2004 UK National Finals
Saturday (qualifying)
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18:20
We've just been called for the day here at Santa Pod. The shutdown area has a minimum of an hour's drying left, the sun has gone down and it's cold, so Race Director Darren Prentice has called it a day.
We will be starting with qualifying at 8:55 tomorrow morning, Junior Dragster and Super Mod followed by another entire cycle, so tune back in the morning and we'll see you then. Don't forget that today's pictures are already available via the Event Index page. Have a pleasant evening and we'll see you tomorrow.
17:45
We've now had word on the plan for the rest of today. The track is drying quickly, when we get going again we will have the first qualifying sessions of Super Modified and Junior Dragster, then we will have the second qualifying sessions for Super Gas, Super Pro ET, Pro ET, VW Sportsman and 9.90 Bike. These are the classes which will need to run five rounds of eliminations tomorrow. All other classes will have their second qualifying session in the morning.
Also planning to run this afternoon is Dave Wilson in the Carbon By Design Top Fuel dragster. The CBD team had to change an engine after Dave's first licencing pass as a rod bearing spun. Crew Chief Alan Jackson explained that the oil spillages earlier were down to a new oil pump splitting the oil filter casing.
Dave told us that, as he expected, the Top Fueller was completely different to the Top Methanol Dragster. "It's totally alien, but I'm comfortable", said Grumpy. "So far it's all been a case of understanding what's required and what you need to control. It's one thing standing there talking about it, but there's a big difference actually doing it - the only thing which is the same as the TMD is the steering wheel!"
Dave explained the apparent hesitation when the Top Fueller left the line earlier on. "The hesitation was me!", he said. The throttle springs feel really heavy. The clutch movement is different too: after I'd backed up from the burnout, I put it in forward gear and moved forward just a little so that the crew could see that the car was in forward gear. Then I sat there whilst they went round the car and when I was waved forward it didn't move. I bled some air from the clutch cannon and it moved forward. Then when the second fuel pump goes in, the car's behaviour changes again."
Dave said that the main difference he had noticed on the run was the same observation which all TM-TF cross-licencers make. "It doesn't seem to slow down an awful lot", he said. "The Top Methanol cars slow down but this one doesn't."
Just before I left the pit the car was warmed up on methanol. One cylinder was found not to be firing and on investigation an input rocker was found to be broken. The team had repairs well in hand as I left.
Whilst in the CBD pit I had a brief word with Knut Söderquist who said that he had decided not to take any Top Fuellers to the Flame and Thunder Show - if you were tuned in over European Finals weekend you will recall that Knut had proposed taking two TFs to the November race with the drivers to be drawn from a list of Dave Wilson, Barry Sheavills or Chris Andrews. "I prefer to race than to put on shows", said Knut.
Stay tuned and as soon as the action starts again we'll be back with all the news.
16:45
Whilst we're waiting for the track to dry we have posted today's Photo Gallery, you can view the pictures from the Event Index page.
Stay tuned.
16:30
The rain has stopped, the clouds have gone - we now have a clear sky and the track is starting to dry.
The plan is to finish this cycle of qualifying (Super Mod and Junior Dragster left to run), and then to go as far as we can with the second cycle of qualifying tonight and complete it in the morning.
15:00
The heavens have opened and it is still raining very hard. We still have Super Modified and Junior Dragster to run to complete the first qualifying cycle.
Stay tuned and as soon as there is anything to report we shall let you know.
14:45
The top five in Sportsman ET after the first qualifying session is as follows:
We're on hold for rain at the top end, stay tuned.
14:25
Top Fuel Bike was followed by Top Methanol. Only Lindsay Deuchar is here this weekend, although absent Doug Ripley is 2004 MSA British Drag Racing Champion, congratulations Doug! Lindsay took second place in the 2004 Championship with his qualifying pass, although it was for the second time of asking as he had finger trouble and hit the kill switch after the burnout on his first attempt earlier. Lindsay drove through shake, the car weaving left and right all the way down the track, Lindsay clocked 6.501/201.70 despite all of that.
Weather conditions right now are 15.6 C, 64% humidity, 29.88 inches of air pressure - and a very stiff headwind.
We're on a hold for clean-up in Sportsman ET, stay tuned.
14:05
Comp Bike followed on from SSB and Championship leader TJ O'Brien had to back off as his bike approached the left guardrail, he was on a good pass by the look of it. Stuart Crane recorded a personal best ET in this session, congratulations Stuart! Six bikes made it to the finish line, the standings after the first qualifying session are as follow:
We then went into Pro Stock Bike which took place into an ever-stronger headwind. Chapionship leader Tony Clark had a wild ride, his left hand came off the handlebars as the bike launched and the bike wanted to go left on every gear shift. The standings after the first qualifying session are as follow:
Next was Funny Bike, Dave Bailey made his return to FB after his crash earlier this year and Luigi Ferretti made a welcome return from Italy. Neil Midgley and Luigi Ferretti both rode out very squirrelly passes, Midgo was off the throttle very early so there is plenty more there. The standings after the first qualifying session are as follow:
Finally for the bikes was Top Fuel Bike, Antonio Ferretti and Ian King contesting this session side-by-side. Great burnouts from both bikes, as they pulled forward to stage Antonio reached down twice to make an adjustment and was shaking his head as he sat in pre-stage. On the green Ian shot off the line on a very strong-looking pass, a feather of the throttle towards the top end and off it before the finish. Antonio's engine cut out not far after sixty feet.
