2003 Power Nationals
Saturday (qualifying)
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21:30
The second cycle of qualifying saw the lead changing hands in a number of classes.
The second session of Pro Mod saw John Ellis pushed back after the burnout, he re-started but then couldn't get the tyres to light up so crew chief Ray White shut him off. Gordon Appleton hit violent shake off the line and backed off.
The rest of the Super Mods turned out for the second session. Graham Ellis' car looks very nice in white paint and what looks like a new rear wing. Graham clocked a 9.611. Ian Marshall took it very gently down the track to make the field, whilst Andy Hone with his repaired Scorpio ran 8.799/148.03.
No changes from this morning in Super Pro ET. In Pro ET Steve Dunn improved to 0.012 over dial-in but Kev Taylor took over the lead at 0.004 over. John Parker took the Sportsman ET lead away from Matt Andersson with a great pass of 0.008 over dial-in.
Four of the five qualifiers in Super Comp are in the 8.9s, the standings are the same as this morning with only Tim Adam improved to an 8.972. Conrad Stanley took over the lead in Super Gas at 9.921 and Dave Day ensured that the Day duo were in the top two of both the classes they contest with a 9.928. Bob Lees was one of the last to run in the second session of Super Street and took over the lead from Martin Green at 10.907.
Colin Morrice took Holley Glassup's #2 away in Junior Dragster with a 0.552 reaction time, pushing Holley down to third although she improved her RT.
Steve Pateman stamped his authority on Custom Car Street Eliminator, improving to an 8.763 although John Hales also picked it up and isn't far behind with an 8.842. Ron Haslitt was the only competitor not to make the Cruise this evening, he is quoted as saying he "got lost". Mark Coulsell was pushed down to second place in the Wild Bunch by Tony Smith whose "Cunning Plan" Minivan looks very nice in its new paint. Alec and Tom Coe had serious problems in the first round of qualifying, suffering a broken starter motor and halfshaft respectively, but fixes were applied and both racers made it out for the second session.
On two wheels Neil Midgley was one of the stories of the afternoon with a stormer of a pass on his Funny Bike, taking first place away from Dave Holland with a 7.183. Dave Bailey improved still further on his Pro Mod Bike with a 7.402 which was good for fourth place. Sarah Jane Head sits on the FB bump with an 8.902 on her new bike.
Richard Gipp pulled out all the stops in Pro Stock Bike, taking a chunk off his personal best with a 7.605, only for Dave Beck to take the lead away from him on the very next pass with a 7.538. Chris Hope improved to a 7.811 to take third place. Ray Debben has broken.
Bob Brooks still holds the Comp Bike lead, with Jerry Collier a way behind at 8.572. Phil Leamon is just behind at 8.583.
In Super Street Bike, Tony Clark is back! A storming 8.386 took the lead away from Karl Larcombe, whose improved 8.465 wasn't quite enough. All eight of the Super Street Bike field are in the eights although a shock absentee from eliminations tomorrow is 2002 Champion Graham Dance who has "broken the crank into two pieces and the camshaft into four pieces".
The lead in 9.90 Bike was taken over by Geoff Connor whilst Paul Coombs kept his #1 spot in 10.90.
No changes in Supertwin Street, Mark Earrey still way ahead, and the same story in Supertwin Modified with Dave Bartz and TJ O'Brien still top of the pile, and Supertwin Gas with George Laycock and Andy Smith staying as-is. Chris Stebbings still leads Supertwin Fuel although Dave Witts is right there at 10.142 and Ian Turburville turned the wick up a little at 11.112.
It turns out that we were all looking at the wrong thing in Junior Drag Bike, we should have been looking at dial-ins. Andy Irvine is in the lead at 1.086 over dial-in.
