Easter Thunderball
Run What You Brung, Sunday 24th March
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17:45
We're just about done here at Santa Pod. Colin Aldred put in a checkout pass in his new slingshot, wheels up on the launch and then easing off as the car started twitching. Shaun Branch repeated his earlier form with a great pass of 7.76/172.76 which was all the better as the track was getting quite cold by that point.
The last few racers' passes of the day were as follows. Stuart Morrice 9.60/66.59, Mark Fisher (Super Street Bike) 8.93, Rick McCann 12.23/115.32, Martin Curbishley 10.02/141.57 and Jamie Millership 10.31/137.26.
Today's pictures can be viewed by Clicking Here.
So that's all for today, thanks for tuning in. Our next event coverage will be next weekend's Easter Thunderball here at Santa Pod Raceway.
Thanks for their help today to David Lloyd-Jones, Kjell Petterson, Ian Marshall and the track crew, and Steve Horn. Special thanks from Sharkman to Trevor for the loan of the camera.
This coverage was brought to you in association with American Car Imports.
15:45
The smart Supertwin bike which we mentioned in our last update belongs to Jamie Millership. Al Smith, who plans to re-appear on his fuel bike later this year, told us that Jamie's bike is the ex-Adam Hewitt Southern Rock 2. Jamie has put in two steady passes, the second just now at 9.90/138.09 including a wicked wobble at half-track.
Shaun Branch and Sue Jackson have been the headliners this afternoon with a couple of excellent runs. Shaun took low ET and high speed of the day with an astounding 7.73/181.23 on his blown Funny Bike. Sue Jackson drove through wheelspin to clock a great 9.41/155.63 in her CCSE 'Vette.
Martin Curbishley and Paul Hudson had a great side-by-side match-up, Martin pulling a superb .44 reaction and numbers of 8.91/146.09 whilst Paul clocked 9.84/136.33. There was some smoke from Paul's car at the top end.
We had a spill at the top end a little while back when a Ford Pop spun out and flipped over just past the finish line. Although not a racer that we know of the car had a full roll cage and harness and the driver was wearing a crash helmet, and he walked away with a few cuts and bruises.
We won't be seeing Susanne Callin again today. The blower was off the Top Fueller when we visited the Carbon By Design pit, and car owner Knut Soderquist said that the plan is now for Susanne to put in her remaining passes at the Thunderball next weekend. "Susanne has been absolutely perfect, handling the car very well" said Knut. "It's not as easy as everyone thinks, even the burnout and backing up are difficult and Susanne has done everything right so far". Knut added that two of his four Top Fuel Dragsters are for sale so if you fancy going Top Fuel then have a word with Knut.
The other runs which we have caught so far this afternoon have been as follow. Fred Furlong 10.93/124.33, Ian Jackson (Sportsman ET) 14.48/92.73, Helen Curran (Pro Stock Bike) 9.35 and 8.90/102.77, Bob Hancox 10.04/130.46, Ricky Emms 8.91/71.59, Stuart Morrice 9.54/67.11, Neil Midgley 11.10/78.98 (a nice straight launch and off it at half track), Jerry Collier 10.12/131.45.
Stay tuned and we'll bring you more highlights later on.
13:45
We're on the lunch break here at Santa Pod. It's been a frenetic day so far with a huge entry, in fact sign-on was closed long ago.
The latest runs which we've had are as follows.
Jerry Collier 12.72/69.50 (off the throttle before half-track), Paul Newman 9.82/140.67, Phil Pratt 11.42/120.74, Bob Doignie (Super Street) 11.12/117, Sue Jackson (CCSE) 10.21, Ricky Emms 8.78/71.50, Rick McCann (Pro ET) 11.07/122.43.
There is a very smart Supertwin bike in the collection area, and next to it is the Paul Rose Racing Pro Stock Bike which is due to be ridden by Helen Curran. We'll keep an eye on them when they run and report back.
12:25
Susanne Callin has made her first Top Fuel licencing pass of the day and she got her first experience of tyre shake! A very nice burnout followed by a 0.974 60-foot time with shake, 12.87/51.97 at the finish line.
In Junior Dragster, the Morrice Boys JM put in a good first pass of 9.39/70.62 - we will find out shortly which of the Morriice's it was and let you know. Next up was Ricky Emms who put in a fine 8.77/71.66. "The motor has been freshened, and we are very pleased with the way it is running", said Ricky's dad Chris. "We'll make one more full pass then put it back to 8.90 mode as Ricky has to run to the 8.90 index this year. We're going to concentrate on reaction times for good qualifying". The Emms' car looks very nice in its new colours courtesy of sponsor Peterborough Signs. Chris said that the Cool Green team will be attending every race and every RWYB at both Santa Pod and Shakespeare County this season so that they get as much testign time as possible.
