Festival of Power
Santa Pod Raceway, 18th-20th April 2014

Saturday


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Latest update 14:20


Top Fuel Dragster racer Chris Andrews is driving the RFM dragster with Don Schumacher Racing chassis. Chris said 'We have some new parts and did a planned launch yesterday but there was a lot of shake and I shut off early'. The same was true in this morning's run. Chris continued 'Mike Damagala will be advising on tuning at the FIA events and Eddie Corr will be heading up the crew. We are looking forward to the championship and will be working towards a good result at the Main Event'. Chris won the Euro Finals last year - 'it was my lucky day and it was nice to get the round wins'.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Noah Stutz is also making test passes before the FIA Championship gets under way when the Erbacher team will be fielding two cars. Urs said 'We are testing new parts and have BAE Stage 6 heads and camshaft'. A lunch yesterday resulted in a safety feature cutting in causing the car to shut off, however this morning Noah achieved an impressive 0.85 sixty foot time. Urs continued 'There are also new guys on the team under Robin Grice as overall crew chief. Each car needs a team of eight and including drivers and cooks, there are 25 altogether, but getting time off work is a problem for many of them'. As well as Midland Oil and SCS IT Procurement, Urs welcomes new sponsors Formex Swiss Watches and UK MSA charity Duchenne Now.


David Pertu� had problems getting the engine of his jet dragster to spool up however he is planning to run the Hydrogen Rocket Car this afternoon.


Pro Mod racer Steve Hall was pleased to run a 6.56/218 yesterday, PBs for both ET and speed. He said 'We didn't change anything over the winter, just serviced the car. There is a lot left and I'm just tickling it right now. We had a very soft clutch setting but it was still skating around. We will try to lean on it this time and improve'. In the first session today, Steve's car went right and shut off.


NFAA racer Nick Davies (pictured talking to Roy Phelps behind car owner Lawrie Gatehouse) was pleased to run a test pass of 6.39/216 and then a PB speed of 231mph on a 6.53. Lawrie joked 'Nick's right foot only has too positions, on and off!' Nick is planning to run the Havoc altered at Dragstalgia.


Pro Mod racer Kev Slyfield's new T-Bird ran a straight 7.33/163 (following a 7.04 in testing) however there was a lot of engine damage with a broken rod, a big hole in the top of the block and damaged cylinder head.


Top Methanol Funny Car racer Steph Milam said 'We nearly dropped three valves that pulled through on our run. It was a 6.19/204 pass that picked the wheels up and I shut off early. We have rebuilt the head with new springs and recovered the valves. So we will run in the second session today'.


FIM Super Street Bike racer Shaun Buttigieg from Malta ran a 7.46/192 to go sixth after three sessions. Shaun said 'The bike spun the tyre in first gear for the first 60ft and then ran well to the finish line. It was my best mph but I have run a 7.38 in Malta. I built the bike myself and have tuning help from Walter Sprout in the US who will be coming to the UK to help us at the Main Event'. The bike has a MTC slider clutch and home made plenum for his GT35 turbo. The bike runs without charge cooler or intercooler. When asked whether he tunes with a dyno, Shaun said 'My dyno is the street'. Shaun's crew is returning A/Fuel Dragster racer Chris Polidano.


FIM and ACU Super Street Bike racer Garry Bowe is running his career best times this weekend the best being 7.21/192. He said 'I have a NLR sidemount turbo and air clutch new on the bike this year and AMS2000 boost control. My best last year was 7.4 and in my last ten passes here and in testing, the worst time was 7.31. Thanks to Brad O'Connor with tuning advice'.


FIM and ACU Super Street Bike racer Pete Field (pictured right with crew Carl and Frank Field) is running his best times of 7.22/200 with the help of and AMS2000 boost control and tuning assistance from Brad O'Connor of BTC Motronics. Frank said 'The boost controller brings the best out of the existing turbo. We have not used a dyno and there have been no chassis mods'. Pete added 'We have a good clutch setting and the bike runs strongly now'. In the third ACU session Pete ran a PB speed of 203 and backed up the 7.22 for an ACU ET record.


ACU Super Street Bike racer Dave Thomas has progressed from 8.50 this year. He said 'I am running the same bike as in 8.50 but with a bigger GT35 turbo. It has a Hays slider clutch. I am pleased with the performance (in the third session he ran 8.05/183) and I will run ACU rounds only while I work on the performance. Thanks to Brad O'Connor and to Sean Mills at BTC Motronic.


Funny Bike racer Harold Wolfenden has bought Al Young's bike and has changed class to test it here. 'I have gone from a seven inch tyre to eleven inch and from an MTC slider clutch and manual shift to Hays and automatic shift. My first pass was arrow straight and I will turn the boost up in small stages on each run. I have had both bikes strutineered but now I may sell my old bike'.



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