Here are the top two qualifiers in each class at the end of qualifying:
Super Modified: 1. Danny Cockerill 8.266/169.81, 2. Steve Rawlings 8.660/160.14
Super Pro ET: 1. Ian Bishop +0.036 7.976/168.54, 2. Barry Giles +0.069 7.669/168.54
Pro ET: 1. Kev Taylor +0.004 10.564/127.48, 2. 2. Steve Dunn +0.012 10.122/133.53
Sportsman ET: 1. John Parker +0.008 12.808/105.14, 2. Matt Andersson +0.052 16.552/78.95
Super Comp: 1. Sarah Day 8.913/153.58, 2. Martin Curbishley 8.916/150.50
Super Gas: 1. Conrad Stanley 9.921/136.36, 2. Dave Day 9.928/144.69
Super Street: 1. Bob Lees 10.907/127.48, 2. Martin Green 10.912/119.36
Junior Dragster: 1. Charlotte Watts 0.535, 2. Colin Morrice 0.552
Custom Car Street Eliminator (after Cruise): 1. Steve Pateman 8.763/167.91, 2. John Hales 8.842/166.05
Outlaw Anglia: 1. Paul Hensher 8.831/154.11, 2. Pete Ashworth 9.941/119.05
Wild Bunch: 1. Tony Smith +0.052 12.002/111.11, 2. Mark Coulsell +0.053 10.553/122.95
Funny Bike: 1. Neil Midgley 7.183/177.17, 2. Dave Holland 7.261/171.10
Pro Stock Bike: 1. Dave Beck 7.538/171.76, 2. Richard Gipp 7.605/173.08
Super Street Bike: 1. Tony Clark 8.386/169.81, 2. Karl Larcombe 8.465/173.08
Comp Bike: 1. Bob Brooks 7.880/148.03, 2. Jerry Collier 8.572/134.73
9.90 Bike: 1. Geoff Connor 9.937/125.00, 2. Ady Reade 9.992/119.36
10.90 Bike: 1. Paul Coombs 10.961/123.63, 2. Andy Burfitt 11.058/125.00
Supertwin Fuel: 1. Chris Stebbings 10.070/119.05, 2. Dave Witts 10.142/139.75
Supertwin Gas: 1. George Laycock 9.912/125.00, 2. Andy Smith 10.607/120.00
Supertwin Modified: 1. Dave Bartz 9.870/135.14, 2. TJ O'Brien 10.106/135.54
Supertwin Street: 1. Mark Earrey 10.394/133.14, 2. Dave Jones 10.921/121.29
Junior Drag Bike: 1. Andy Irvine +1.086 13.586/48.18, 2. Jennifer Hurcomb +1.689 10.689/63.03
Today's pictures are now posted, you can access them from the Event Index page.
We'll be back in the morning with developments from the pits and all the raceday action.
18:00
Darryl Bradford took the first round of the Top Fuel Dragster match race against Susanne Callin. Nice burnouts from both cars and then on the green the cars left together, Darryl had a cylinder out from the start line, and got off the throttle at 900 feet to record 5.986/180.72. Susanne hit tyre shake at about 250 feet and got off it to record 7.237/111.66.
Mickey Moore is 1-0 up in the Fuel Altered match race with a 7.937/183.67 to Jim Seward's 7.815/128.94. Mickey pulled a huge holeshot, Jim chased him down but the car was going anywhere but straight, he pedalled a couple of times then got off it, Mickey stayed in front.
Roger Goring was next up with a 6.627/238.10 in the Firestorm Jet Funny Car, a very nice pass with the burner lit all the way.
Final runner in the exhibition session was Martin Hill in the Fireforce 2 Jet FC who saved the best to last with a 5.920/271.08 to wipe out the track record here at Shakespeare County Raceway, the first-ever five-second jet pass at this track.
Qualifying has now finished, come back in an hour or so and we'll have the qualifying highlights and standings for you.
13:30
It's been a great first cycle of qualifying here at Shakespeare County Raceway. The weather is just perfect and the action has been thick and fast. Let's take you through the classes in the order in which they ran.
Lottie Watts leads Junior Dragster after the first cycle with a 0.585 reaction time, Holley Glassup is not far behind with a 0.586. On the two-wheeled Junior front, Andy Irvine leads with a 0.684.
Ady Reade leads 9.90 Bike at 9.992/119.36, and Paul Coombs leads 10.90 Bike at 10.961.
Matt Andersson's first run in his Volvo street car gained him #1 in Sportsman ET, 0.052 over his dial-in. The Pro ET lead changed hands three times in as many minues, Steve Dunn was first up at 0.125 over dial-in, then Ian Brown went quicker at 0.073 over, and right at the end of the session Bob Doyle was +0.018 over at 10.268/133.14.
Super Street Bike is led by Karl Larcombe at 8.511/169.17 which included a huge wheelie at about three hundred feet. Pete Bellenie isn't far behind at 8.580/169.17, and third and fourth are separated by one thousandth with Matt Nixon at 8.612/163.64 and Steve Venables at 8.613/166.67.
Pro Stock Bike is bunched up with Chris Hope in front at 7.946/168.54, Dave Beck right there at 7.953/171.76, and Richard Gipp on 7.972/161.64.
In Funny Bike Dave Holland is #1 at 7.261/171.50, taking the lead from Tim Blakemore who ran 7.391/177.17. Dave Bailey on his first competitive outing on the ex-Ken Cooper Pro Mod Bike clocked 7.444/172.41, Neil Midgley right behind at 7.478/164.84, Steve French back on track at 7.516/174.42 and Mike Chislett returning with a 7.777/167.29. Sarah Jane Head surprised everyone by turning up with the ex-MRE Budster, her first pass a checkout at 9.204/138.89.
