European Drag Racing News

New sponsor for NDRS.
30th April: Our good friends at Svensk drag racing have been in touch with the great news that the Nordic Drag Racing Series has gained another sponsor for 2002 in the form of the Lövén Speedshop who have joined the NDRS "sticker sponsor" program. For the full details on the deal please check out the Svensk web site.

Perfect Light.
30th April: This weekends Spring Nationals at Shakespeare County Raceway marks the second event of the season where the Eurodragster Perfect Light Award is up for grabs. As usual the first racer to record a perfect Reaction Time, 0.400 or 0.500 as appropriate, in either qualifying or eliminations - not open practice - wins the money.

After the money was claimed at the Easter Thunderball by Pro ET Racer Conrad Stanley (maintaining the record of the money mainly being won by two classes, Pro ET or Super Street, with one win in Super Comp) the prize fund resets to Ł50 for the Spring Nationals. Good luck to all the Racers for the weekend

Big Bang for Botch.
30th April: After a four year break from racing during which he has been involved commentating at Santa Pod amongst other things, Paul 'Botch' Venners is making a return to the track as a racer at next weekends Big Bang VW Event at Santa Pod. Heres what Paul had to say:

"I'll be hitting the strip again at Big Bang. The car is an unusual choice for the VWDRC in that it is a 1966 Porsche 912. I was contacted by the 'very famous' MatT Roberts 12 weeks ago, with a view to him buying a race car and hiring me and my 2332cc turbo flat four. The idea is that I build the car, set it up and run it this season and next season he races it with his own engine. In the meantime MatT will be paying all the bills.

Naturally I said yes, and we set about finding a suitable car. I was not happy racing a flat four with the normal swing axle rear suspension set up, having been lost for words (for 0.2 seconds) every time one of my fellow racers crashed at the top end with the S/A set up! IRS cars are hard to come by, and I missed the opportunity to buy back my old dragster by three weeks (DOH!). In the end MatT called out of the blue, saying 'its IRS, its got discs all round and your engine will bolt straight in', BUY IT I replied, and only realised what it was later.

Even later I realised the irony of running what is in essence an early 911 (the 912 was a cheaper 4 cylinder version with, supplied a 356 engine). People always assume that the quick VWDRC and RWYB VW's have Porsche engines powering them, which of course is complete rubbish. I smiled when I realised the comments from the 'educated' on the bank and in the grandstands telling their friends about flat sixes. Then being shot down in flames when over the PA comes the news that its powered by a bored out 1600 beetle engine!

The engine, built by John Maher during 95/96 (as my budget allowed) received a full freshen up, and the turbo was completely refurbished and upgraded by the old Rajay turbo importers for Europe Owen Developments, shortly before the lay up. After a thorough cleaning up and fresh valve springs the 400+hp engine should see the 912 into the 10's (previous best was a 9.79 @ 147mph, using a STOCK VW bug box in the dragster Air Express), Although I am not planning anything more spectacular than the bare minimum for the class (bump index is 12.99) for Big Bang.

The shock of having to replace 80% of the chassis on Kevo Metcalf's dragster (the ex Bernie Smith 'Industrial Disease) during March and the subsequent three weeks transplanted to Harlow somewhat delayed the start of the 912 project. With Race day fast approaching there is currently no multi-point cage, no engine mounts and no plumbing. OK, its a bare shell. It will be there and it will be racing come eliminations on Sunday, Along with the other all new 'Team Botch' cars of 'Tinker' Bell, 'Simonski' Longman, 'Kevo' Metcalf.

I will also be realising another dream. Since 1995 when I first had the concept of the 'roving reporter' high power radio-mike I've wanted to commentate from inside a car on the track. Finally I'll get to do it at the Big Bang.

No project would get this far without help... So I would like to thank Richard Homewood, Brian Burrows (get the rich ones out of the way first!), Kevo, My lil Bro Neil and Father Rod, John Maher, John Rathbone and all the well wishers from the www.volkszone.com. The relapse of my M.E. has made this all a bit of an uphill struggle but the encouragement has helped no end. BLIMEY... Almost forgot MatT Roberts, don't stress mate... We'll do it!"

