Andy Wheeler of Eurodragster.com sponsor Alamo Rent A Car said that a new Junior Dragster is under construction for his daughter Paige. "It's a Half Scale dragster with swing arm, and has a Blossom motor", said Andy. "It should be ready in March and we will go out to the USA to test and then bring it to England. We are also buying another car which we will leave in the USA and we'll go back to race there in the Summer". Andy said that the Alamo team will be fielding cars later this season. "Paige's sister Belle will be eight in September. We'll put a Briggs and Stratton motor in the current car and Belle will have a go at the first Run What You Brung after her birthday."

We spoke to Gavin Wills, principal of the new Team West-Tec Top Fuel Dragster team, about the company's move into drag racing. "We have been fielding racing teams for twenty three years but this is the first time we've been outside circuit racing", he said. "I have long been an admirer of Fuel and Top Alcohol cars and I got an Alcohol licence at Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School. I wanted to get involved in a sponsorable team - the ingredients are there in FIA drag racing and working with sponsors is a professional business. The problem with circuit racing is that it's season and you can only do short-term deals. Top Fuel is a long-term project and you can devote a reasonable amount of time to it. Our business model is based on great facilities and resources, and running several teams as we do means that no one team bears the brunt - you can spread the cost and this makes it more successful. The dragster has been completely stripped and serviced and Ben and the team are now in the process of putting it back together as well as gathering thr support kit. Our machine and fabrication shops are busy working on the extra parts we need. It's been a busy place! We will run at Easter and then the full FIA Tour. We are realistic about the challenge, there's a lot to learn, but we can try to head that off by hiring the right people. We're not here to make up the numbers, we're serious about this programme and that's why we got Andy Carter on board."

Dexter Price told us that the Go Hard or Go Home! altered, driven by son Adam, is now sporting a 360 ci Mopar. "It was reworked by Paul's Place in Southampton", said Dex. "It has Brodix heads, nice shiny exhausts, and a new gearbox with transbrake. Adam is nervous but excited! We are hoping for low tens or maybe a nine - a low ten is sensible. This year we will be racing in the Wild Bunch, which is our core, and Pro ET. Adam is getting married in August. He and Lorraine get married on the Saturday, and he wants to race at York on the Sunday. Lorraine said "Yes, you can, if you take me to Hawaii on the Monday!". A new member is scheduled to join the team next weekend in the person of Adz and Lorraine's baby who is due to be born then. Our very best wishes to the family.

David Lloyd-Jones and Darren Prentice took time out from manning their biggest-ever Autosport display to bring us up to date on the news from Santa Pod Raceway. "Event moves gave us a gap in July and this allowed us to put in a new Nostalgia event named Dragstalgia", said David. "The nostalgia scene is growing and is was the only kind of event for which we were not already catering. The racers had been asking for it too. As well as the racing we are going to have a static show and some of the big names from the past are due to attend such as Stu Bradbury, Brian Taylor and Dennis Priddle. Site-wise we are upgrading Bankside VIP to a unit with boxes each with their own balcony. It's the sort of thing we need to do to take it up a level. We are going to make some improvements to the track in time for Easter; Santa Pod Racers Club are also contributing to this and we are grateful to them. We are also upgrading the lights in the shutdown area and return road and again Santa Pod Racers Club will be making a contribution to this. We are widening the bike pits by three metres or so, so that we can accommodate racers better. Also on the subject of bikes, Super Street Bike will be invited to both the Main Event and the European Finals this year; there will be more details about that soon.

"We are having to move the date of the FIA Main Event in 2012 because the Whitsun Bank Holiday is being moved for the Queen's Jubilee. So the Main Event will take place on the first weekend in June 2012. The event will still take place on the Friday to the Monday."

Another new Top Fuel Dragster team for 2011 is F and A Racing. We caught up with driver Chris Andrews and Team PR Neil Williams and asked how plans were progressing. "We are still waiting for the car", said Chris. "It should be here in ten days or so. The we need to go through everything and to see what we have and what we need. We want to race three or four FIA events this year hopefully starting with the Main Event - it's down to how much sponsorship we can raise. I also need to renew my licence before that race". "Sponsorship is tough", said Neil. "We have made a number of contacts here at the Show and we'll see what comes out of those". "As we are a new team with no track record it is even more difficult to persuade sponsors", said Chris. "But we thought that now that we can come back, why shouldn't we."