Custom Car Street Eliminator qualifying was marred by a crash involving Sue Jackson's 'Vette. The car got out of shape at about a hundred feet, Sue tried to hold onto it, steering left, but before we knew it the car was up on two wheels and hit the guardrail head-on, coming to rest on its side. The FAST team and the paramedics were there in seconds, whilst Sue was getting herself out herself out of the car - not an easy job with the car on its side. Sue is quite OK, and the car doesn't look too bad either, a lot of cosmetic damage. Steve Pateman leads at 8.770/169.17 from John Hales at 8.949/165.44. Ian Hook was on a good one until he had a huge misfire just after half-track, still recording a 9.93.
Bob Brooks leads Comp Bike with a 7.880/148.03, a PB judging by the reaction of the team, and it was a far from straight pass so there is more to come from the Yellow Metal team. Several of the Comp Bikes had problems in the first session. Ian Berry took his first turn on Sarah Jane Head's Comp Bike, a very competent burnout followed by a gentle 10.74.
Paul Hensher has a big lead on his Outlaw Anglia competitors, with a superb, straight 8.831/154.11 this morning. Gary McCormack took the first pass we've seen in a very nice-looking Fordson van, wheels up off the start line and second place at 10.057/134.33. Cliff Griffin tried to take out the Chief Starter during his burnout before a third-place 10.081/133.53. Rob Stone is fourth at 10.115/130.43.
Mark Earrey is way ahead of the Supertwin Street field with a 10.394/133.14, whilst Dave Bartz is similarly way out in front of Supertwin Modified with a 9.870.135.14 from TJ O'Brien at 10.106/135.54.
Ian Bishop is currently #1 in Super Pro ET at 0.036 over, 7.976/164.84, Barry Giles is 0.069 over at 7.669 and Ian Tubb 0.090 over at 8.140/166.67.
Super Street has three racers in the 10.9s, Martin Green leading the way at 10.912/119.36 from John Atkinson in his new Cortina Estate at 10.929/127.12 and Dave Cherrett 10.930/98.47. John Atkinson's new car is very nice indeed.
New clothes for Frank Mason in Super Gas, a very smart '58 'Vette body now on the Not Fade Away chassis. Peter Lane is at the head of the field at 9.946/134.73, with Tim Adam second at 10.06. The Wild Bunch is led by Mark Coulsell 0.053 over his dial-in at 10.553/122.95 from Dick Sharp 0.142 over at 9.792/138.04.
George Laycock leads Supertwin Gas at 9.912/125.00, a huge lead over Andy Smith at 10.607/120.00. Chris Stebbings' 10.070/119.05 heads the Supertwin Fuel field from Ian Turburville's misfiring 13.302/100.22 on his new bike.
Mickey Moore went next with a checkout pass in The Mob Fuel Altered, clouds of clutch dust off the line on a straight 8.241/180.72.
Super Comp is bunched up good and tight, Sarah Day leads the way at 8.913/153.58 from Martin Curbishley at 8.916/150.50, Malcolm Francis 8.926/149.50 and Tim Adam 8.991/148.51.
Two Super Mods contested their first qualifying session, Danny Cockerill pulling the obligatory huge burnout before clocking 8.266/169.81. Steve Rawlings has Rob Loaring and Nick Davies of our Home and News page sponsors ICE Automotive working with him this weekend, Steve's first pass of the day was a solid-looking 8.660/160.14.
The first Pro Mod session saw Gordon Appleton drive through awful shake before backing off a little early to clock 7.415/149.01. The red light went on in John Ellis' lane, a very good-looking pass but no time or speed.
Right now it's 23.4 C trackside, 39% humidity and 30.18 inches of air pressure.
The second qualifying cycle has now begun, and of course there are the first rounds of the Top Fuel and Fuel Altered match races plus the Jet FCs, all of which are scheduled at the end of the day. Stay tuned!
10:00
Good morning and welcome from Shakespeare County Raceway on a very pleasant summer's morning. Qualifying has just started and we're here to bring you all the action in association with American Car Imports.
The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is online and broadcasting every two minutes.
No pit notes this morning, if you were tuned in to Eurodragster News yesterday you will have seen that today is actually your reporter's wedding anniversary. I don't think I need pay any more tribute to Mrs Tog than to say that it's our anniversary and I am at the track. There are several unsung heroes who help to keep Eurodragster going and Kay is one of them.
A big Hello to Steve and Jacky Young who we know are tuned in. Steve is imminently reaching an birthday which would be a pretty good reaction time for a Sportsman Tree, have a great weekend Steve.
Right now the track conditions are 20.4 centigrade, 60% humidity, and 30.15 inches of air pressure.
We have two cycles of qualifying scheduled today, so if you tune back in a couple of hours we will bring you the leaders and cycle highlights.