2005 FIA European Finals
Thursday (qualifying)
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The latest updates are at the top of the page. Click on your Browser's Refresh key to be sure of seeing the latest news. Click here to go back to the event index 19:40 Today's pictures have now been posted, you can view them from the Event Index page. Our good buddy Andy Marrs of Santa Pod's timing crew has given us some interesting stats about today's action:
That's all for today. Tune back in the morning and we will bring you all the news from the second day of qualifying including the first two Pro qualifying sessions. The track is due to open at 9:00 so we'll see you then. 17:15 Comp Eliminator qualifiers after session 5:
Only Per Mikkelsen turned out in this session, he hit shake off the line and idled through, so no changes. Junior Dragster top five qualifiers after session 5:
Anna Stanley moved into second place in this session. That's today's qualifying done and dusted, stay tuned as Simon has another set of pit notes for you and Sharkman is working on today's pictures. 17:00 Super Gas top five qualifiers after session 5:
Brendan Clancy moved up to number two spot in this session. We were pleased to see Stuart Doignie for the first time in ages, Stuart's first run a 9.7-second breakout, doubtless getting the feel for the car again. Ron Haffenden's crew did a very nice choreographed routine after his burnout, one crew member each side of the car kneeling to look under the car then pointing at the nitrous vent in perfect sync! Super Street top five qualifiers after session 5:
Simon Cooper moved into the top five in this session, in at fourth place. The top ten qualifiers are now in the 10.9s. 16:50 Sportsman ET top five qualifiers after session 5:
Adele Atherton moved into the top five in this session, in at number three. 16:45 9.50 Bike top five qualifiers after session 5:
Phil Pratt moved into the top five in this session, in at number four. A new name to me, Gary Drury, has made a couple of eight-second passes on his turbo 'Busa - I'm guessing that's a Super Street Bike! Steve Venables has been still naughtier at 7.841/191.31. 16:30 Super Comp top five qualifiers after session 5:
Jon Morton moved into second place in this session and then in the next pairing Martin Curbishley took over number one spot moving Mort down to third. We now have nine of fifteen in the 8.9s. Super Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 5:
Ian Tubb moved into the top five in this session and then in the very next pairing Rich Gilbertson took third spot and bumped him down to sixth. Vince Gibbs then moved into fifth spot, the run commencing with the usual humungous wheelie. 16:15 Trackside conditions at the start of cycle five were 23.8 C, 55% humidity, and 29.56 inches of air. Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 5:
Simon Barlow moved into #3 spot with another PB, well done Simon! 15:50 Super Street top five qualifiers after session 4:
Big changes to the top five as Paul Marston took over number one spot and Scott McCarthy, Dave Cherrett and John Grant moved into the top five and then Paul Spiers took over #5 spot in the last run of the session. Comp Eliminator qualifiers after session 4:
Only Per Mikkelsen turned out in this session, he hit shake off the line and idled through, so no changes. Junior Dragster top five qualifiers after session 4:
Peter Walters moved back into the top five in this session. That's cycle 4 done, Pro ET are all lined up to start cycle 5. 15:35 Martin Hill followed 9.50 Bike with a storming 6.088/263.15 in the Fireforce 2 Jet FC. Sportsman ET top five qualifiers after session 4:
No changes to the top five in this session. Super Gas top five qualifiers after session 4:
Mark O'Halloran improved his ET still further to consolidate his number one spot. That Eurodragster.com/LA Racing Parts Perfect ET Award isn't going to last day one at this rate... 15:15 9.50 Bike top five qualifiers after session 4:
Andy Burfitt moved into the top five in this session. Trackside conditions are 23.3 C, 54% humidity and 29.56 inches of air. 15:00 Super Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 4:
Nigel Turner moved into the top five in this session whilst in the other lane John Sleath ran what we think is a PB, if not then it's very close, 8.196/176.43. Mick Payne made a very welcome return in his wild blown-alcohol Dodge Coronet, celebrating his return by trying to run over one of his crew guys in the collection area! Mick's first run was an 8.250/162.43. 14:40 Super Comp top five qualifiers after session 4:
