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End-day report

Today's Run What You Brung took place in glorious warm weather, not a cloud in the sky but with a reasonably cool breeze which guaranteed power from motors. The Run What You Brung ran until 5:00 pm then the Classic Ford Show took over with Ford-only RWYB at 5:30 pm into the evening. In association with Alamo Rent-A-Car here is our report on the Run What You Brung.

Al Cook in Richard Billings' Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator Mustang was having problems getting the power to the track. Some deft feathering of the throttle netted him a best of 9.3704/167.28 but the car was trailered off-site and we hear that it is headed to the workshops of Eurodragster.com sponsor Webster Race Engineering. We haven't seen Moose Hollingworth in Street Eliminator competition for some time but he was present today and clocked a best of 9.4759/159.08.

Super Comp and Super Gas racer Jon Giles put in a couple of passes in the Roar Willys. Jon had no problem running Super Comp numbers and more with a best of 8.7676/152.17, the Willys going straight as you like.

Reigning UK National 8.50 Bike Champion Mick Winyard was delighted to blast his Personal Best with a 8.2911/174.39 on a bike to which he referred as "Number three" - not his usual race machine. Fellow 8.50 Bike racer Phil Pratt put in a number of passes in the morning with a best of 9.0300/151.11. Supertwin Gas racer Chris Mott was battling what sounded like a misfire on his turbo-equipped Harley but still got into the nines with a best of 9.7966/121.55. Fellow STG racer Joe Elliott clocked a best of 9.2117/146.69.

Sara and Steve Unsworth both had a run out in the Gecko Racing Mustang which will be running in Pro ET next weekend. Steve took the morning session and after his first run Sara hugged your reporter who understandably assumed that Steve had run some kind of best for the car, only for Sara to explain "I'm still quicker than him!". Steve's best fo the day was 11.6870/120.87; Sara took the reins at the end of the day and clocked a best of 11.5934 121.42. Steve had a lot of nice things to say about John Sleath's engine preparation, which to be honest did not surprise us as we only ever hear good things about John Sleath's work. Fellow Pro ET racer Amanda Cox ran a number of 9.9s with a best of 9.9345/134.00, the Yenkonova running straight and true and hooking up its wheels nicely on launch. Also for Pro ET, Simon Innes got his money's worth with four runs of which the best was 11.3097/118.35. Simon trailered out at lunchtime, hopefully nothing wrong although my fellow reporter Kirstie advanced the theory that maybe the team had done what they came to do. That's probably more likely than your reporter's suggestion that maybe Simon was getting married this afternoon.

The new owner of Dan Page's Firebird, named Gawain but whose surname we don't know, made a number of passes and clocked elevens. Gawain is heading for Pro ET when he enters competition. Fellow Pro ET racer Pel Norman clocked a best of 9.4929/141.65 in the Shogun Capri. For good measure Pel was pulling some fine burnouts before his passes.

A number of Junior Dragster racers were present, including the first appearance of Belle Wheeler's new Alamo-sponsored dragster which arrived from the USA in the middle of this week and on which dad Andy put in a lot of work this week to make the date, including fitting a Junior Stock motor. The new dragster is a real looker with lots of nice engineering touches. Getting used to the car Belle pulled -0.0 red lights on all but one pass, her right-side RT being 0.1446. Andy, Geoff and Spencer quickly had the JD dialled-in as Belle ran a string of 13.1-second passes. Belle's sister Paige clocked a best RT of 0.024, and in fact all of her right-side RTs were in the 0.0s. Similarly all of Paige's ETs were in the 8.0s.

Junior Modified Advanced racer Aaron Fensome clocked a best run of 8.0928/82.24 and a best reaction of 0.0472. Junior Stock racer Charlotte Bradford had a bit of a time of it in the second half of the day as the motor faltered off the line every time she hit the hard pedal. Earlier on Charlotte pulled a best RT of 0.0605. Another racer running 0.00 RTs was Junior Modified Advanced racer Rhiannon Bellenie whose best was 0.0432. John Przybyl in his Junior Modified Advanced dragster pulled a nice 0.0605 coupled with a 7.9279/83.63. Thomas Cook-Abbott in the SPRC Junior Stock Dragster was suffering similar problems to Charlotte with the motor cutting out at the hit, but his best RT of the day was a 0.0778.

A couple of the Junior Dragsters were running way below the class minimum ET and above the class maximum speed, clocking performances for which they would not just have been ejected from a race event, but for which race officials would have released the hounds.

Always a welcome sight at the drag strip is Spencer Tidswell's Problem Child Outlaw Anglia, one of the most immaculately-turned-out race cars you will ever see. Spencer clocked a best of 10.2852/129.94. Right up alongside Spencer's Anglia in the puchritude stakes was Marc Manning's Pro '34 Ford which your reporter had not seen before: a very nice piece of kit which clocked a best of 10.6920/127.66.

It was great to see Steve Warner back in the repaired Two Seat Dragster after the incident at the Autotrader Easter Thunderball. Steve put in a couple of checkout passes with Jet FC pilot Martin Hill in the passenger seast, Martin making an interesting gesture to the start line crew as the dragster pulled forward to stage - although he may well have been saying "Two lumps in mine please". Steve later took a paying passenger and put in a low eight-second pass, all looked good from here.

Just after 7:00 pm Paul Ingar Udtian made his first Top Fuel Dragster licencing pass. Very competent burnout then a solid launch, 0.885 to sixty feet and off the throttle by 300 feet. As Paul Ingar got off the throttle the motor started to spray oil and there was clean-up in his lane. No word on ths state of the engine but the plan is for Paul to make his remaining two passes tomorrow.