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16:30

Street Eliminator competitor Jeff Meads has made a return to the track after 21 months out. He said "During the World Street Race, the Pop did several huge wheelies and we ended up adding 50kg of lead to the front axle and still ran an 8.5. However when we got home we pulled the car apart and discovered the chassis was too bent to continue with, so we built a new chrome moly chassis and converted the car to be left hand drive. The work was done at our own workshops with a lot of help from Danny Bates, who works at Adrenaline Racing and crews with Steve Pateman. The car now runs much straighter and no longer travels down the strip in an arc. We've not used the gas yet and want to hook up fully before we use nitrous. There have been some teething troubles and the shift light has stopped working, and we can't locate the cause. The engine is a 500ci big block Chevy and the trans is still a Powerglide 2-speed". Although he runs unsponsored Jeff is very grateful to crew members Paul Root and Paul Webster "Without whom the car wouldn't be here". Jeff runs his own garage at Westcliffe-ON-Sea near Southend and can turn his hands from car mechanics to weldiing and even car painting.

The next World Street Race is being held in Canada in 2008 and British participation will be organised by Andy Frost.

Mark Pointer has a new Lenco and clutch transmission combination designed to help combat the gearbox breakage that plagued his 2006 season. He said 'This will enable us to use more boost from our ProCharger blower', he said. The engine has been freshened, with new pistons and reworked rods, help coming from Trevor at B&H Autokraft. Team help comes from Duncan and Sharon. Mark's dial-in for Super Pro is 7.36 - he said "to be honest that was what we set it at for the National Finals but we broke the transmission running a PB of 7.41 on our previous run". This is the unofficial quickest ever by an Outlaw Anglia car, Paul Wright having run a PB of 7.49 at the Halloween Showdown at SCR (with a higher speed of 190+).

Rod Harrison is full of praise for the hospitality in the pits at Santa Pod. It's his first competitive drag race meeting but he has had 18 years of experience in tractor pulling, winning the UK championship ten times in a row. "Everyone in Super Pro has been friendly and offered any help that we might need", he said. What attracted Rod to Drag Racing is the greater number of opportunities to run at a race weekend, whereas a single run that didn't qualify in tractor pulling cwould under revised rules have spelt the end of the weekend.

Rod said that whilst the motors are generally the same for tractor pulling and drag racing there are some important differences. "The cam and the timing are different, because of the wider rev range that we use in drag racing, compared with tractor pulling where we can run for 18-20 seconds but at a constant 8,000 rpm. Also we have to change rods and pistons more frequently as a result of the longer running period. Rod's son Karl builds the engines and has had four years of experience with V8 engine builder Egbert Dross in Dronten, Holland. The motor is a 540ci big block with an 8-71 Littlefield blower and an Enderle 'Big & Ugly' injector hat. On the second pass Rod ran his best of 7.4 on a breakout. "All my thanks go to Karl and my wife Kim and also to crewmen Steve and Tom".

Rod's introduction to driving the dragster came at a rwyb where previous owner Martin Curbishley spent the day showing Rod how to drive the car. The plan is for Rod to race at SPR events and for daughter Kerry who has driven tractor pullers to license and race at the Ultimate Power Series at SCR.

Wayne Nicholson's weekend started to come good on his second pass where he ran a 8.00/177 while pedalling the Split Window 'Vette down the track. The 60 foot was a 1.10. The car was built by Webster Race Engineering and runs a blown 396ci small block. Thanks go to Dennis, Luke and Brian, wife Belinda and sons Gareth and Joe. Whilst the car is running in Super Pro, the chassis is eligible for Pro Modified and Wayne is considering making the change this year.

Spencer Tramm had an excellent day in his new classes of Super Pro ET and Competition Eliminator (B/A). With a new Jeff Bull 555ci engine, Spencer ran 8.6s at 156mph and will improve on this as the 60ft time and shift points are optimised.

The Super Mod ranks are having a round of musical crews as Steve Rawlings is assisting Fred Hone on his return to competition (Fred having helped Jerry Charles in 2006). Steve's crew chief Mick Slocome is working for 2007 with Paul Manders' team. Steve's plans, following the sale of his Toyota to a Jap Series racer (who will run it with a Toyota motors rumoured to be producing 800hp and 1200hp respectively) will be announced on Eurodragster in due course.

Fred Hone said jokingly the reason he returned to competition was because he "heard a rumour that Paul Marston was entering Super Mod". Out has gone the Powerglide and in its place a clutch and Lenco have been installed to get the car deeper into the sevens. The motor in the Ford Scorpio remains a 461ci big block Chevy with Brodix heads, Holley carbs and nitrous. Andy Robinson Race Cars completed the chassis updating. Get well soon wishes go to crew chief Mick Coombs who is suffering with 'flu. Andy Minor is the other regular crew member.

Chris 'Cannon' Hannam is assisting Neil Midgley who is riding the ex-Cannon and ex-Tom Perry Funny Bike. The bike ran a best of 6.60/215 in the US and the intention is to better those numbers. The immediate need is to get the clutch and power combination right. Cannon said "The clutch is operated by an electronic button that operates an air solenoid, and then once this is operated it should then engage progressively like a Fuel Bike's centrifugal clutch. The centrifugal engagement is happening too suddenly with the result that after a great 60ft time the bike spins the tyre". Other potential adjustments are to the wheelie bar and there is a choice of two tyres M/T and Goodyear. Neil's previous bike was sold by Cannon to a Streetfighters racer who will get used to the extra power by running it at rwyb events.

