What's with the suits? Terry Wratten of the Wratten brothers NFAA team said "We decided to smarten the team up for their later court appearance." We think that the points for best appearing crew may have something to do with it. "The championship is neck and neck. We had a problem with the fuel shut-off lever that cost us our first qualifier and hope we can pull something out of the bag. It's been a good season but with some ups and downs. We've been chasing gremlins and now have a few months to put it right."

The members of the Relentless NFAA team made their fourth pass of the year with a new combination and, although it was an eighth mile shut-off, a 7.6/133 shows promise. Crew Chief Luke Bennett said "The engine is all-new apart from the heads and has a setback Kobelco blower that delivered 45lb of boost on the pass. There are new brakes, new fire extinguisher and a new body". The team now has 24 sponsors and Luke's web site business www.escapedesign.info supports the team.

Top Methanol racer Rob Turner ran a 5.474 which was good for no.2 after the second session. Crew chief Steve Turner said, "It's the quickest we've run at Santa Pod. We've done some different things with the tune-up and are very happy with the results. The car will have a new paint scheme for next season to maintain sponsor interest. At the last tow events Black Lane Ashphalt have sponsored the team. For much of this season we've been without full data from our on-board computer and a faulty fuse meant we only had information at the start and when we shut down." Steve's next drive in the car is scheduled for the Easter Thunderball next year.

Fuel Funny Car racer was the quickest of all the nitro cars after a 5.22/280 pass in the first session. "It's only my fourth run in the car after making a couple of runs at Hockenheim but I feel completely at home in it", said Thomas. "Having Rune Fjeld tune the car gives me great confidence in the performance." Support comes from www.otg.as.

Top Fuel racer Barry Sheavills is making his first appearance since driving the same Rune Fjeld-tuned dragster at the 2007 Flame & Thunder Show. "It's great to be back in a modern car. On the first run, my crew chief Eddie Corr set the car to run really lazy to get used to being back in one of these and to avoid tyreshake. The pass was only ever going to be to the eighth but everything went to plan. My main aim this weekend is to run a four at over 300mph and we're creeping up on it. The crew are new to me and they are brilliant. I only had 18 days notice to get the medical certificate and license. Thanks to Rune and to Santa Pod for giving me the opportunity to keep my license up to date." Barry has been hard at work on the treadmill, too, for an hour and a half a day.

Fuel Funny Car driver John Spuffard had an exciting run in the first qualifying session with the car up on two wheels following a correction and a slight brush with the left hand wall. He said "I was fighting to keep it out of Gary's lane and then recover and stamp on it again but it was like a skating ring, Swan Lake had nothing on us! Then the panel on the body came up and I couldn't see. The only damage is a minor scrape on the rear bumper and a sticker. We feel we are learning a lot and going in the right direction. Thomas's run was great - I'm not sure he had the right car."

Risto Poutiainen is back in a Top Fuel car after a multi-year layoff. "I supported Janne Ahonen both financially and as a mentor when Eagle Racing went into Top Fuel three years ago. This year, Janne has a new baby and so he couldn't make all the season. The original plan was that I filled in for him at Mantorp and Hockenheim. It went better than I expected. My first full pass at Hockenheim was a 4.83/498.5kph and I was hooked again. I have sold my internet company to free up enough time and will run the FIA series next year and in the Middle East." Risto says that while the sport in Europe has progressed a lot since he last raced in the early nineties, it is still fun.

B&H Automotive Street Eliminator racer Colin Lazenby has an awesome new engine combination. He purchased an IHRA-legal Pro Stock engine and added Sonny's Hemi heads (as used by Micke Gullqvist in Pro Mod) and a two stage nitrous system. Crew chief Luke Robinson said "It's the only use of these type of heads in the UK and we think the only use on the street annywhere. The car came out of Andy Robinson's workshop on Thursday night at 11:30pm." Luke also said the Robinson workshop is busy building two new Pro Mod cars but we will have to wait to find out who for.

The conjunction of Webster Race Engineering and Tim Blakemore racing is clear to see on Jon Webster's 9.50 Bike. The two teams are pitted together this weekend with Tim being no.2 in Funny Bike qualifying and Jon no.5 qualifier in Street Eliminator albeit at the cost of a head gasket.

Also pitted with the Webster/Blakemore contingent, B&H Automotive Street Eliminator racer Alex McIntosh originally planned to take the 2008 season off modifying his Mustang but the changes took place ahead of schedule. The most obvious is the new Procharger fitted by Johnny Mac of Webster Race Engineering. He said "It's like Jason Weir's setup, the latest model with 40lb of boost. I ran an 8.89 with my old nitrous setup and a mid nine this time out would be very nice. Jon is teaching me the ropes with crewing before I do my own and thanks to WRE."

Scott Hauser reaches the age limit for Junior Dragster at the end of the season and wants to go out on a high with the championship. "I'm two rounds ahead of Anna Stanley and how far the championship goes depends on how well she does in the race. I am looking to move up next year and whilst I would like to race a Sierra which is what both of my parents raced, my father (Eurodragster.com search sponsor Geof Hauser) is trying to talk me into racing a dragster." Whatever the choice the car will be by Hauser Race Cars. Both Scott's and Vicky Molden's twin junior dragsters are up for sale.

The Havoc team of Eurodragster.com sponsors I.C.E. Automotive faced a huge thrash to get back on track after holing a piston. Nick Davies said "We went back to our Silverstone base for a honing machine and other equipment and fitted two new valves, rods and pistons." The car was ready in time for the second round call. Rob Loaring added apologies for the oildown in the first round burnout.