We are sure that everyone that has enjoyed Paul's commentary at Santa Pod during 1999 and 2000 will join us in wishing him luck for the weekend

Shaggy and Scooby hit Shakey.
30th April: Supertwin Top Gas rider Nick "Shaggy" Daniels intends to start the season with a smile, thanks to a new paint job and a new business venture. Team Shaggyshack racing will see last years Yamaha 350 LC bike resplendent in a new 'in yer face' paint scheme, details of which are still being kept under wraps.

"New season, new number, new look! It's important not to let things get staid and predictable, so as well as changing a lot of the technical features of the bike, I felt a new look was called for too! Scooby's back, and raring to go!" says Shaggy.

Shaggy also revealed the idea behind his new business, The Shaggy Shack: "We've all done it, taken bikes to pieces in the shed with the intention of polishing, tidying, chroming and fixing, only to find that 3 years later the bike is still in bits. The Shaggyshack aims to be your one stop shop for bike refinishing.

Whether it be footrests that need chroming, a race bodykit that needs airbrushing, or a full overhaul of a seen-better-days engine, thats what the 'Shack is here for. With full polishing and chroming facilities, a professional airbrushing team on board, and far too many years of knowledge gained by working on award winning bikes, we'll treat your bike as if it's our own."

There will be a new website launching soon, and as always Shaggy will be his own best advertisement when the new STG3 chassis and bodykit hits the track next weekend. Anyone interested in more information can contact Shaggy at info@theshaggyshack.co.uk

Sunday School.
30th April: Thanks to Nitro Funny Car Championship Co-ordinator Jim Broome for letting us know that following on from the success of Bob Jarrett's question and answer session on nitro Funny Cars held in the Showtime pit on the Sunday morning of the Easter Thunderball, another of the sessions, which have been dubbed "Sunday School" by the fans that attended, is planned for this weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway.

The session, which offers a unique opportunity to get an insight into running a Fuel Funny Car and to chat to Bob Jarrett, is planned to start at 9.30am on Sunday morning at the Showtime Racing pit area and will run for about an hour.

Web site updates.
30th April: Michael Buhagiar, webmaster of the Maltese Drag Racing web site has been in touch to let us know that he has made some changes to the set up of the site and has also updated it with a report and some pictures from the recent event.

New look for Junerud.

29th April: Stefan Junerud debuted a new paint scheme on his Supertwins Fuel bike recently at the Elmia Custom show. Joining him at the show were the bikes of Ulf Nylen and Danne Asander and amazingly all three bikes went away from the show with trophies. "It says something about the popularity of the Supertwin bikes." says Stefan.

He goes on to tell us that there is more than just new paint work on the bike, but doesn't want to say too much until he and the crew have had a chance to test everything to make sure it works.

Top Methanol Round 2.
29th April: Thanks to the Competition Co-ordinator of the British Top Methanol Championship, Dave Alexander, for the following preview of round two of the championship at Shakespeare County Raceway next weekend.

Next weekend is the second round of the MSA British Drag Racing British Championship and what a round this promises to be.

The first round featured a new British record of 5.597 seconds for the quarter mile from Dave Wilson that would also have taken a tenth of second off the European record.

Current British and FIA champion Rob Turner will not be content to know that he won that event after Wilson broke a throttle cable. Meanwhile the rest of the field are also making good impressions. The Shell racing team of Martyn Hannis and Doug Bond were coming to grips with wholesale quantities of additional horsepower and Stephanie Milam is showing signs of breaking into the six second zone anytime now. 'Flying Dutchman' Lex Joon has made a last-minute entry with the Dutch Spirit Top Methanol Funny Car and will be travelling from Zandaam in Holland. Lex's last visit to the track was in 1999 and he'll be warmly welcomed back. The Dutch team have made big changes for this season, a new Z28 Chevrolet Camaro Body, a 526 cubic inch Brad Anderson engine and a Crower clutch complete the combination.

Maltese Rules and Regs.
29th April: Robert Galea has updated his website at www.zoqdiracing.cjb.net with the latest race dates for Hal Far Raceway and also the updated rules and regulations issued by the competition secretary Anthony Borda.

Llewellyn Not Ready to Race!
29th April: Following on from yesterdays news item about the return of Zane Llewellyn we received the following email from Zane with some more news! "Unfortunately, I took a fall this weekend (no not drink-related!) and have badly sprained my foot so although the dragster is just about ready, the driver/ chief mechanic etc, is not. We will have to miss the Mayday meet and hope that I am recovered in time for the Main Event. For the time being I'll be making use of the sofa for a change!" Bad luck Zane and hope to see you at the Main Event.