14:30

Jon Webster, who was interviewed by Graham Beckwith, said "I am looking after about half of the Street Eliminator field, but am spending more time with Pete Smith, who has a new car upgraded from last year and is getting used to it. There have been so many cars to set up that we have not run our own so far this weekend, but hope to do one qualifier today. The cars in Street Eliminator have to pass all requirements for legal road running and that is the limiting factor. Engine modifications are unlimited but if the car can't complete the 30-mile cruise, you won't be eligible for racing.

"I'm really excited about going back into Top Fuel with the McDonald brothers. I had an opportunity to race with Peter Knight and thought that it was a one off when that came to an end, but this is another such opportunity. The aim is to make the car competitive while running it with continuity, as we want to attract a big sponsor. So I will be operating as a test pilot and will be driving it sympathetically to avoid breakage.

Out of the car the team will definitely notice the change in personality of the driver. Smax will be sorely missed but I will work with the team to get the car out again this year. The preparation for a Top Fuel team is very time consuming and involves a lot of logistics. If you want to win the championship you need to have three or four team members working full time, preparing parts and so on. The energy on the run is what keeps the team going. Gary Page said "You can't put it into words" and he's right.

12:00

Vince Pinhorn who crews for Dave Day said that Martin Curbishley was running the oil sump from his dragster (now owned and driven by Rod Harrison) and this resulted in low oil pressure. Martin has had several offers of help to replace it and is now on his way back home to collect another sump. Vince mentioned he is helping Simon Farmer in his planned return to Super Mod later this year with a '69 Mustang and Lenco trans. "Although the engine is basically the same as that in the Nova the Lenco and clutch setup will enable it to leave the line more quickly, and the new car will be lighter than the Nova which was about 300lb over the limit".

Jon Morton had a surprise when the front valance came off on his qualifying run in Super Comp. "Thanks to Chalky and Dan for the repair job", said Jon. The car will be making the trip to Scandinavia this summer where Jon will race at the big races in Sweden and Norway. "It's my first time racing in Scandinavia since 1995, where I ran a Funny Bike."

Paul Letchford is in a two car team with wife Theresa in Sportsman ET and himself in Super Comp, with a pair of '68 Camaros. Paul said "I built the 509ci engine myself. The car was built in 1989 by hot rod builder Kevin Cerasale. The Turbo 400 trans enables it to out-sixty foot every car in the class apart from the Wild Child dragster. Paul runs Axle-Services.com in Watford, Herts and can be reached on 01923 230085. "Running the car is entirely out of our own pocket and we're grateful to our crew Dave and Grant". Those who study the sport's history will be interested to know that Paul is the nephew of Alan Ing, who raced at Santa Pod in the early days in an Allard Dragon four cylinder Ford powered slingshot. "I was a five year old in 1966 when Alan won the race here. He jumped the fence in celebration and I followed suit but was held back and I wasn't happy", said Paul.

11:00

Good Morning and welcome to pit notes on Good Friday at the Auto Trader Easter Thunderball 2007. The track conditions are just about perfect and we've the prospect of three cycles of sportsman qualifying today, with one set of runs from the NFAA and Jet FC and stunt demos as well. First up is a get well soon message for Shark, who's been poorly and is missing this weekend's race. Get well soon buddy.

We're part of the way through the first qualifying session, with Pro ET, Super Pro and Super Comp having run. There's been a short break while a leakage from a VW Alternate was cleaned up, and now we're back with Sportsman ET.

Derek Flynn of Gold RV Racing tells us that conditions permitting, he will run his licensing half-pass today, so we'll have a chance to see the brand new Gold RV Top Methanol Dragster on track for the first time.

10:00

Paul Spiers has moved up to Super Gas, following about 300 hours of work on the Camaro. "My thanks go to Mark Ramplee and Curtis Osborne for all their help", said Paul. "Jeff Bull rebuilt the engine and raised the compression ratio from 9:1 to 13:1 and now the motor runs on C12. Mark Ramplee did the fabrication on the 'chute unit and aligned the front axle. Andy Robinson fitted the new rear axle and my sponsor Auto Gearboxes (Poole) prepared the Powerglide. Our team is now called Wessex Racing and includes crew chief Steve Wareham, my wife Susan and other family members Zoe and Sarah and my grandson". Paul ran a 9.96 with one second of throttle stop applied and the engine is making around 760-800 hp.

Phil Bennett is back with his self-built Super Comp dragster. Phil, who runs the paint shop at Red Bull Racing's factory in Milton Keynes, did all the fabrication work with help from Geof Hauser on panelling and Andy Robinson on small components. The engine is a 355ci Small Block Chevy with a 'Flying Toilet' which Phil described as the 'poor man's injection system'. The car has run a best of 8.6 and Phil plans he will be competing in all rounds the National Championship. His crew consists of wife Jill. Birthday greetings for yesterday go to son Darryl Bennett and we also understand it was Super Pro racer Steve Green's birthday yesterday. We hope you had a great day, guys.

Steve Wells has placed an Enderle injection system on top of the blower on his Pop pick-up. He joked after an aborted first qualifying pass: "It ran like a dream last weekend and ran like a nightmare this weekend - if it sounded like a fuel altered last time, it sounds like a lawnmower now". Results in testing were encouraging, with a 9.88 on a three-quarters pass with a soft launch. This compares to a best of 9.70 with the old carburettor setup and the target is low nines. "The problem is that it is choking with fuel and won't rev to more than 3200 under power", said Steve. The car, which Steve has raced since 1994 as a Street Rover and has built himself, is sponsored by exhaustwrapshop.com, a firm that provides heat protection products, including one branded CyO2. Help at the track for Steve, who is a carpenter by trade, comes from wife Jayne.