2008 Auto Trader Easter Thunderball
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 21:10 Today's pictures are now posted, you can view them via the Event Index. Tune back tomorrow and we'll bring you all the news from day two of qualifying. 18:40 Kev Slyfield followed Sportsman ET with a in his Willys Pro Mod. A great launch, 1.1115 to sixty feet but the car was not going straight. One pedal and then off it, 15.8393/48.12 at the stripe. Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 3:
Anna Stanley into #2 spot in the first pairing. Two pairings later Scott Hauser split the all-girl triumvirate at the top, moving into #3 spot. Matt Seamarks then continued the fightback for the male of the species by taking #1 spot with three zeroes, well done Matthew! Super Modified qualifying after session 2:
Only Rob Smallworth turned out for this session and he went into #3 spot, a great run for the conditions. A little turn of the tyres off the line so plenty more left. That's qualifying for today, stay tund and we'll bring you today's pictures soon. 18:15 Wild Bunch qualifying after session 3:
Only Chris Hartnell turned out for this session and it was well worth it as he took over the lead. Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 3:
Geoff Cowley into #2 spot in the second pairing of the session. Lee Hollis with his huge pick-up moved into #2 spot a couple of pairings later. 18:05 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 3:
No changes to the top five in this session. B&H Automotive Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 3:
Jon Webster improved his ET but stayed in place, and Mark Perkins came into the top five at #4 in the last run of the session. Simon has updated today's pit notes again so be sure to check those out via the Event Index page. 17:50 On the restart, Dennis Habermann made his first pass in the Top Methanol Dragster formerly driven by brother Timo. A very competent burnout and then 1.2503 to sixty feet, 4.7206/155.49 at half track and 7.8236/129.79 at the stripe. Nice one Dennis! Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
An improvement for Steve Saunders but he stayed in place at that point. Next pairing and Nigel Turner moved up to #3. A good Reaction Time of 0.0460 for Eurodragster.com News sponsor Peter Walters on his latest observed run, although the car sounded to be misfiring and had a couple of cylinders out. Another change to the top five in the following pairing as Martyin Jones came in at #3. Chris Isaacs made his first outing of the weekend in Spencer Tramm's Corrado, tyres spun at the hit and 10.9728 on an 8.90 dial-in. Word has come from the Race Director that there will not be any bike qualifying today because of the side wind. Trackside conditions are 5.6 C, 65% humidity and 977 mB of air, track temperature is 4.5 C. 15:15 VW Alternate Engine qualifying top five after session 3:
Scott Evison took over the lead and got close to perfect. Andy Raw broke out big time in this session with a PB 9.7636, well done Andy! Dave Bridges into the top five at #4. Super Pro ET session 3 had just started when it began to rain. Stay tuned. 15:05 Pro Modified test and tune Wayne Nicholson 11.8454/66.54 bye, Mats Eriksson 20.8422/51.46 bye Given the stiff wind the Pro Mod and NFAA qualifiers were cancelled and the racers have been given the opportunity to make half passes for test and tune. Wayne clocked 1.1980 and was off the throttle before half track. Mats' tyres spun at the hit. Super Comp qualifying top five after session 3:
Malcolm Francis into the top five at #3 in the second pairing of the session. Next up was Pete Cresswell consolidating his #1 spot with an improvement and coming closer to a perfect run. In the last pairing Chris Isaacs moved up to #2 and Mark Fairhurst improved but was bumped down a spot by Chris. Super Street qualifying top five after session 3:
John Grant into the top five at #4 in the fourth pairing. In the next pairing Bob Lees clocked another 10.90 at 10.9090. In the very next pass Dave Cherrett took over the lead. Trackside conditions are 9.2 C, 55% humidity and 977 mB of air, track temperature is 9.4 C. 14:55 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 3:
Charlie Chivers took over the lead in the second pairing of the session, bumping down John Atkinson who broke out and went into the eights with an 8.9437, well done John! This season's aim achieved in three rounds of qualifying. In the next pairing Phil Toppin made his first competitive run in his altered and clocked 9.3765 on a 9.50 dial-in. Late on in the session Gino Bernadine took over #1 spot getting close to the Eurodragster.com/Gold RV Perfect ET Award. VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 3:
Spencer Tramm went into #2 spot in the first pairing but was then bumped down by Dave Bridge. In the last but one pairing Chris Bray took #5 spot. 14:30 Super Modified qualifying after session 2:
Andy Kirk took the lead with his first run of the weekend. Tim Garlick improved but stayed in place. Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 2:
Scott Hauser up a spot to #4 in the first pairing of the session. Rhiannon Bellenie took over the lead in the second pairing. Zak Johnson improved but stayed in #3 spot at that point. Trackside conditions are 8.8 C, 54% humidity, 976 mB of air and track temperature is 16.0 C. 14:20 Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Don Brittain took over the lead in the third pairing of the session, a few seconds later Nigel Holland took it over. Steve Unsworth moved into the top five at #5 at that point. In the last pairing of the session Brian Huxley came into the top five at #4. 14:15 Wild Bunch qualifying after session 2:
Chris Hartnell into #2 spot in the first pairing of the session. Drama before the second pairing as the Chemical Reaction slingshot drove over the front of Terry Clifford's Ratcatcher Resurrection and then into the front of the garage coming out of the collection area. Darryl Howells and Terry are quite OK, the front of the slingshot is pretty badly damaged. I was typing at the time so didn't see what happened, so I won't speculate. 14:00 B&H Automotive Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 2:
An improvement for Steve Pateman put him into #3 spot and bumped Jeff Meads down a spot at that point. Steve Nash took over the #1 spot in the last pairing of the session. 13:55 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 2:
Malcolm Francis was briefly into the top five at #4 in the third pairing of the session. In the next pairing Pete Cresswell came into the top five at #2. Next into the top five was Stuart Morrice, in at #5 at that point. In the final run of the session Jon Morton took a bye into #3 spot. 13:45 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Several changes to the top five, Simon Rowland into #1 spot and Ashley Bell in at #2, Nigel Turner in at #3. Steve Saunders was #1 for a few moments but quickly got bumped down to now #4 then #5. Paula Atkin took over the lead in the last but one pass of the session. We got our first look at Brendan Clancy's newly-acquired 'Vette in this session, a very nice-looking car. Also a real looker is Mark Flavell's Funny Car Super Street qualifying top five after session 2:
VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 2:
VW Alternate Engine qualifying top five after session 2:
VW Pro qualifying after session 2:
13:15 Our apologies for the webcam over-exposing, right now we can't do anything much about it but as soon as we can, we will. Martin Hill followed Super Comp with a 6.2860/187.66 in the Fireforce 3 Jet Funny Car. Martin very wisely backed off and had the chute out at about 1000 feet. That was quite some run, though, 194.97 mph at half track. 13:05 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 2:
Eurodragster.com News sponsor Chris Isaacs into #3 at that point in the first pairing of the session. In the next pairing Mark Fairhurst improved by a squeak but stayed in place, in the other lane Frank Mason went into #3 and pushed Chris down a spot. Eurodragster.com Home and News sponsor Malcolm Francis was next into the top five in the next pairing, backing off very early as the car moved around in the stiff crosswind. Next up and Dave Catton moved in at #5 with another familiarisation pass in the Ugly Stick dragster. In the last run of the session Jon Morton moved into the top five at #3 with his first run of the weekend. 12:58 Super Modified qualifying after session 1:
A storming pass for Nigel Payne, we think a Personal Best, well done Nigel! 12:55 Junior Dragster qualifying top five after session 1:
Trackside conditions are 9.0 C, 46% humidity and 988 mB of air, track temperature 13.1 C 12:45 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 2:
Lots of changes in this session. In the first pairing Dan Page went in at #2. Antony Wilkins then came into the top five at #4 followed by Charlie Chivers moving up the top five to #2 spot. In the next pairing John Atkinson took over the lead. Keith Herbert then took the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award with a 0.0006 RT, well done Keith! Next up for a mention was Simon Rowland taking over #3 spot in the E-Hell dragster. A Personal Best and breakout for John Morris, 8.95, well done John! Wild Bunch qualifying after session 1:
Sportsman ET qualifying top five after session 1:
12:20 B&H Automotive Street Eliminator qualifying top five after session 1:
Not a good start for Colin Lazenby as his Chevy's transmission broke after a very shaky launch and he rolled to a halt on the track. With the car unable to move the track crew had to fetch the trolleys. In other news, joint Eurodragster.com webcam sponsor Jon Webster is driving Ian Jackson's Corvette this weekend, Jon's wife Jeanette told us that Jon has had all the necessary inoculations to drive a Chevy. Trackside conditions are 8.6 C, 48% humidity and 987 mB of air, track temperature is 11.2 C. 11:35 Super Gas qualifying top five after session 1:
Trackside conditions are 8.4 C, 47% humidity and 987 mB of air, track temperature is 12.3 C 11:25 Super Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
11:10 Super Street qualifying top five after session 1:
Simon Cooper had a tilt at the Eurodragster.com/Speedflow Perfect Light Award with a 0.002 RT in this session. 11:00 VW Sportsman qualifying top five after session 1:
VW Alternate Engine qualifying top five after session 1:
VW Pro qualifying after session 1:
10:45 Super Comp qualifying top five after session 1:
Latest news from the Race Director is that the bikes will indeed be running over the eighth mile. 10:40 Pro ET qualifying top five after session 1:
The first racer to turn a wheel in the 2008 UK National Championship was #1 qualifier Rick McCann with the better reaction time of 0.0045 in the first pairing. Congratulations to Neil Hunter on a new PB of 9.7672, a btit of a breakout but I guess he won't be bothered by that! Trackside conditions are 7.1 C, 50% humidity and 987 mB of air, track temperature 5.6 C. 9:00 Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway. It's the first day of the 2008 UK National Championships 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 will be broadcasting a picture every sixty seconds until the track closes on Monday. You can reach the webcam via the Event Index. You don't need us to tell you that the weather was a bit wild overnight. This morning though the sky is mainly clear so it's pretty bright. We have a very stiff crosswind which is helping the track to dry but I would not be surprised if we ran bikes over the eighth. Obviously that is only my surmise; the Race Director will make that call. Trackside conditions right now are 5.7 C, 58% humidity and 987 mB of air, track temperature is 5.7 C. We're due to start at 9:30 and the track is looking pretty good for that, so stay tuned and as soon as the wheels start turning we'll be back with the latest. Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com |