FIA European Finals
Run What You Brung, Sunday 3rd September
Coverage by Eurodragster.com

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17:30

Tommy Moller and Gordon Appleton rounded off the day here at Santa Pod.

Gordon pulled another great burnout and then recorded 7.03/188.94 on his last pass of the day.

Tommy Moller's run was eventful to say the least. Tommy pulled a long burnout and the fun really started when he left on the green. The tyres went up in smoke, and the car started to weave and then turned hard left. Tommy got off the throttle and straightened the car out, and then got back on the throttle again, only for the tyres to go up in smoke again. There are some very impressive tyre tracks down the strip with a gap where Tommy got off the throttle. Tommy recorded 8.07/121.24. We understand that Tommy has earned his licence so we will be seeing him in Top Fuel next weekend.

Before we close, Tog and Sharkman would like to send Pat and Stephen Talbot huge thanks for letting us take a few turns in their street car,a fourteen-second Chevy Camaro. Tog had a bit of a wild ride on his first pass when the car got way out of shape, it not being his car Tog got off the throttle and avoided both the timing reflectors and the guardrail. Sharkman took the Eurodragster Low ET and Top Speed with a time of 14.32 at 100.40, once Tog had got back on the horse he recorded a best of 14.40/99.60. Thanks again Pat and Stephen.

Today's photographs have now been posted, they are available from the raceday update index.

That's all for today's test session, then. Thanks very much for staying with us. Our next update will be a report from the Press Call in London on Wednesday, and then we plan to post a report from Santa Pod on Thursday when racers are arriving and setting up. See you then!

16:30

When we left you we said that John Ellul was expected, and we've just had his run. John pulled a nice burnout and then launched hard, tyres shaking but staying with it as the car drifted first left and then right, gettign close to the guardrail. John stayed on it through the shake and squirrelling and then got off it just after half track, recording 6.31/165.86.

Gordon Appleton has made is third pass of the day, a very tyre-shaky burnout and a 0.51 light, clocking 7.06/191.55. There was a lot of smoke at the top end but an inspection of the track revealed no oil or other foreign objects.

Nick Davies overdid the reaction times on his latest pass in the roadster, I don't know if anyone has told him that our reaction time prize is only available at race meetings. he pulled a naughty 0.34 light but a nice Super Gas pass of 9.93/142.81. Dave Day in the other roadster here today clocked 9.11/149.37.

On two wheels, Ken Cooper recorded 7.76/164.58 in his Pro Mod Bike, the run looked a lot quicker though. Jerry Collier clocked 9.73/132.44 on his latest pass.

Just as I finished typing the above paragraph, Helen Curran left the line on the PRR Funny Bike and it went bang and then shrieked - actually it sounded like Monica Seles in full cry. The start line crew leapt into action with the fire extinguisher, all looks well - at least everyone is smiling.

Tommy Moller is due to make another pass, stay tuned and we'll bring you the news.

15:00

Tommy Moller put in his second licencing pass a short while ago. the plan was for a full pass, but just before the run, Peter Lantz told us that he thought that the tyres might go up in smoke. Tommy pulled a great burnout and on the green launched magnificently, pedalling for tyre shake and then getting back on it to half-track. The car sounded absolutely superb, Tommy recording 6.51/135.87 which is not at all bad for a half-pass with tyre shake.

Gordon Appleton has put in a second pass, a classic Pro Mod burnout which raised cheers all round the facility, and a much better start this time, recording 7.05/188.38. Nick Davies recorded yet another .4 reaction time at .44 and a pass of 9.83/143.91. The throttle stop seemed to be on for ever, but the time would suggest otherwise.

Dave Day put in another pass in the Double Trouble roadster, clocking a straight and solid 9.03/149.32.

On two wheels, Helen Curran put in a great pass of 8.45/154.55 on the Paul Rose Racing Funny Bike, and Ken Cooper improved to a 7.70/172.41. Jerry Collier has put in two more passes of 9.67/136.13 and 9.75/132.51.

Stay tuned as we're expecting another run from John Ellul soon.

13:30

Hi there and welcome back. It's been a great morning's action here at Santa Pod, and we're now on a lunch break.

Last up before lunch was John Ellul in his Top Methanol Dragster. A great burnout to about sixty feet and then a very strong launch indeed, no sign of shake or other problems. John got off the throttle at the 330-foot marker which is a bit of a pity since the car was going great guns. John's reaction time was 0.61, and even having got off the throttle a quarter of the way down the track still recorded 8.176/106.63.

Gordon Appleton has put in one pass so farin his Pro Mod. His first outing was curtailed at the bleach box when he was found to be leaking oil onto the track. Repairs having been effected, Gordon came back and pulled a nice burnout, then seemed to have a problem holding the car on the line as he redlit by quite a considerable margin, recording 7.10/189.46.

Dave and Sarah Day are back in their Super Gas/Super Comp roadster, Dave has made the only run so far, 9.48/148.67.

Jerry Collier has gone quicker than his world record on his supertwin gas bike, a run of 9.63 followed later by a 9.70/133.21. Also on two wheels, Helen Curran is riding the Paul Rose Racing Funny Bike, one run so far in the mid eights. Ken Cooper has had a couple of rodeo rides on his Pro Mod Bike, both runs in the nines.

Nick Davies has been pulling some great reaction times in Jon Webster's roadster, all runs so far have been in the 0.4s with a best of 0.42. Nick has put in runs of 9.85/144.38 and 9.71/145.02 since we last reported.

10.90 Bike racer Phil Pratt is here testing and ran a 10.90 this morning, well done to Phil.

Super Pro ET racer Tim Garlick has put in one pass so far, a great wheelie off the line and a time of 9.20 at 147.12.

Stay tuned and we'll be back when testing gets underway again.

11:15

Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway on a beautiful Sunday morning. The FIA European Finals build-up starts here and in association with our friends at E-Manumit.com and High Performance Heaven we'll be bringing you as much of the news and action as we can.

A special good morning to all of the fans in Malta whom we know are tuned in for news of John Ellul. Thanks for tuning in, guys, and you can be sure that we'll publish details of John's progress as it happens.

We've already started the day as we mean to go on with the first of Tommy Moller's checkout passes in the ex-Peter Lantz Top Fuel Dragster. This is Tommy's first time in this particular car, although he has driven a Fueller before, Knut Soderquist's machine during Main Event week. Tommy told us earlier that the plan is to make two passes today. On his first pass he pulled a great burnout and then on the green hit tyre shake so bad that you could not tell what shape the tyres were meant to be. Tommy was off the throttle by sixty feet and his tyre tracks look from above like a pair of particularly hairy caterpillars. Tommy had the chutes out at half-track, recording 12.90/61.86, a reaction time of 1.307.

John Ellul is in the pits as promised, he sasys that he is planning to put in a couple of launches and half-passes today - we don't know whose definition of half-pass this is. John's Top Methanol Dragster is currently being worked on in the pits.

We've also got Gordon Appleton and Bill Weston here with their Pro Mods, Nick Davies in Jon Webster's Super Gas roadster, and Tim Garlick in his Super Pro ET Cortina. On two wheels we've got Jerry Collier on his record-holding supertwin gas bike; he has already put in one pass of 9.69/132. Ken Cooper is also here with his Pro Mod Bike, and Mark Pointer on his Super Street Bike. Mark has so far been into the 9.6s.

In fact just as I was typing the above paragraph, Nick Davies came round for a pass in the roadster, recording 9.70/143.78, and a great .46 reaction time.

Stay tuned and we'll be back with the latest developments.