward to it", he said. "People have asked me if I am nervous about it but to be honest I am excited". "I can confirm that he isn't losing any sleep!" added Trev's wife Esta.
Steve Venables is here with his new ZX12R Super Street Bike, fresh off Tim Blakemore's dyno where it made 300 hp. The engine has come from Ray Debben and Graham of Tracecraft has spent some hundred hours wiring the bike. "It started life as a crash-damaged bike", said Steve. "I'm very happy with it, all the weight is on the front where it should be (to which Sharkman replied "I bet you'll still be on the back wheel at 330 feet"). I was going to build it over the year but once you get going you can't stop. It's been a lot of work, my wife has forgotten what I look like!". Steve is receiving sponsorship from Barry Henson at Velocity Racing this season, and Straightline Racing supplied carbon, screen and other cosmetic parts. Steve showed us that the front and rear lights were working and said that the bike could get an MoT. "If we don't get to run today then I will take it down the bypass or something!", he said.
John Hales' CCSE Chevy is today being driven by Wayne Saunders who is joining the stree-legal series this season in the ex-Webster Mustang. The Mustang is not quite ready so Wayne jumped at the chance to try the CCSE speed record-holding Chevy. We asked Wayne how he got back into the sport. " I came up in October wanting another go", he said. "I was looking at Funny Bike until I saw Custom Car Street Eliminator and I thought I have to have a go of that!". Wayne is hoping that the Mustang will be ready for the Easter Thunderball but he has an option on John's Chevy if his car is not ready. "It will be the first single-turbo car in CCSE", he said. "It has a 377 ci small block Ford, it's a Fontana block with Yates heads and 101 millimetre turbo - in other words bloody big!".
Colin Lazenby's CCSE Chevy is now sporting a rather large engine, and Gordon Appleton's Crew Chief Adrian tells us that the Wheelgame Pro Mod has a large hole of corresponding size where the 706 ci engine used to be. We'll leave you to work that one out for yourselves! Adrian said that a 740 ci engine is on order for Gordon's car and that as long as it arrives within three days of the FIA Main Event then we should see him taking on the Scandinavians.
Additions to the roster of racers in the pit since our last update are Shaun Branch's Funny Bike, and a new dragster belonging to Derek Flynn of Gold RV, who is one of Andy Carter's sponsors. Derek's dragster is very nice-looking and features side-pods reminiscent of Ray Hoare's Turbo Saxon. That was indeed Craig Gibbs' Super Mod in its trailer, and Liz and Iain Malcolm have also towed in with their new Just For Fun Racing Pro ET dragster.
Just as we mention Ray Hoare's dragster, we get more reminders of the 1970s as Shaun Branch has just done a burnout up against the tower just like the old days!
It doesn't look like we're far off starting now, stay tuned.
10:00
Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway on a chilly March morning. It's the first Webster Race Engineering Test Day of 2004 and we're here to bring you all the news in association with American Car Imports.
We arrived a little before 9:00 and were very surprised to find that the track was more or less dry - the weather here in Northamptonshire has been pretty bad in the last day or two. However, apart from one damp patch just past the finish line Nigel had done us proud and the track was not far from being ready. That was then...unfortunately at about 9:30 we had a heavy shower so the guys have had to start again on the track.
We have a high vehicle count in the pits. From our vantage point in Race Control I can see Gary Malin's Super Pro ET rail, Rob Smallworth's Super Mod (complete with Gordon Appleton's mobile banqueting hall which he uses as an awning), Jeff Thurston's Mustang, Mark Lemude's Chevy, Stuart Doignie's Super Gas BMW, Graham Dance's Super Street Bike, Steve Venables' new Super Street Bike, Trev Capewell's Top Methanol FC, John Hales' CCSE Chevy, Malcolm Francis' Super Comp/Super Gas Camaro (soon to be replaced by his new Gramd Am), Sue and Ian Jackson's CCSE 'Vette, Ken Blomer's VW Pro...well, it looks like a Pro Mod Karmann Ghia, Ian Berry's Comp Bike, TJ O'Brien's Comp Bike, Dave Ward's Pro ET Funny Car, the Flavell and Taylor Super Pro ET dragster, Terri Lee's Escort Van, and Steve Wells' Super Gas Pop pick-up. There is a very nice-looking Black Tri-Chevy whose crew are wearing jackets reading "Lawbreakers" and we understand that the Gibbs family's Super Mod is comfortably esconced in one of the closed trailers. Colin Lazenby has also just pulled in with his CCSE Chevy.
In the time it took us to type the above paragraph it has started to pour with rain again although looking in the direction from which the cloud is coming it is going to brighten up, so fingers crossed. The weather station is currently reading 6.3 C, 84% humidity and 29.85 inches of mercury on the start line.
The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and broadcasting a picture every two minutes, so keep an eye on that and you will be the first to see the on-track action as soon as it starts: you can access the webcam via the Event Index page. We have one or two tests to carry out on our computers and our new radios and then we will take a stroll around the pits and see who we can find to talk to. Stay tuned!