Brian Pateman moved into the top five in this session, but then got bumped down a place as Paul Knight took number one spot in the Klotz-sponsored Firebird. Seven of fifteen qualifiers are in the 8.9s and the next six are in the 9.0s, the other two in the 9.1s. 14:35 Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 4:
Malcolm Motler took over the #1 spot in this session, it's starting to get close at the top! No other changes in the top five. Simon Barlow broke out but ran a personal best of 10.472, what odds would you give that he wasn't bothered about breaking out on that one? 14:15 Super Street top five qualifiers after session 3:
Paul Marston took over the #1 spot in this session in the Insanity Vega, running alongside School stablemate Mike Howling in Grumpy's Dodge. In the next pairing Bob Lees took the Eurodragtser.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award with a 0.000 RT, also taking #1 spot, well done Bob! Leigh Morris improved and moved up a spot to fourth. Comp Eliminator qualifiers after session 3:
Per Mikkelsen improved and there is more there since he had the 'chute out in the traps. Junior Dragster top five qualifiers after session 3:
Milly Bond improved her ET to move into fourth spot at that point, Tom Watts also improved and moved up to second at that point, and then Nick Mugridge moved into number two spot in the next-but-one pairing. That's the end of cycle 3, we really are pushing them through quickly today! Pro ET are lined up in the collection area for cycle 4. 14:00 Sportsman ET top five qualifiers after session 3:
Changes in the top five again with Ian Petrie taking over the lead and Al Platt moving into third, bumping an improving Tanya Partidge into fourth, whilst Paul Letchford moved into fifth. Super Gas top five qualifiers after session 3:
The Professor Al O'Connor moved into second spot with an identical ET to Tim Adam, Tim staying above Al having run the 9.918 first. Frank Mason improved again but stayed in place, and then in the penultimate pairing Mark O'Halloran took over the lead. The top fourteen qualifiers are in the 9.9s. 13:50 9.50 Bike top five qualifiers after session 3:
Steve Coombs moved into the top five in this session, only to be bumped out of it again by brother Paul in the next pairing. Steve Knapp then moved back into the top five, his run good for fourth at that point, and then Fred Furlong came in to take third. Steve Venables cemented his position as Chief Executive of Naughtiness with a 7.873/188.20. 13:35 Super Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 3:
Steve Johnson moved into the top five in this session, in at #2 at that point and Barry Giles, no stranger to the top spot, also came into the top five. Trackside conditions are 23.4 C, 58% humidity and 29.59 inches of air. 13:15 Super Comp top five qualifiers after session 3:
Andy Williams moved into the top five, into the 8.9s and taking #2 spot at that point. Chris Isaacs also nudged into the top five but was then bumped down a place as Pete Creswell came in at #1 spot, and in the very last pairing of this session, which saw the return of Rob Faulkner in the Crossfire Camaro, Malcolm Francis took the lead from Pete. 13:05 Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 3:
Clive Cox moved into the top five in this session, another racer at +0.005 good for third at that point. 12:45 Comp Eliminator qualifiers after session 2:
Only JT turned out for this session and he went comfortably under index. Junior Dragster top five qualifiers after session 2:
Collin Morrice took over the lead in this session a squeak from taking the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award whilst Jay Hauser, Tom Watts and Nick Mugridge improved their reaction times - Nick moved up to fourth. That's the end of cycle 2, we're back into Pro ET. Stay tuned. 12:35 Super Gas top five qualifiers after session 2:
Tim Adam took over the lead in this session, Frank Mason and Wayne Hiscock improved - Frank stayed in place and Wayne moved up a spot but was then bumped back down as Brendan Clancy moved into fourth with his first run of the day. Steve Dunn then moved into fourth spot bumping Brendan down to fifth. We've now got the top eight qualifiers in the 9.9s. Super Street top five qualifiers after session 2:
Bob Doignie moved into the top five in this session in his street-legal Toyota Celica, but was then bumped out by Paul Marston. Bob Lees then took over #1 spot bumping Paul out of the top five. John Grant then moved into #4 spot. 12:20 Sportsman ET top five qualifiers after session 2:
Big changes to the top five as Tanya Partridge, Martin Lewis and Paul Webster all moved in and Keith Crampton improved against dial-in. Trackside conditions are 22.5 C, 60% humidity and 29.59 inches of air. 12:10 9.50 Bike top five qualifiers after session 2:
