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Autosport International 2005

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Santa Pod Raceway as usual took its travelling exhibition to Autosport International on the two public days, Saturday and Sunday. Eurodragster went along to the NEC in association with American Car Imports to check out Santa Pod's display and to speak to the racers who stopped by. This report also includes our conversations on Friday's Press/Trade day.

Santa Pod's display comprised the Fireforce 2 Jet Funny Car clad in its SPR promotional body, Andy Carter's spare Top Fuel Dragster, Santa Pod Raceway's Junior Dragster and display Fuel Funny Car, and the Think Pink Racing Comp Bike. The 2004 season review DVDs were being screened and goodie bags, flyers and calendars were being handed out as well as merchandise sales.

2004 FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion Andy Carter said that he had been at the NEC every day since Wednesday. "I had an engine on one of my sponsors' stands", he said (Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, see below - Ed). "That has generated a lot of interest. I met with sponsors on Thursday, then we were here last night bringing the car in, and today we are meeting the public, handing out hero cards and posters, as well as having meetings."

Barry Sheavills and the Fansfueler team were also on hand to meet the public and to take more pledges for Barry's projected Top Fuel Dragster ride this season, bravely in Barry's case since he has recently suffered a close family bereavement. "We are keeping the momentum going", said Barry. "After this show we are attending Xtreme Wheels, and then at the end of February we will sit down and make a decision about the project". You will be able to read more about the Fansfueler project on tomorrow's (Sunday 16th) Eurodragster News update.

Jet Funny Car pilot Martin Hill said that he has a few projects on the horizon which he should be able to reveal within the next few weeks, but that in the meantime he was very pleased with the modifications made to the body of Fireforce 2 which have cured his top end lift problems. "We found that when we shut down the jet at the finish line, there was a lot of air in the body which the jet suddenly didn't need any more", said Martin. The body was so strong that it wouldn't flex and so the air was trapped beneath the body, lifting the car and effectively turning it into a hovercraft. We screened off the air intake so that it is isolated from the rest of the car and it seems to have done the trick - it certainly hasn't harmed the performance! Now we can back up the 277 mph we ran at Shakespeare County Raceway and we think that we can go over 280 mph". Martin said that the Fireforce team have some thirty events booked this season, including the Speedfreaks Ball in May which Martin described as "up and running". "We are trying to get Joey Bon to bring his Top Fuel Bike, all the usual guys such as Ton Pels are keen to come, Steve Carey is up for it with his Top Fuel Bike, Eric Teboul wants to bring his rocket bike, and Michel Kooy and Ian Caseley want to come. We might have a surprise or two, too! The Super Street Bike racers are interested - people are wanting to come which is good for us."

Comp Bike racer Sandra Chaplain said that the performance gains made by her bike in 2004 were down to a new clutch. "The clutch is lovely!", said Sandra. "It's one of the best things which Roland has bought me!". Sandra said that the clutch reduced her sixty foot times to 1.2 from "Not very good". "After I came off the bike a couple of years ago I had a problem letting the clutch go", said Sandra. "Not any more! The bike is stable and well-set-up - that's what Roland does! - and I am still learning as we still consider it a new bike. Over the off-season we haven't really made any major changes, just the odd tweak. You will tell when we make major changes because Roland rides it. The off-season maintenance we have done is that we've cleaned it! But we went to the USA and bought some nice parts and we have another engine with some nice bits but we are in no rush - I am there to enjoy it."

2004 FIA European Top Methanol Dragster Champion Dave Wilson said that he was looking forward to a close-fought season. "We want to retain our number one plate", he said. "It will be the same standard of competition as last year, the cars will be pretty close. Everyone is going to step up to some degree - that either means better parts, or better use of what you have". Dave said that the American Car Imports team were not making any major purchases over the off season. "There are not going to be any rule changes affecting us this year", he said, "so we are just looking at the inventory you need to run the car. In the last two years we have done three years' worth of racing and that's a lot in terms of maintenance - everything has a limited life. So right now the car is down to bare bones and we are checking everything."

Gittli Koller of Germany's Peter Schöfer Racing Top Methanol Dragster team said that the team will shortly be off to the USA. "We want to get some new ideas", said Gittli. "We are going to one of the pre-season test sessions and then we will go to the Winternationals at Pomona". Gittli said that the team had made some off-season modifications to the dragster but would not be drawn further. As TMD class co-ordinator Gittli added that she was pleased to see more cars coming into the class this season.

We found Swedish Pro Stock racer Michael Malmgren visiting with two of his team's associate sponsors. "We're doing pretty well on the sponsorship front", he said. "We have twenty US companies giving us major support and it's all the best equipment". Michael said that the team were working hard to find ways to use their power. "We have the power, that's no problem, we just need to use it", he said. "We will be top of the page again!". Michael said that problems with shock settings had been cured with the help of Jerry Bickel and that he was looking forward to getting back in the car. "We will be testing at Meca Raceway in Sweden and then at Santa Pod the weekend before the Main Event", he said. "At races you don't dare to test!"

Swedish Top Fuel Dragster racer Jöran Persåker spent Thursday and Friday at the Show talking to potential suppliers for his highly-successful Speed Shop. "We opened on 4th February 1985, so this year is our official twentieth anniversary", he said. "We are holding an Open House on 3rd February, you can be sure that we will do something there to celebrate". Jöran said that his recent move of premises was quite enough for one lifetime. "We won't be moving again!", he said. "We are in a small village but only forty minutes from Stockholm so when you get fed up of the rural life you can just get in the car and go to the city". Jöran said that the Persåker's Speed Shop Top Fueller, which he rents from Knut Söderquist, has an upgraded fuel system and is now on a par with stablemate Micke Kågered's dragster. "The management systems have been moved around", he said. "My car will be as quick as Micke's car - last year Knut said that Micke was more experienced than me so he could go quicker. Now that I have the experience I can go just as fast!". Jöran will be testing at the pre-FIA Main Event test weekend at Santa Pod Raceway before contesting the entire FIA Tour as well as events at Tullinge and maybe Piteå. "Lennart Olsson is running one more year at Tullinge, or maybe more" explained Jöran, since Tullinge was meant to have hosted its last race in 2004. "The lease is renewed one year at a time".

Fuel Funny Car racer John Spuffard said that the Showtime team are getting the car ready for the 2005 campaign. "We want to get our number one plate back", he said. "We haven't succeeded in reaching our goals yet so we'll keep working and working on it. Ultimately we want to run a four and three hundred, preferably both!". Spuff said that the team had spent 2004 curing problems as they went along. "We had more problems at the European Finals but those problems were in the right direction. On the last run at the Finals the car was really moving before the clutch let go. The track prep was just perfect but we had to change our clutch plate supplier and the plates turned out to be softer."

Roger Lyrén of the multiple Championship-holding Veidec Racing Pro Stock Bike team told us that he is taking a less active role in the Veidec team this season, but that he will be much more involved the class as a whole. "This year I am going to be the Pro Stock Bike class co-ordinator", said Roger. "I'm going to try to develop the class, to bring in more sponsorship and to build better competition. I will also be providing colour commentary at race events". Roger's move raises the question of who will be Crew Chief for Roger Pettersson. "Roger will be tuning the bike himself", he said. "The 2004 bike has been sold to Stavros Svrachnos in Greece, so Roger will be riding Davide Ricci's bike. That's as far as we know right now, except that we will still be backed by Veidec."

Super Comp and Super Gas racer Malcolm Francis said he is very happy with his beautiful Air Sea Logistics Pontiac Grand Am, which he described as "fully dialled-in". "It will be more of the same this year", he said. "We have already refreshed the engine and the car is ready to go to Xtreme Wheels in February". Malcolm is planning to attend the Veidec Drag Festival at Mantorp Park in July, and the NDRG Drag Challenge at Gardermoen in August. "I have to decide which class to race as you cannot double-enter events in Scandinavia", he said. Malcolm said that he is delighted with the construction of the car by Andy Robinson Race Cars and the Jeff Bull power plant. "Andy Robinson's work speaks for itself, and the engine is very reliable and has lots of power", he said. "I am also very grateful to Lucas Oils and American Car Imports for their sponsorship in 2004 - Lucas Oils have already renewed for 2005 and I am in negotiation with other sponsors."

Prospective Wild Bunch racer Adam Charnley said that he had picked up his chassis from Hauser Race Cars, and that the standard Small Block Chevy engine will be installed in the Cougar Racing Topolino within two weeks and should be running within four weeks. "My brother Paul is going to drive the car to begin with because he has a licence and I haven't!", said Adam. "We will be starting in the Wild Bunch, probably not until mid-season, and then we will move to Pro ET when we get used to it". Adam said that he was beginning to trace some of the history of his car. "The chassis used to be a T-bodied Altered named Tantrum, and we think that the Topolino was Roland Pratt's original Hillbillies body", he said. This weekend Adam is again manning the F1 in Schools model drag strip, which he said may be attending both Shakespeare County Raceway and Santa Pod Raceway this year.

Hauser Race Cars had a stand in the Engineering section of the show, from which they were selling their Grip tyre softener. "We are pushing the product in America", said Geof Hauser. "There is a good distribution system over there". Geof said that he had had visitors from all over Europe during the two trade days, which encouraged him as he wants to go international with the product. Geof added that he has plenty of work on at HRC, including the two Junior Dragsters which sons Scoot and Jay will be campagining again this season.

Nigel Hoskison of drag racing sponsor Titanium International Limited said that this was the company's fifth appearance at Autosport International. "Our motorsport involvement is increasing", he said. "We have made contacts and done business with some major players here, and we have had a lot of feedback as a result of an advertisement in the latest issue of Racecar Engineering". Nigel said that the company had reaped the benefits of taking guests to Santa Pod Raceway to watch drag racing instead of the usual corporate days out. "Our Formula One guests have been surprised at the level of technology", he said, "especially in the clutch area". Nigel confirmed that the company would continue to support Dave Holland's Funny Bike and the Showtime Fuel FC team this season.

The Brown and Miller Racing Solutions stand had one of Andy Carter's Top Fuel Dragster engines on display. Barry Miller told us that they had supported Andy by replumbing his car with their range of lightweight hoses and fittings. "Andy used Icore products on his Top Fuel Dragster some years ago", said Barry, "and we have since taken over the company after Icore decided that they did not want to continue with the hose and fitting range after developing it. The product has been available for ten years and we have run this company for ten years. We make all of our product in the UK but sell most of it in the USA. We have a distibutor in Indy who supplies Top Fuel and Funny Car teams. The big thing in the States at the moment is injector lines, they have grown really fast. We also supplied hoses and fittings for Andy Robinson's Pro Mod, and he fits them on his customer cars". Paul Knight added that he and Barry used to be actively involved in drag racing campaigning the Beautiful Noise blown Daimler dragster.

One interesting stand elsewhere in the Show was that of the Bahrain International Circuit, which is to stage an FIA event in November. An official announcement is to be made about this event within four weeks, but if you check out Eurodragster News of Saturday 15th January then you can see what Championship promoter Keith Bartlett was able to tell us about it so far.

We have posted several other pictures from Autosport International, which you can view by clicking here or by returning to the Event Index page.

For their help and hospitality at Autosport International we would like to thank Jöran Persåker, Mark Turner, Gary Page and Terry Giles; Keith Bartlett; Lee Child; Caroline Day; and David Lloyd-Jones and the staff of Santa Pod Raceway.

Eurodragster's coverage of Autosport International has been brought to you in association with American Car Imports.