FIA Main Event
Press Day

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18:10

Well, neither Tommy Moller nor anyone else will be putting in any more passes today since the rains have returned to Santa Pod. So that's that until the race starts on Saturday.

Martin Hill put in the last run of the day in the new Fireforce 2 Jet FC, an early shut off 7.40 at 124 mph, the chutes out just past half track. Graham from the Boaters refreshment trailer has been doing double duty today, not only doling out the usual excellent food but driving Team Fireforce's battery pack around in his 4x4 since the team's car was not up to the job.

We have now posted today's pictures, which you can reach from the raceday update index.

So that's all for today, we hope you enjoyed our reports and pictures brought to you in association with e-manumit.com and High Performance Heaven. Our next Main Event update will be on Friday, when we will be here talking to racers as they set up.

Your reporter today was Tog of Eurodragster.com, all pictures by Sharkman of Eurodragster.com. Thanks to Steve Horn of SPR's timing crew for his help, and thanks to Graham and Margaret of Boaters for feeding and watering both us and the ladies and gentlemen of the media.

Thanks for staying with us - see you Friday!

17:10

Tommy Moller has put in his first licencing pass. He was on and off the throttle in his short burnout then when the lights ran he hit the throttle, came off it, and then briefly punched the throttle again before cruising down the track. The crew say that they have one more run planned today, we'll let you know if this is still on. Certainly there was no sign at all of any engine damage.

Jacob Ferrer put in another pass, 7.14/191.61, the chutes out a touch early.

Sportsman ET racer Vince Andrew has been providing passenger rides, times in the twelves at just over 100 mph. Just about every journalist on the facility has had a ride-along today, with the exception of your scribe and his photographer colleague.

Paula Atkin's latest ride-along was a 9.10/140.58, a fine straight run, again impressive with the extra weight in the car.

We're just about to start work on today's photos, and there is still some action left (not least Michael Malmgren who is lined up below us). Stay tuned.

15:45

Firstly a big hello to all the drag racing fans in Malta, whom we know are reading our updates today since Manty and the crew have already had some phone calls as a result of the earlier report! Thanks for tuning in guys, good to see you here. It's not too late to book a plane ticket for the weekend you know.

Another nice run from Jacob Ferrer, the customary big burnout followed by a nice straight 7.11/194.51.

Michael Malmgren was next up from the Pro Stock ranks, Crew Chief Christer said that the team had backed the clutch down a little and made some other changes. Some frantic action to adjust the wheelie bars before staging and then Michael was off to a corking 7.06/195.16, superb pass.

Sandra Chaplain got very close to her class index with a pass of 10.91/127.72, she has been running consistent 10.9s all day and some good reaction times too.

More passenger rides and quicker yet for Pete Creswell who put in a 10.09/134.63 in his Super Gasser, next up was Paula Atkin who recorded 9.19/142.64.

Smax is putting his Fuel FC away, he will not be running today after all. They had an oil leak in the warm-up and had trouble tracing it so I guess the team decided to call it a day and come back on Saturday.

No sign yet of Tommy Moller in the Top Fueller although the engine was finally warmed up a short while ago, and it sounded very good. From where I'm sitting I can see that the car is still in the pits, here's hoping we get to see it running soon.

And the moment it does, you'll get to hear about it! Stay tuned.

14:30

Martin Hill has just been playing cook-a-journalist with the Fireforce 1 Jet FC, a great flame and smoke show, shutting off at 1000 feet to record 7.81/162.43. Up here in the tower it was the usual invigorating experience, you could get hooked on it though.

Smax Smith has warmed up the engine of his Fuel FC, tuner John Wright in attendance. The warm-up sounded A-OK to me.

Pete Creswell and Paul Atkin have put in a couple more passes with journalists in the passenger seat, Pete taking a Motoring News correspondent to a 10.13/134.60 and Paula taking a Sunday People writer to a fine 9.11/137.37 in the Ford Rapid Fit-sponsored 100E.

Here's Jari Konola again...a fine burnout, about seventy feet this time...superb launch and really accelerating towards the top end...7.10/194.38. Excellent pass.

Now we've got Sandra Chaplain lined up against the guy from the Sunday People. He beats Sandra at the Tree 1.01 to 1.05, but Sandra gets there first 10.75/128.52 to 12.17/122.70.

Jacob Ferrer is on his way to the collection area so stay tuned and we'll be back to tell you how he gets on.

13:30

Well, there you go, we mentioned the nature of Press Days, the nature of Press Days being sporadic action but it was well worth waiting for.

Manty Bugeja has just wowed the assembled media with a pass of 5.93/236.15, the tyres shaking before every gear change - you have to wonder just what he's got lined up for the opposition when the shake is sorted out.

Pete Creswell put in a pass of 10.19/135.04 in his Super Gasser, and is now giving passenger rides, the last being a 10.3. Paula Atkin is also giving ride-alongs, a 9.21/131.10 not at all bad given the additional weight in the car.

Jari Konola and Jacob Ferrer lined up for a Pro Stock duel. Both pulled huge burnouts, Konola staying on it to one hundred feet or so. On the green Konola went a few feet and then shook so bad that you couldn't read the decals on the car, and he backed out to a 13.15/63.66. Meanwhile Jacob Ferrer had disappeared into the distance with a solid pass of 7.12/194.29.

Michael Malmgren has also put in a pass, "He will stay on it as long as he feels comfortable", his crew said. Well, Michael must have felt comfortable all the way down the track, a great run, straight as you like, 7.09/194.40.

Just as I went to post this report, Sandra Chaplain ran 10.98/127.13 on her 10.90 Bike. On her first attempt at a run earlier on, she was shut off on the start line and Jeff of the track crew leapt to fetch the fire extinguisher - didn't look like he actually had to use it though.

We'll be back later with more of today's action.

11:15

It's the Main Event Press Day here at Santa Pod and so far the weather is with us. Action is yet to get underway but we have runs lined up from Manty Bugeja, Michael Malmgren, Jacob Ferrer, Jari Konola, Sandra Chaplain, Paula Atkin, Smax Smith, Martin Hill and Tommy Moller.

Tommy Moller, of blown-alcohol Pro Mod fame? Yes, that's the guy. Tommy is however planning to run in Knut Soderquist's new Top Fuel Dragster today. A new driver in Top Fuel? Well, not exactly. Tommy is planning to go A/Fuel in Top Methanol Dragster next season, which means that he has to upgrade his licence. The plan is for Tommy to put in all of his licencing passes today, which means 60-foot, half-track and full passes. We'll let you know how he gets on.

A number of the racers to whom we have spoken so far say that they are treating today as a test session. Charley Draper for example tells us that Manty Bugeja will be testing a new clutch setting in Joe Carabott's TMD. The team were very happy with the test pass at Sunday's Run What You Brung, and so are now going to turn it up a bit. We're expecting a squirt and then a full pass from Manty.

The action has not yet started. The nature of Press Days means that it's not easy to say when we will be back, the first runs by the Pro Stockers are set for 11:30, so stay tuned and we will post details just as soon as we can.