The racers have been coming thick and fast since our last update, here is how they have been faring. Fred Furlong (10.90 Bike) 10.67/125.63, Paul Newman (9.90 Bike) 10.02/138.19, Paul Watson (9.90 Bike) 9.79/135.83, Rachel Pattison (Super Street Bike) 9.49/151.16, Martin Curbishley (Super Comp) 8.87/149.76, Jamie Sneddon (9.90 Bike) 11.31/133.09, Phil Pratt (10.90 Bike) 11.19/123.47), Paul Hudson (Super Gas) 10.13/133.97, Bob Hancox (Outlaw Anglia) 10.59/126.43, Andy Oliver (Custom Car Street Eliminator) 11.77/123.04.
Steve Wells didn't disappoint in his Team Orange pick-up, pulling a nice controlled wheelie off the line then getting off the throttle and cruising. Jerry Collier has just pushed back after the burnout on the Kawasaki H2, but has not gone back to the pits so it's nothing terminal by the look of it.
Just as we went to post, Neil Midgley took a bucking bronco ride on his Funny Bike, getting off the throttle and recording a twenty. He is currently stopped in the shutdown area and the track crew haev gone to rescue him.
Stay tuned!
11:15
Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway on a pleasant spring day for our first live event coverage of 2002, brought to you in association with American Car Imports. The pits are heaving, there are a number of racers here and it is also a Street Machine magazine Street Racer Sunday. As I type it is 11:00 and there is a huge queue in the fire-up road.
The first of our Sunday greetings of 2002 goes to Petra, from Mark on the Carbon By Design Top Fuel crew. "Hello Petra, I am sorry that I didn't come home", he says. Sunday greetings also to our good friends Ed O'Connell and Kathy Hileman in the USA whom we know are tuned in.
To carry on where we finished yesterday, if you see what I mean, we visited the Carbon By Design pit to ascertain what had happened on Susanne Callin's last run of the day. "We didn't find anything untoward", said Crew Chief Alan Jackson. Car owner Knut Soderquist told us that the shower of sparks came from the motor plate which has very narrow clearance. Susanne has two or three passes planned for today. The engine has already been warmed up so we don't expect it to be too long before she puts in her first run which we expect to be a burnout and launch to sixty feet.
We have a number of bike racers here today including 9.90 Bike racer Jamie Sneddon, Fred Furlong, Jerry Collier on Martin Bishop's Kawasaki H2, Neil Midgley on his ex-Cannon Funny Bike, and Rachel Pattison who has moved up to Super Street Bike. We also have a new boy in the person of Steve Ingham who is testing his ex-Mark Watkins bike after spending the last six or seven months stripping and rebuilding it. "I'm entered in 10.90 Bike next weekend but I'll see how I get on today", said Steve. "I'm a rookie, I have only ever ridden my street bike down the track, so it's all down to riding it now and then I'll decide which class I race in". Steve's first pass was a gentle 11.8.
Rachel Pattison now has nitrous on her Super Street Bike. "The bike needs more work, but it is good enough to ride today", she said. "As well as the gas I have changed the seat so that I don't end up on the back of the bike at 150 miles per hour!".
Jerry Collier said that he plans a very gentle day on the H2. "I'll make a couple of aspirated passes and then a couple with gas", he said. "I'll do a burnout and of that goes OK I'll continue on. It's a big learning curve". Jerry is planning to run in ACU Competition Bike at UK Natinal events and in FIM/UEM Pro Stock Bike at the two international events here at Santa Pod.
Martin Curbishley's ex-Webster roadster looks absolutely stunning in its Mark Gredzinski paintjob, a very early candidate for Best Appearing Car. The Jeff Bull-engined car will be running in both Super Comp and Super Gas in 2002.
Paul Hudson, who has Martin Curbishley's previous race car, is here to "get down the track in one go". Paul said that he is now confident with the operation of the throttle stop, "because Martin has shown me how to set it up!". Paul plans a new paint job for the Camaro in the near future.
Pro ET racer Colin Aldred is here with his new Classy Chassis slingshot. The car looks the same as Colin's previous number but is now good for the planned excursions in Super Comp. "Andy Robinson has done a really good job of the chassis, we are really pleased with it" said Colin. The car also has a new steering box and weighs in at 1460 pounds. "I'm trying for Super Comp this year", said Colin. "Next week I'll be running in Pro ET here, and Roz is going to run in Pro ET and the Wild Bunch at Shakespeare County Raceway."
Susanne Callin is now lined up behind Race Control so stay tuned and we will bring you news of her first run today, together with all of the other racers here today.