Super Street Bike racer Chris Reed took over the lead, and Paul Hambidge took second, whilst Phil Pratt improved and leapfrogged Paul Coombs only for Steve Knapp to improve and bump him down to sixth; Andy Bird then moved into third and pushed them both down another spot. Steve Venables now leads the naughtiness with an 7.921/183.55 from his Super Street Bike. 11:55 Super Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 2:
Big changes to the top five in this session as John Sleath took over the lead in his street-legal Audi, Martyn Jones came in at third and Mark Flavell fifth. 11:35 Super Comp top five qualifiers after session 2:
Zane improved his ET to consolidate his lead. Chris Johnson took second spot with the first run of the session whilst Robert Joosten clocked a 0.002 RT and moved up to third. 11:35 Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 2:
Darren Hulkes took over the lead in this session as the field started to bunch up. Chris Hodgkins moved up to third, and on the very next pass Carl Burton also went +0.008 to move into the top five at fourth. 11:15 Junior Dragster top five qualifiers after session 1:
That's the end of cycle 1, we're now back into cycle 2 with the second session of Pro ET. 11:05 Super Street top five qualifiers after session 1:
Bob Lees and Paul Marston clocked 0.001 RTs in this session. Comp Eliminator top qualifier after session 1:
11:00 Sportsman ET top five qualifiers after session 1:
Super Gas top five qualifiers after session 1:
Mark O'Halloran and Pete Creswell ran side-by-side 10.017s in this session. 10:45 9.50 Bike top five qualifiers after session 1:
Something has gone very wrong here, we have three breakouts after this session and only one of them is a Super Street Bike, Brad O'Connor at 8.648/162.89. The other four SSBs which ran in this session hit problems and they are all on the right side of the index! Must try harder... 10:25 Super Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 1:
Pat Talbot had a tilt at the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award with a 0.002 reaction time in this session. 10:00 Pro ET top five qualifiers after session 1:
The top seven qualifiers are separated by 0.099 seconds. Super Comp top five qualifiers after session 1:
Malcolm Francis achieved his ambition of running a seven in the Airsea Logistics Grand Am with a very naughty 7.756/173.76 in this session...get that man a 9.50 Bike! Trackside conditions right now are 20.3 C, 68% humidity, and 29.59 inches of air. 8:00 Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway for day one of qualifying for the FIA European Finals. The Sportsman racers come to the fore today 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 broadcasting a picture every two minutes. Even as I type, Simon is on his way to the pits collecting his first tranche of pit notes; you can stay in touch with the word from the pits via the Event Index page. It's a very nice, sunny morning here at Santa Pod. The weather station sensor has just gone outside so stay tuned for the trackside conditions. This morning your reporter must say a big Thank You to Nev and Libby Mottershead, who fed and watered me last night and also allowed me to use their camper as an office to prepare today's Eurodragster.com News update which as you have probably noticed was quite substantial. Nev and Libby's camper beat the pants off the front seat of my Ford Fiesta as a newsdesk (especially since that same front seat is also my bed for the weekend) and I am very grateful indeed to them. A big Hello to Viveca and Håkan Averstedt who are tuned in from the USA. Viveca tells us that business is keeping them in the USA but that she will be tuned in to this weekend's coverage. Hope you enjoy it from afar guys and wish you were here. Hello also to weather station sensor donor Martin Wilson who we know is tuned in - we'll have those stats for you shortly Martin. Finally, Hi to everyone who wishes that they were here but can't get the time off work, we'll do the best we can to keep you plugged in. One piece of news we have had confirmed this morning is that the Top Fuel field is one short as the Wright Racing Top Fuel team have had to withdraw. We also heard yesterday that one of the Pro Mod teams missed the ferry, we'll see what Simon can find out about that. The plan for today is, as ever with Sportsman qualifying, to track the top five in each class throughout the day. Officially we have four complete cycles of qualifying scheduled but I understand that if all runs smoothly then a fifth cycle may be added. Qualifying starts at 9:30, so tune back then and we will start to bring you all the action. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |