2006 FIA Main Event
Friday (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 22:50 We have now posted today's pictures, which you can view from the event index page. If you do not see the pictures when you load the Gallery page, click on your Browser's Refresh button. Simon has also as promised spoken to Håkan Nilsson about his newly-gained Top Fuel licence as well as to Ian Hanson about his 'Vette. We'll be back in the morning with all the news from day two of qualifying including the first two rounds of Pro qualifying. 20:00 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 3:
No changes in standings in the top five, but Graham Fairhead improved. That's qualifying done for today, a big shout to the track crew for getting the track dry and the race and track crew and the racers for getting through three complete cycles on a late start. Well done guys. Sharkman is working on today's pictures, which will be a couple of hours, and Simon has gone to visit Håkan Nilsson for comments about his last licence pass, so stay tuned as we have more for you yet. 19:55 Super Street qualifying top five after session 3:
Bob Lees took over the lead in this session, and we have some sibling rivalry again with Neil Grant moving into #3 just below brother John! Simon Cooper and Martyn Sanger both improved. The top ten qualifiers are in the 10.9s. 19:50 Håkan Nilsson's third Top Fuel Dragster licencing pass of the day was a real cracker. A nice burnout, then Håkan hit the pedal just as the lights ran pulling a -0.400 red light, but then he got off the throttle for a brief moment and then hit it again. No shake this time, a perfect-looking run. 5.947/288.40 came up on the board but Andy Marrs of the timing crew reckons that from the sixty foot time of 1.88 one second should be taken off the ET for the double hit of the throttleso theres' a very high four or a flat five. Håkan clocked 247.42 mph at half track. There was a big cloud of smoke at the top end, but the engine was still running so it probably looked worse than it was. Race Director Darren Prentice has confirmed that Håkan has won his licence, well done Håkan! 19:45 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 3:
Stuart Morrice moved into the top five at #4. The top twelve qualifiers are in the 9.9s. Next up is Håkan Nilsson on another Top Fuel Dragster licencing pass. 19:35 Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 3:
Anna Stanley improved and moved up to #4 spot on an identical RT to Ross Norris, then in the next pairing Ross moved up to #2. Nick Mugridge then clocked the second 0.000 RT of the day, both in Junior Dragster, Nick takes #1 spot on the fourth digit. Well done Nick! We're guessing that Franziska Friesch ran a personal best in this session, judging by the reaction of her mum, 14.710/40.36, well done Franziska! 19:20 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 3:
No changes to the top five in this session. Steve Mead evidently felt secure in #1 spot as he stretched the envelope a bit on his 'Busa, 9.210/151.56 this time around! 19:05 Nick Davies followed Super Pro ET with a demonstration in the Havoc blown-alcohol altered. Another tremendous burnout to fog the start line and then 7.297/191.47, a new best for the car on a far from straight run and again with feathers of the throttle. No chutes and then a cloud of dust betrayed a trip into the field at the end of the shutdown area. Nick is quite OK and the car stayed upright. 18:55 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
What a session! Steve Johnson moved into the top five at #4 spot at that point, then Nick Spence took over the lead and moved Steve down to fifth and then Ian Tubb went into #4 spot and bumped Steve to sixth. One pairing later Nigel Payne moved into #3 spot, as with Andy Kirk that's a great performance from Nigel as he usually races in Super Modified and so races heads-up and to a Pro tree. Also notable in this session was Ian Hanson's 7.639/175.03 in his beautiful new 'Vette, Ian got a handle on that car real quick! 18:35 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 3:
Jens Riehl moved into the top five at #5. The top twelve qualifiers are now in the 8.9s. 18:30 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
Lance Richards took over the lead in this session and Neil Hunter moved into the top five at #5, then in the very last run of the session Nick Good moved into #2 spot bumping Neil down. 18:10 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Sandie Gibb moved into #3 spot and Anna Metcalfe #5 in this session. Trackside conditions at the end of Sportsman ET were 18.8 C, 46% humidity and 30.00 inches of air. Track temperature at 300 feet was 25.3. We're now going into qualifying cycle 3. 18:05 Super Street qualifying top five after session 2:
No changes to the top five in this session. 18:00 Håkan Nilsson's latest Top Fuel Dragster licencing pass was an early shut off 10.326/74.11 after the tyres again began to shake at about forty feet. 0.915 to sixty feet, Håkan pedalled very nicely and gave it another go, but the tyres shook again and Håkan got off the throttle. Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 2:
Ross Norris moved up to #3 spot in this session, then Holly Mitchell moved into #5 spot in the next pairing. A couple of pairings later Scott Hauser took the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award and the #1 spot, well done Scott! If you're coming here this weekend then keep an eye out for Jessica Selles or more accurately her crew who I believe is her cousin - this young girl has got all the moves on the start line including a glance across at the other lane before letting Jessica into stage, pointing to the Tree after pre-stage, and crouching down on one knee to watch the launch. A star in the making there! 17:45 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 2:
Tim Adam took over the lead in the first pair of this session, only a perfect run will take the #1 spot now. In the next pairing Woulter van Leersum moved into fifth whilst Matt Gatland in the other lane pulled a 0.001 reaction time. Steve Dunn then moved into the top five at #3 at that point, moving Woulter down to #6 ad Peter Lane improved but stayed in place. The top eight qualifiers are in the 9.9s. Next up is Håkan Nilsson on another Top Fuel Dragster licencing pass. 17:35 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 2:
Geoff Connor went into the 9.5s and #4 spot at that point, then Richard Swatzki entered the top five at #5 pushing Geoff down to #6. In the very last pass of the session, a bye run, Steve Mead aka Copperhead took the lead at his first National Championship event, well done Steve! Dave Hall clocked a 0.002 reaction time on a 9.919 pass. The top seven qualifiers are in the 9.5s. 17:30 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Ian Tubb improved to #3 spot in this session and in the next pairing Nigel Turner took over the lead from his previous fifth spot. One pairing later Martin Curbishley took over the lead. Nick Spence moved into fourth, and Super Modified racer Andy Kirk moved into the top five towards the end of the session, +0.049, that's a very good performance from a Super Mod racer since the car usually runs heads-up and to a Pro Tree, well done Andy! Steve Green pulled a wild burnout in his Cortina, going for the Tree then the guardrail, his tyre marks described a big S on the track - S for Steve we guess! Ian Hanson also made headlines with a 7.718 on an 8.50 dial-in in his beautiful new 'Vette, in the other lane Dennis Habermann shut off way early but clocked 8.200 on an 8.50! 17:05 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 2:
Mark Fairhurst moved into the top five in the first pairing in this session, only to be bumped down a spot when Andy Williams took over the lead a few pairings later. In the very next pair Eurodragster.com sponsor Malcolm Francis took the lead from Andy by a thousandth. Then Jon Morton moved into #3 spot a couple of pairings later and in the very last run of the session Eurodragster.com sponsor Belinda Bull took over the lead, well done Belinda! Paul Ingar Udtian's original #1 run is now only good for fifth. The top nine qualifiers are in the 8.9s. Sami Saapola followed up with a Pro Mod licencing pass, our first look at Sami's Chevy Business Coupe and it's a lovely piece of work. Sami pulled a great burnout, on the green a 0.193 reaction and then the tyres really started to shake at twenty or so feet, the car going way out of shape. Sami pedalled and then got back on the throttle, 9.605/128.28 at the stripe. 16:55 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Malcolm Motler and Dave Ward moved into the top five in this session at #3 and #4 at that point, then Kev Slyfield moved into #5 a few pairings later. Steve Bolton then moved back in to the top five at #2, and in the next pairing Paul Marston took over #1 spot. Mike Lacey clocked what 10.065 in this session, we think a PB, well done Mike! Trackside conditions at the end of Super Pro ET were 18.2 C, 49% humidity, and 30.00 inches of air. Track temperature at 300 feet was 23.4 C. 16:35 Nick Davies kicked off the demo session with a 150-foot burnout and then a 7.623/178.58 in the Havoc blown-alcohol altered. A great run for Nick with a couple of light feathers of the throttle as the car bounced a little. Martin Hill was next up in the Fireforce 3 Jet Funny Car, a great flame and smoke show and then a 6.563/243.63 on the throttle to about 1000 feet. 16:25 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 1:
That's the end of qualifying cycle 1, now we have the Havoc altered and the Fireforce 3 Jet FC. 16:15 Super Street qualifying top five after session 1:
16:10 Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 1:
16:00 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 1:
Brendan Clancy pulled a 0.001 RT in this session. 15:50 9.50 Bike qualifying top five after session 1:
Super Street Bike racer Ade Lockley first into the 9.5s and #1 spot taking the long way round. Fellow SSB racer Chris Reed is on Martin Walker's old 9.50 Bike and also went into the 9.5s on his birthday, happy birthday Boisy! There was a big cloud of smoke from Chris Jones' bike from half track, I feared Chris and the bike might come out of the cloud seperately but all was OK and nothing found on the track. Graham Dance holds the naughtiness record so far at 7.942/177.26. 15:35 Håkan Nilsson's Top Fuel licencing pass in the Veidec/Landmeco dragster was a 13.242/49.50. A nice controlled burnout and then on the green 0.149 reaction, 0.911 to sixty feet but the tyres had already started to shake at about forty feet and Håkan was off the throttle at about seventy feet. Ray White followed with a Pro Mod licencing pass in what Graham Beckwith described as "The world's most scary car made out of licorice", this run scheduled for a half pass. The burnout was just fine, 1.458 to sixty feet and 5.906/114.24 to half track, 10.609/82.40 at the stripe and both 'chutes out. 15:25 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
John Tebenham clocked 7.902 on a 7.98 dial-in during this session but then left oil in the shutdown area. Trackside conditions during the oil clean-up were 17.4 C, 59% humidity and 29.97 inches of air. Track temperature on the start line was 21.3 C Next up are Håkan Nilsson on a Top Fuel licencing pass and Ray White on a Pro Mod lcencing pass. 13:35 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 1:
Brian Pateman's car looks very nice in a new red paintscheme. Trackside conditions at the end of Super Comp were 17.5 C, 60% humidity, and 29.91 inches of air, and track temperature was 23.6 C. 13:20 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
12:15 Pro ET are lined up in the pairing lanes for their first qualifying session, we will be on our way very shortly. As well as Sportsman qualifying today we will be seeing Håkan Nilsson on a Top Fuel licencing pass, and Sami Saapola and Ray White on Pro Mod licencing passes. Trackside conditions are 18.1 C, 57% humidity, and 29.88 inches of air. Track temperature on the start line is 25.7 C. 10:30 The track crew are doing their usual great job and the track is coming round, the timing crew are setting up the cells, and the sky is brightening up just as the forecast said. The shutdown area is getting particular attention right now. Pat and Stephen Talbot of Super Pro ET team Talbot Racing have asked us to say a big Thank You to Nick Davies and Rob Loaring at ICE Automotive, Jason, Mike and Tony at home, and John and Kayleigh for their help, as the Talbot Racing dragster would not be here without it. Consider yourselves thanked, guys, nice work. 8:30 Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway. It's day one of qualifying for the FIA Main Event 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 broadcasting a picture every two minutes. A big Good Morning to everyone who is reading this from their office this morning, who either had to work or couldn't pull a sickie. Simon will be on his way to the pits very shortly so stay tuned to the Pit Notes pages to see what he finds out. It was a beautiful day yesterday but not so today, some rain came in overnight and so at the moment we have a wet track. The forecast is optimistic and the track crew are poised to spring into action so stay tuned and as soon as things get moving we will let you know. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |