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18:15

Super Pro ET racer Pat Talbot asked us to say a big Thank You to Nigel Turner, Crunch and Scott, and Tony and Jason in Sandbach for their help after Pat hit truly vicious tyre shake earlier on today. "The shake rearranged a lot of things", said Pat. An EGT sensor came off the headers but took an inch-square piece of header with it, it chucked nitrous bits about. I was thinking about getting off the throttle but then it stopped anyway. I thought it had broken something, I walked round to the kill switch but it was already off! So that's why it stopped."

Team Breakout's Chris Jones delivered on his promise to bring us notes from the 9.50 Bike pits. Over to Chris:

First bout for the day and yes! The sun is shining without a hint of the damp stuff. It's a packed field with a good contingent from foreign shores up for the 9.5 crown this weekend.

Everybody setting themselves up for the weekend. Andy Bird, currently #1 in the Championship, abstaining from the Pukka Pies for a week (so he says) "sets the bar" with a 9.53 #1 qualifier in the first round. Andy however was unaware that there is actually an aerial display this weekend and attempted a flight of his own, with several wheelies in his second run.

Lucky for Andy, Richard Sawatzki needs to remove a plug cap, breaking out on both runs, with Richard shortening the gap from the last round (#2 spot in the championship) and a real shot at taking it should things go his way, has it all to do at this stage of the game. Ed Smiley finds himself searching for the 9.5 button running a 9.69 backed with a 10.01 with plenty of airborne action. This being in stark contrast to his recent performances.

Round 2 saw a cracking 9.5003 time from Andy Haley on his Hyabusa (aspirated), well done mate, and of course moves well and truly in the #1 spot, take that! Geoff Conner (Team Breakout), experiencing clutch problems yet again, has only run one qualifier given that once all the cider was packed up he neglected that other important attribute for drag racing - gloves, helmet and leathers, and thus took the return trip home to collect the necessary. Well done to Shaun Spiers running a 9.56 Personal Best on his Busa, does this then mean a life in the shed for the old Katana?

Third round and I'm a happy camper! Been bedding in a newly built motor on the old R1 (Who said you can't drag race that?) following the blow up at the Main Event. Ran a 9.57 with just a squeeze of gas at the end! No plumes of smoke, no large bangs or legs covered in oil, it's like a different world. Boss (Richard Hann) runs a 9.52 after tweaking the clutch, it's real grippy out there and pulls even our engines down. Richard Sawatzki qualifies with a 9.57 eventually, best keep that plug cap off!

Fourth round and and the old R1 broke out, 9.47, I�m now a fully paid-up member of Team Breakout, just need to develop a taste for cider and I'm in. Meanwhile Ed Smiley is back to earlier times, running 9.6s with lots of wheelspin. Andy Bird managed a 9.51 which sticks him in at #2. Shaun improved his personal best with 9.53 it just gets better.

Richard Sawatzki continues to run in the 9.4 class, maybe another plug cap removal may be in order but he assures us he has a plan. Carl Atkinson ran 9.7s and 9.8s all through qualifying, goes on to say he almost achieved his ambition of a quarter mile wheelie, maybe next time.

That's it for Thursday�s events. On to the night time festivities, all are welcome down the 9.5 camp, see everybody tomorrow.

8:30

The UK National Super Comp Championship is ultra-tight with Paul Knight, Andrew Williams, Chris Johnson and Shaun Lathan within 100 points of one another. Stuart Doignie and Ron Bartlett are listed in this class for the first time. Welcome back to Marck Harteveld from Holland in the green Plymouth Roadrunner 'Hemi Runner' with a massive 636 ci under the hood of the heavy but handsome beast.

Tim Adam is well ahead in the Super Gas Championship. There are no less than eight cars doing double duty between Super Comp and Super Gas, a new record. They are Tim Adam, Dave Day, Jon Morton, Brian Pateman, Peter Creswell, Stuart Doignie, and Eurodragster.com Home and News Sponsor Malcolm Francis. Not doing double duty is Matt Gatland, who must be concentrating on catching Tim in the Championship!

Top runners in the Super Street Championship are John Grant, Bob Lees and Leigh Morris. Now get this: Tim Adam is doing triple duty with the Brogie Roadster in 'Gas and 'Comp and the Blitzkrieg Falcon in 'Street! Using two cars reduces the risk of overheating on the way round, but will Tim be giddy from driving round the facility up to a potential forty two times? Ful Lievaart from Holland is back with his entertaining Chevrolet Bel Air 'Big Bertha' with 509 ci under the hood.

Martyn Jones, Nick Spence, Barry Giles and Steve Johnson are the main Super Pro ET Championship contenders, which makes it three for age and one for cunning. This event is the class début for the Dodge Viper of Chris Orthodoxou and '63 Vette of Wayne Nicholson. Welcome back to long-term class absentees Paul Jackson in the rapid VW-engined digger, Joran Persåker in the twin turbo Camaro (which is capable of sixes), and Al 'Reach For the Sky' Golding in his wheelstanding Firenza. A new name to us is Martin Hermus from Holland in a Model T Altered.

In Pro ET Lee Huxley, Gary Springford, Kevin Slyfield and John Atkinson are the main Championship contenders. A name well-known to Wild Bunch fans but new to the class is Martin Holgate of Blackburn in the historic '33 Plymouth Comp Altered Paranoia powered by Jaguar and formerly run by Thomas and Loten. And welcome to visitors from Holland Rubert Enjoem (Fastfish Plymouth Barracuda), Roel van den Hout(Papichulo Plymouth Roadrunner) and regular visitor Paul Vrind (Little Mean Chickie Vauxhall Chevette). A special welcome to Anders 'Bostic' Envall from Sweden in his street-driven blown 'Blackout' Chevrolet Impala, holder of the caravan-towing ET record!

Sportsman ET has a tight Championship between Brian Huxley, Nick Gay, Geoff Cowley and Ian Petrie. Welcome to Jean Freese ('Stout Mouse' Chevrolet El Camino) and Sven Zijlstra ('Black Mouse') Chevrolet Malibu from Holland. A début for Teresa Letchford too in a Camaro.

In Junior Dragster Scott Hauser and Nicholas Mugridge are a few rounds ahead of Anna Stanley and Lottie Watts. Welcome to visitors Jennifer Gustafsson, Ludvig Peres and Kristoffer Kadi from Sweden, who will be pitting with associated teams Michael Malmgren, Mats Eriksson and Urs Erbacher.

In 9.50 Bike, Andy Bird and Richard Sawatzki are some way in front of third and fourth placed Steve Coombs and Martin Walker. Welcome back to defending champion Fred Furlong who will be returning after his spill at the FIA Main Event.

There are four visitors from Sweden in 9.50 Bike, all riding Hyabusas: Anders Gronwall, Joakim Segerberg, Jonas Mohren and Christer Holmberg...and for naughtiness look no further than Steve Venables, Wayne Bradley, Graham Dance and Ivan Birch.