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Super Twin Top Gas racer Mike Nelthorpe ran a best of 11.088/134.14 in qualifying on his Polaris Snowmobile 866cc two stroke engined bike, his speed a new PB. Mike, who is based in Norwich, has a carbon fibre business the products of which cloak his bike frame. Aged 70, he came into the sport when he was 57. He faces strong competition as there are a group of four German racers further up qualifying with Martin Buhler number one with a 8.182/175 run. Picture and information © Mike Kraaij	ET Bike racer Jasmine Cordelle is qualified number one with a great 9.431/139 on a 9.43 dial in, having gone to the top of the qualifying lists in session one. Riding a Suzuki GSXR/Bandit with 1260cc engine, she plans to move up to 8.50 Bike next year, with an ambition for the future to run in Pro Stock Bike eventually. Picture and information © Mike Kraaij
VW Pro racers Matt Attwood and Paul Bargate (in the Graham Fairhead car after his Scirocco broke at the Green Light Nationals) both run VW Type 3 Fastbacks and were alongside one another in the pairing lanes. Matt has been absent for a few seasons with his mid-11s car and Paul, who leads the championship, has borrowed Graham's car with its turbocharged 1800cc engine running in the low 12s.	Pro Mofified racer Kev Slyfield had to replace a rear axle after it broke at the Euro Finals and then came out for testing yesterday - when the gears in the new axle broke. He said 'We had lost our way in the tuning and had to have a rethink about where we had gone wrong. We were happy to run a 6.06/230 in testing yesterday but had to work late to replace the gears and put our spare in and reassemble the rear'. In qualifying today he ran 5.98/237 and 5.96/238.
Pro Mofified racer Marck Hartefeld's team have been spending more time adjusting the four link suspension setup. He said 'We're still looking for the right combination for handling. But the tyres shake still and then it goes left'. In session one there was shake but Marck drove through it for a 5.965/239 but in session two the old problem returned and he lifted when the car got close to the left wall.	Wild Bunch racer Callum Swinchatt has won the SPRC Club Championship for the class as Phil James suffered a leak due to a suspected cracked block at the Hot Rod Drags and has had to cancel this event. Congratulations to Callum, but Phil could be overtaken for runner up by Mark Coulsell, Philippa Turton, Keith Crampton and Rob and Pete Brown. Callum has won the Springbridge Direct championship and Spirit of Nostalgia Challenge as well and congratulations to him.
Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator racer Andy Bond was delighted to be confirmed as 2019 champion. 'It's been a great season and the car's performed how we wanted it to. It's done fifteen 200mph plus passes and the class's first six second pass which we backed up. It's great for the team. Next year we will chip away and lean on it with little changes as it has settled well.	Top Fuel dragster licencee Mona The Fast Girl from Sweden did a familiarisation pass yesterday in Liam Jones' car followed by the first two of three licencing passes today, the second of which launched at 1.036 and pedalled to a 6.957/91 half pass. Her team included members of all RFM TF teams with Rob Elsom, Laurie Bamford and Paul Spaxman.
Modurstang Pro ET racer Ben Newsome is in second place in the standings, just 120 points behind the leader in only his second season of racing. He said 'I did a full season of racing in 2018 which went well, and have kept the car the same for this year. The Mustang is consistent and reliable, the only problem I had was in the semi final at the Main Event when a rocker stud broke. I tow the car here from Derby so it wasn't a drama, and Lee and Brian Huxley helped get me a new inlet manifold which needed replacing. Although it's one of the slower cars in the class my reaction times are good, so it's not too much of a handicap. I did notice however the Springspeed Nationals, when I also raced in Sportsman ET which was easier to race in. With Pro ET I am doing 120mph at the finish line and it can be difficult to judge as the the closing speed of the chasing car could be 150mph. I used nitrous at the Euros but the car isn't really built for it. Next year I am weighing my options of doing the whole season once again or travelling to Europe for the Pro ET Challenge, or even selling the car to get something different and quicker. It is a great beginner car'. Ben is crewed by Cliff Houghton who also races his Corvette in Sportsman ET.	Modurstang Pro ET colour commentator and drag racing fan Ady Randle sadly passed away at the Euro Finals, and his death at the early age of 49 was a terrible shock for his family and the racing community. To commemorate him, Bob Molden has had 200 decals made up and tomorrow there will be a minute's silence immediatelyprior to round one of eliminations, and a parade down the track of his Pro ET companions, organised by Mike Lacey (who hurt his foot on the journey here and sadly can't attend). Also the current issue of Street Machine magazine has an appreciation of Ady written by SPR Commentator Colin THeobald. Rest in peace Ady.