A/Fuel Dragster driver Derek Flynn was delighted with a 5.472 which put him top qualifier. "The car ran great and we had a couple of cylinders out at three quarter track so we can go quicker. Thanks to Vladimir Urednicek who works at Gold RV and is standing in as assistant crew chief and the whole of the Go Gold crew, particularly Jaap and Jan Selles who have flown from Holland to help." Derek showed us his Kestrel 4250 hand-held weather tracker which has worked well this weekend.

Spencer Tramm's VW Corrado is doing double duty with different drivers, and is no.1 in Super Pro ET with Chris Isaacs at the wheel and also no.1 qualifier in VW Alternate Engine with Spencer at the wheel, both positions achieved with an ET of 8.74!

Super Pro ET driver Dave Ward in his Chevy Monza Funny Car is in contention for the championship with several other racers. He has lowered the dial-in to 8.65 and has put new tyres and new nitrous settings on the car. Will this affect the consistency needed to win? Dave said "I'm not that concerned about the championship, I just want to go quicker."

Peter Walters' team, Richard, Julie and Perry have attire to match Peter's Super Pro ET dragster.

Import racer Johnny Bradshaw is taking the opportunity of running in Super Pro ahead of next weekend's final of the HKS Drag Series here at Santa Pod. Before the first qualifying session he said "We have run twelve 8.1s and want to run a seven here. The car has a new inducton system, a charge cooler in place of the intercooler and a new turbo with nitrous which has given us an additional 250hp." The car, which was built by Eurodragster.com sponsors Andy Robinson Race Cars, then ran a ground breaking 7.933 that placed him second in the qualifying standings.

Supertwin Gas rider Chris Mott is well ahead in the points following a strong showing at the two most recent events. His Harley V-Rod has modified engine internals by Dyers (based on the US East Coast) which boost the capacity from 1130cc to 1620cc. There is also an electronic water pump and 113 octane Klotz fuel to help it run record times of 8.811/145.29.

Leading the Supertwin Fuel points standings is Martin Blackwell. He said "The championship is coming down to winning the semi-final round. This is my first season so I am happy with the way my year has gone, although there have been some teething troubles." Today's problem was a reluctant off-board starter. Martin bought the bike from Jamie Millership and it was originally ran by Adam Hewitt and Frank Brachtvogel. "The bike had been in storage for six years and I've restored it completely. The engine torched a piston on an early pass and the new bits enabled me to pick up half a second and I think there is another half second in there still." You can see more about Martin's bike and his supporters on www.northantsnitroracing.co.uk

9.50 Bike racer Richard Sawatzki is leading the class points and said "I need 60 points to be safe so a first round appearance should be enough. Richard, who was the 2004 9.90 Bike champion revealed that his start in competition was in 1990 with a Rover-powered Opel Manta which ran in Street ET and Super ET. After an eight year gap he returned to the sport in 2003. "I've been more successful in bikes and love the competitiveness of this class. The Hayabusa I ride is quite basic with a stock 159hp engine and a lowered ride height and swing arm. I wondered whether I could make the index but ended up running a 9.3." Richard is sponsored by James & Associates Financial Sevices.

Team Breakout's Shaun Spiers runs his 9.50 Hayabusa on the street. He said "It's the best of both worlds as I am running third in the points. I have kept the ride height a little higher than the track-only guys and the engine produces 170hp. Others who run their bikes solely on the track are starting to get trick parts like lockup clutches, launch controllers and engines producing 200hp, but nevertheless I'm still having fun."

Top Fuel Bike racer Chris 'Cannon' Hannam told us that following this meeting, his team-mate Neil Midgley will be putting his bike up for sale and potential purchasers should contact Neil or Cannon. "Neil will be my crew chief next year as I will be planning a full ACU season and the two UEM rounds as well." A 200mph.net charity match race against Steve Venables at the Extreme Performance Bike Weekend ended in disappointment after one second running when the fuel ran out. "We found a problem with a crank bearing and bushes so it may have been as well." Cannon will be preparing for his 2009 season with a spare engine incorporating a crank case and heads from Ian King and Gerard Willemse at Puma Engineering.

Pro Stock racer Len Paget says that he would need to do a lot to win the ACU Pro Stock Bike championship. "I basically need to win the event and set new speed and ET records to get the National Championship but the SPRC title is mine if I win the event." Len's performance this year has improved to mid-7.3s which he says is partly down to the ear of wife Gill as there is no data recorder on the bike.

Although Top Fuel racer Linda Thun Tønseth is only 26 years old she has had experience in Junior Dragster, Super Comp (from 1999 to 2005) and licensed in Pro Mod in 2006. In 2007 she obtained her Top Fuel license at the weekend before the European Finals and then made runs at the Flame & Thunder show. She said "Driving a Top Fuel car is difficult to describe with all the adrenaline and power that is involved. I'm here to improve on my PB of 5.72, which I ran in the same car last year. Linda thanks her father Arnfinn Thun for his support and Rune Fjeld for tuning the car. She also sends best wishes to former Top Fuel driver Øyver Jakobsson who is working at home in Norway." Shell are visiting this weekend with a view to sponsoring Linda in the FIA Top Fuel championship in 2009.

Funny Car driver Gordon Smith said that the car is on Jason Phelps' chassis jig having a new front half constructed. "The car was fine mechanically but a loose fuel line caused it to swap lanes and the correction snapped off the A-arm so I lost the steering and hit the wall", he said. Gordon is aiming for a return at the Flame & Thunder Show in November.

B&H Automotive Street Eliminator competitor Steve Nash is happy with a largely trouble-free year in the Wild Cat Mercury Cougar. "I need to outqualify Steve Pateman and win one round or win two rounds", he said. "Our qualifying may be curtailed by the need to get on the cruise before the local gas station closes, or we may be having a very late supper."