13:45
Manual calculations for Wild Bunch standings after session one, so any mistakes are down to your reporter. The provisional top five is as follows:
Super Comp was next, the top five after session one is as follows:
The last of the Super classes in this first cycle of qualifying was Super Street, Championship leader Mike Bentley starting how he means to go on, the top five is as follows:
Back to two wheels for Super Street Bike and Steve Venables sits on top of the pile after session one, the top five is as follows:
13:15
Six bikes contested the first session of Supertwin Street, the standings after the first session are:
Next up was Supertwin Modified, only four bikes in this session and the standings after the first qualifier are:
Supertwin Gas followed and Andy Smith put in a stormer to take #1 spot, the top five after session one is as follows:
Last of the Supertwin classes was Supertwin Fuel and two bikes made it to the finish line, Chris Stebbings unfurtunately breaking at about 300 feet. The standings after session one of qualifying are:
There is more to come from both Steve and Turbo; Steve backed off early as he had to lean off the bike to keep it straight, and Turbo lost a plug lead just before the start and he and his crewman played "Who wants to get a shock" before it was plugged in.
The Wild Bunch are now on-track, stay tuned.
12:55
Some great runs in the first qualifying session of Super Pro ET, Paul Marston keeping his concentration despite being shut off twice for rain and taking #1 spot. Mick Payne made one of the runs of the day so far with a 7.952 on an 8.30 dial-in, congratulations on being such a naughty boy Mick! Martyn Jones and Barry Giles had a great match-up, both running 7.884. The top five after session one is as follows:
Next up was Custom Car Street Eliminator and we've got John Sleath on a potential speed record with a tremendous 180.06 mph pass in this first session. Colin Lazenby set a new personal best ET to take #1 spot. The top five is as follows:
Andy Frost's Vauxhall disappeared in a cloud of smoke through the finish line but word came back from the top end that it was just oil burning on the exhaust.
Dave Wilson followed up in the CBD Top Fuel Dragster, a nice controlled burnout and then the engine hesitated just a moment at the hit and spat out some fuel, then picked up. Dave was on the throttle to 330 feet, 8.478/105.33 his first-ever Top Fuel pass.
12:20
It's already nice and close in Super Gas with several 9.9s, the top five after the first session is as follows:
Antti Kivinummi is currently twelfth at 10.046/133.57.
We're on hold for a sprinkling of rain, stay tuned.
12:10
10.90 Bike was next after the Top Fueller, five bikes contested the session and the standings after this first qualifier are:
Next was 9.90 Bike and we already have three in the 9.9s into the headwind, the top five after this first session are:
Next up is Super Gas, stay tuned.
11:55
The first qualifying session of VW Alternate Engine followed on from the Top Fueller, six cars making this session, so we'll give you all six:
VW Sportsman came next, the top five after this first session is:
Dave Wilson followed up in the CBD Top Fueller, and a similar outcome to the first fire-up, a jet of oil shot from under the car and Dave quickly shut off. The dragster has been taken back to the pits.
Stay tuned.
11:35
Here we go then! We started with Pro ET and it was the usual close-fought and entertaining affair even into a pretty strong headwind. The top five after this first session is as follows:
Bob Doyle broke out with a 9.970 on a 10.0 dial-in, his first nine with the Z Case car, we're sure he won't mind breaking out this once! Also breaking out with what we think is a PB was Nicky Frost with a 10.192 on a 10.20 dial-in, another racer not worried about breaking out we'd guess.
Next up was VW Pro and the top five after session one is as follows:
Dave Wilson followed up with his first attempt at a cross licence pass in the CBD Top Fueller, what was the Promise Dreams car now painted orange. An o-ring on the oil filter blew as the car started up, dropping oil on the track, Dave quickly shut off and will be back in a few minutes.
10:30
The track is dry, prepped and we're almost ready to go. Stay tuned!
A big Hello to Trond Isebakke, thanks for the E-Mail Trond and we hope you are enjoying the sunshine and the red wine! Hej also to our good buddy and honorary Eurodragster.com staff member Erik Zettervall who has also been in touch this morning to wish us all well. Tack sa mycket!
8:00
Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway for the start of the end of the 2004 UK National Drag Racing Championships. It's qualifying day and we're here to bring you all the news in association with American Car Imports.
The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and is scheduled to broadcast a picture every two minutes all day.
The weather conditions here, courtesy of our replacement trackside sensor, are 9.6 C, 96% humidity and 29.91 inches of air pressure. It rained overnight and the track is a bit damp but the track crew were already working on drying it when we arrived here at 6:45 this morning.
Saturday morning greetings to a few of our friends whom we know are tuned in. Ladies first and it's a big Hello to Gittli Koller and Gerda Dijkstra who are tuned in from Germany and Holland. Hope you are having a good day, ladies, and we will bring you the information you're looking for as soon as it happens. A big Good Morning also to Simon Groves, and we have a special message for you Simon: Rob Smallworth is here. Hello to all of our friends in Finland who are tuned in to see how Antti Kivinummi fares in the Twentieth Anniversary of Super Gas, we'll keep you bang up-to-date as it happens. A big Hello also to the guys on Volkszone, similarly we'll keep the news coming for you too. Finally Hi to Andy Marrs who can't be here at SPR this weekend, hope you have sorted out the spaghetti Andy.
Today's plan is, as usual, to track the top fives in each class of qualifying as we go through the day. Also we will of course bring you the news on 2004 FIA European Top Methanol Dragster Champion Dave Wilson's licencing passes in one of Knut Söderquist's Top Fuel Dragsters.
The track is scheduled to open at 9:00 with the first qualifying session of Pro ET. Stay tuned and we'll bring you all the action as soon as it happens.