Modurstang Pro ET Lee Huxley is racing for the third weekend in a row, having enjoyed Clastres for the first time last weekend. He said 'It was fun and friendly and good grass-roots racing and it's for a championship. I am being chased by two whippersnappers in the SPRC Championship but the car has been awesome since 2015 and I just have to drive it. Thanks go to Tim Hines who built the engine, he was one of the first UK Pro Mod racers in his Sierra. We are looking to step up next season with quicker times, and possibly even moving to pastures new'. The Pro ET annual bash is in Worcester on 18th January 2020 and Lee is offering tickets to anyone who would like to attend.	Outlaw Flat Four racer Stuart Hodgson is bringing back this car belonging to Adam Proctor after the gearbox in his own Beetle broke at the Euro Finals. He said 'It was built by John Maher, who was drummer in the Buzzcocks and then got into building engines and cars. It's got a full tube chassis and Type 4 engine with twin 48 Weber carbs and used to run at Shakey'. Stuart ran the car in the third session to a 12.98/107.
VW Sportsman racers Holly Sanders and Jon Crawford are numbers two and one in the championship respectively and are pitted together, like they have been for the last four years. Jon said 'We've been trading places in the championship throughout the year and will race each other as hard as possible on the track, but help each other in the pits where possible. I had to change a battery and thanks to Charlie Roberts for lending me one from his road car'. Both are seeking sponsorship and Jon commented 'I was using event wins to pay for the following race which worked well for a time'.	Windscreen Wizards/Bloodwise Super Pro ET racer Rene Jaspert from Germany has returned with the car refettled after a problem last year. Crewman Calvin Luboush said 'We lost the head gasket after the revs went too high and then the water hose came off which caused us to crash. It took us two months to repair the damage then we suffered more engine damage due to wrong fuel pressure'. The BMW 3000cc engine has a Turbonetics turbocharger running on methanol. He added 'We have only run three races this year and have been sorting out suspension and transmission settings. Next year we hope to do more SPR races'. Sadly the team suffered damage in their first run and trailered out to go back home to Celle, near Hanover, Germany.
Hutchinson and Dibley Sportsman ET racers and Eurodragster.com sponsor Peter Walters and Holly Walters are racing a pair of Mustangs, the white one having been acquired recently. They are qualified third and nineteenth respectively.	Windscreen Wizards/Bloodwise Super Pro ET racer Ashley Bell, with the ducks attached to the roll cage, has been suffering handling difficulties. He said 'The car has been going left down the track but doesn't get back from it. Once I'm out of the groove, I have to ease off. I'm using nitrous off the line but less up the track so the problem is more four link settings than anything else'.
Windscreen Wizards/Bloodwise Super Pro ET racer Phil Toppin has solved many of the handling problems experienced with his Corvette. He said 'I took the car to Robinson Race Cars and they fitted a new anti roll bar and wheelie bars, and now it handles. I am still doing second gear launches and will try a first gear one later and see if the front keeps down. I am only using five pounds of boost pressure with the supercharger so there is plenty of scope'. Unusually the car runs petrol in the blown and injected configuration which means Phil has to have different return pipes in the fuel system.	Modurstang Pro ET and Wild Bunch racer Elaine Hancock tried the nostalgia class at the Green Light Nationals, where Pro ET didn't run, and adored it. 'I love racing against slingshots and altereds', she said, 'and this is the first time I have double classed. It's a bit hectic although the running order just about gives me time for both classes. Next year I want to run the car at the nostalgia events in Wild Bunch, and in Pro ET at the championship events'. Elaine thanks her brother and friend John for their help, as well as pit companion Dave Smith.
Secret Worx Comp Eliminator racer Jordan Payne was checking the gearshift as we passed, saying 'It's a bit sluggish going up the gears with our TH400 gearbox'. A best of 7.61/179 was about a tenth off his best, and leaves championship leader in number one qualifying position.	Windscreen Wizards/Bloodwise Super Pro ET racer Martyn Jones had an unfortunate incident after a brake pad broke when reversing from his first qualifying attempt. Team member Harry Gibson who is hoping to do licensing passes in the car, said 'Martyn was reversing in idle clicked the engine immediately the pedal went to the floor. The car almost came to a stop before hitting the upright on the Barn garage doors. The chassis is bent behind the engine and in front of it, the notor plate is bent and the rear wing damaged. Geof Hauser is going to back half the car during the winter'.
Banks Night Club Top Fuel Bike racer Nick Milburn is entered for his first race after a four year layoff, with a bike bought from Markku Poikajarvi and re-built from scratch by Nick. He said 'It's the Eric Teboul fuel bike with replacement bodywork and engine parts such as a Vortex head, HPS blower, BDK fuel system and pair of 44 amp MSD Pro Mags with Owens two speed gearbox. We have just been scrutineered, we are tuning it, and will do a fire up later and hopefully get a test pass in'. Nick thanks crew Vince Bailey, Craig Boulton, Charlie Potter and partner Tanya Hardy. On his test run he ran short times of 1.050 60ft, and 3.334 330ft.	Banks Night Club Top Fuel Bike racer Al Smith ran a straight 7.030/145 in the first session but the bike headed leftwards in the second. He said 'The wind caught the lanyard at 3.8s and switched the engine off. Next time we will fix it with an elastic band. One thing we learned from the Euros was our tyre pressure guage was inaccurate and we were running 6psi when we should have been running 8.5psi. Now it's running a higher pressure, it's a lot straighter'.
Funny Bike racer Lorcan Parnell is here for the first time in 2019 after a torrid year since the bike last ran. He said 'We had a fire last October at a Straightliners event and I came off the bike. Then Barry [Eastman] sadly passed away in February. Mick Hand who was the co-owner with Barry has taken over the bike himself and we are helped by Dave Woodard at the track and Mick and Mark Harrison from Horsepower Factory UK in the workshop. We had to strip the frame and have it sandblasted, the Coldfire extinguisher is corrosive stuff, and all the wiring and sensors had to be replaced. We want to have a couple of test launches and get used to running it again.	Super Comp racer Paul Hudson, who is championship runner-up in the absence of Pete Creswell said 'Finally the car is running straight but it's a shame Pete couldn't compete this weekend, he has a blister on a front tyre and wasn't able to source a replacement in time'.
Lucas Oils Junior Dragster racer Liam McDonald is thirteen today and to celebrate his birthday he has borrowed Jordan Paynes still-for-sale JMA car. Dad Graham said 'We went to Bristol and Kentucky in the US and ran in Junior Modified, going as quick as 8.3, but Liam is only eligible for JMA from today as it is his 13th birthday'. Liam wears a helmet that is signed by many UK Junior Dragster and European Top Fuel racers. As he is 4" taller he does need a new car, and Jordan's clearly suits him well as he won the Eurodragster.com/Bad Habit Racing Perfect RT award by going 0.0000.	Modurstang Pro ET and NEM Plant Nostalgia Super Stock racer Guy King now has this immaculate Chevelle SS with 572ci engine. His best time was a 10.171/131 on a 10.11 dial in, and he is pitted alongside Williams Brothers Racing and James Oliver (who won the Eurodragster.com/Twister Racing Perfect ET award).