But Tig is...
29th April: After a successful debut into Pro ET at Super Series 4 at Shakespeare County Raceway last year, Tig Napier returns to competition at the Spring Nationals next weekend. After a winter engine tear-down Tig hopes to improve on last year's best time of 10.72, after discovering it was done with two blown head gaskets and a broken valve spring! In addition to sorting out these problems Tig and Cath (Top chef - Ed) have fitted a new 8" custom torque converter, reconfigured the rear suspension and upped the compression as well. We also understand the car should also be sporting Cath's birthday present at SS1, a new water pump!

Plans for Manor.
29th April: 10.90 and 9.90 bike team Manor racing have taken stock of how things went last year and made their plans for this season's racing. This year will see a father and son team as dad Ian returns to the saddle of the 9.90 bike while son David moves onto a new 10.90 bike. Here's what they had to say:

David Warren 10.90 bike
David exceeded all our expectations when he raced my bike last year, he gave us a lot of proud moments especially his first time racing in 9.90 bike, we thought he was brilliant, but he was supposed to go out there and gain experience, not win races. After David had his crash we all had a hard look at what was going to happen this year and we decided it would be sad not to continue but to clip his enthusiastic riding style and extend the team to include a new race bike for David to race in 10.90. We have brought a Suzuki 750cc WT which Straightline racing have tuned and prepared for this year. The bike is at present having the paintwork finished off with chequer along the sides of the bike and will be finished in time for the next round at Shakespeare County raceway. At The Thunderball, David did very well on the new bike, which ran sweet, to qualify No4, with an 11.017 / 130mph (best speed of the meeting again for David). David has shown no ill effects of his crash and won his first eliminator, but went out with a cherry against Darren Winnard.

Ian Warren 9.90 bike
After a two year lay up after receiving a double spiral fracture of the right leg and an operation to his right knee, Ian will be back full time for one last crack at the championship (before he gets to old). The bike has undergone a full rebuild and Straightline racing have tuned - prepared the bike and have found another 6bhp (well done lads). The bike is supporting new bodywork, Suzuki 750 WT, and both bikes will share the same design in paintwork. At the Thunderball Ian was having all sorts of trouble and at one point he was nearly thrown over the front of the bike, this was due to a wiring fault which was traced and fixed. Ian went straight in to the number 7 position with a 10.112 / 135mph on the final qualifying round, thanks must go to a fellow competitor, Grant Perrin, for sorting out a problem with the bike just before that run. Ian won the first eliminator and then went out in the second eliminator losing by 0.019sec at the finish to Mark Hammond.

We would like to say a big thank you to our 2002-team sponsors and hope the fans support the companies that support drag racing in this country:

Compupay (Professional Payroll Services)
DP Brake Pads (Manufactures of Road & Racing Brake Pads)
Galasso Art & Sign Makers (Professional Airbrushing)
Motrax (Suppliers of Morris Oils & Lubricants)
Straightline Racing.

Both Ian and David's aims are to win through more rounds and get closer to their class index. We are both looking forward to racing each other in the near future, and like to say thank you to our new crew member Matt Jay whose work is top notch and thank you to Angie and Stephen for all of their help and encouragement. We will both like to say good luck and have a safe weekend to all those that are going to be racing at the Spring Nationals.

Remembering Paul Willis.
28th April: Please take a moment to head over to Ian Kings website at www.kingracing.com where Ian has posted a moving poem that was penned by Jamie and Jemma Willis in memory of their dad.

Rønning retires.
28th April: Linda Rønning has been in touch to lets us know the sad news that due to a lack of sponsorship she has taken the tough decision to retire from the sport. Linda started her career back in 1994 when she was the first privateer to get a junior dragster, with help from former champ Steinar Stolen. "I want to thank him for the support" says Linda.

At teh tender age of 16 Linda moved into Super Comp. Linda takes up the story "Unfortunately the car did not have the right combination and I had more problems than I had fun racing it. I had an offer to race a Top Fuel Dragster this year and worked very hard to get sponsors in Norway but that wasn't easy. I know racers in other countries also have difficulties to get sponsors, but I live in a country that is not a big motorsports country. At some races I have been working together with Rune Fjeld and his team and got to know Barry Sheavills and Gordie Bonin (2 great drivers and guys). I have learnt more about about nitro racing than most 16-20 year olds . I would also like to thank Gary Page and all the others that took good care of me when I was at the banquet at Santa Pod 2 years ago,it was fun. If someone wants me as driver or in a Team please let me know The Eurodragster has my email address."

If anybody wants to contact Linda drop us a line at webmaster@eurodragster.com and we will put you in touch.

No shake for Ellis at Shakey.
28th April: Super Mod racer Graham Ellis is finishing preparations to the Olds Cutlass for the second round of the Super Mod championship at Shakespeare County next weekend. Graham tells us that at the Easter Thunderball he managed to shake the car so bad it broke things and split the body in places and that he is in no hurry to do that again! A refurbished clutch should help with the tyre shake.

The team also have fitted new ratio's to the Lenco gearbox to give a lower first gear and a more even spread acroos the gears to try and help with the quest to get the normally aspirated Olds down into the 7's. "I'm determined to get somewhere near the top nitrous cars as both Danny Cockerill and Rob Smallworth have the edge over me at the moment." reveals Graham.

It isn't just the Lenco that has been receiving attention though, Graham goes on to say "Other new things this year are the low tension rings, vac pump, some head work and a general lightening of the rotating assembly. I'm going out with the intentions of gaining some points. I'm not making any predictions, I don't want to look silly if I say lots and do little!"

Graham also tells us that a crew member of his will be debuting his own SM car at the next event and that he has a good engine, a 500ci B1 chrysler built by Koffel in the States exactly to exactly the same spec as Geoff Hauser's 7 sec motor, lots of HP and relatively small so he can be minimum weight. "I wish I'd never sold the motor, but I don't think Rob or Nick would allow me to put a Chrysler motor in the Olds!" said Graham.

Llewellyn ready to race.
28th April: Its been a very busy start to the year for Bristol's Zane Llewellyn, but next weekend will see Zane in competition for the first time this year at the Spring Nationals at Shakespeare County Raceway. Over to you Zane:

"After a very busy start to the year, organising the English side of the FHRA 25th Annivesary American Car Show, helping with the completion of numerous Hot Rods for the 2002 Season and not to mention giving Conrad Stanley all the help he needed after twice having engine problems with his new Pro ET Vega. We are now in a position to devote some of our precious time to the build-up of the Boot Soop super comp dragster.

I've updated the cage to the latest SFI spec ready for when we in England follow the new 'Helmet Bar' rule. Also new seat belts have been fitted as the car is now amazingly in it's fifth year of racing! The rear end is narrowed to suit the new wheels that I fitted at the beginning of last year, I ran with the car 3" too wide last year and just couldn't bear to look at it! Last of all the heads have been freshened and treated to new valve springs, the old ones were fitted in 1991 and I thought they'd like a rest! Also the heads needed .011" removed to straighten them out after seventeen (yes, seventeen!) years of racing. I think they've got a few more years in them yet! We'll be doing more of the same, running 8.90's at around the 150mph mark with no real step up in power (who needs it?). We're looking forward to seeing everyone for the first time this year."

Super Series shorts.
28th April: Two other teams ready for the Spring Nationals next weekend are Pete Bellenie with his Super Street Bike and Team B Sting with their Wildbunch Altered. Both were testing last weekend at Shakespeare County raceway's Test and Tune weekend and sent us some brief thoughts.

Pete was glad to get some track time in after the bike wouldn't play at the Thunderball because of a broken starter clutch. That has now been repaired together with an ignition mod done by Paul Wing. Pete says "I am glad I attended the Test and Tune at Shakey last week because I had lots of cobwebs to blow away, I think I got some of them, so roll on next week."

Team B Sting had an up and down weekend, failing to get a run in on Saturday but running strong on Sunday. Here's team member Barry Bo views on things "well after running our quickest and fastest numbers at the T 'n'T the WB3 'Sting boys are pretty psyched about the Spring Nationals. We dropped our previous quickest by a tenth and picked up 2 mph over our previous mph mark ! It will be a much closer run thing this year, with only three rounds to contest as opposed to the previous five and we are looking for a higher final position than our debut season 4th in 2000."

Web site updates.
28th April: Drag bike racing in Hungary is now on the net at www.dragbike.hu.

British Top Methanol Racer Lindsay Deuchar has updated his website with the ongoing saga of his attempts to get the car and awning(!) ready for racing. Fans will be pleased to hear Lindsay is entered for the Spring Nationals at Shakespeare County Raceway next weekend. To get the full story head to www.laracing.co.uk.

Webmaster of Feel the Noise Bob Valder would like all racers who already have their own page on the site to send in their best ET and speeds so that this information can be added to their respective pages. To make this easier, there is a form available, via a link on the home page.

Greek Drags.
27th April: Zman from White Line Cycles has been in touch to let us know that Greek drag racing is moving south this weekend for the second race of the season,once again at the military airport of Tripoli in the heart of Pelloponese. "Record crowds are expected as the north vs south rivalry hasn't settled any accounts during the first race mainly due to the bad weather that discouraged a lot of racers from Athens to make the 1200km round trip to Serres a month ago.The ten second street monsters from Thessaloniki are coming in big numbers to compete against the 700 hp Lotus, Lancia Integrale and Escorts of the capital's record holders." says Zman.

Once again the motorcycles are restricted to a sprint race as the concave surface of the runway is giving the 12" slick bikes a tendency to move towards the barriers and only a narrow section in the middle allows for a straight run.

We also understand that the local authorities have taken things one step further this year by throwing a big feast at the main square of the city saturday night,with a car show and live music to welcome the racers and fans!

Fat, Fast and Back!
27th April: The man who took America by storm and earned himself the nickname "Fat and Fast" is returning to competition at the Super Series Spring Nationals next weekend. Chris "Cannon" Hannam was last seen riding the MRE funnybike now in the hands of Neil Midgley, but the big man has not been idle since then. He has a new bike just about ready to go, a fuel injected turbo hayabusa with a state of the art Todd Athanas swing arm and Trac Dynamics raked yolks both from the States.

Cannon tells us that "The engine and turbo development is by myself and my good friend ex superstreet champ Jack Frost of Holeshot Racing, with billet oil pump, starter and clutch center by cannon engineering and the latest edition to the mre range a multistage turret clutch and and it is making 400+hp!"

Cannon will be entering the machine in Comp bike with a view to dialing everything in together for a race winning package. "I hope to be running low 8 sec passes and may be into the 7s who knows its certainly got the power but running through a 7" slick and carrying me(!) will be one of its limiting factors." says Chris. We understand if all goes according to plan then Chris will also be taking the bike to Woodbridge airfield on May 18/19th with Holeshot Racing to contest the British land speed record, which Jack Frost presently holds at 226mph average.

Beck in the USA.
27th April: Whilst one Brit that has taken on the Americans on their home turf will be back with us at the Super Series Spring Nationals, another who regularly takes on the Americans will not. Dave Beck is on duty in the US riding the MRE Pro Mod bike at the Prostar race in Richmond Virginia. Dave takes up the story "This will be a hard slog to get ready after we burnt the bike to the ground in testing at Atlanta last month. We think a fuel line broke and the then the pump sprayed fuel onto the pipe and that caused the whole of the bike to catch fire and burn every wire and controller and pump off the bike. All credit for fixing the bike has to go to Jay Regan as he has worked into the night trying to get the bike fixed up for the next race."

Jay is not the only one who has been working hard as Dave himself has work to do after braking a cam chain in winning the final at the Easter race. You may remember that Dave's bike looked very good with a new carbon fibre Busa body kit on it. Dave tells us that "The body is a full 10 pounds lighter than the old one. If anyone is interested in purchasing one of the new bodies get in touch with me at beck.racing@virgin.net"

Web site updates.
27th April: Dog Squad racing have updated their website with details of a somewhat fraught Test and Tune weekend at Shakespeare County as carb problems kept the Growler altered from performing properly. Check out www.growlerracing.co.uk for all the details.

Finally, Eurodragster staffer Sharkman has added some new goodies to his personal site in the form of downloadable windows screen savers. These feature a selection of pictures from the last few years (Although thankfully none of Sharkman himself! - Ed). There are 4 available to download ranging in size from 2meg to 4.5meg depending on the number of images. Sharkman's site can be found at www.topendtales.com

Malin's Sunday spin.
26th April: UK Outlaw Anglia racer Gary Malin has been in touch to let his fans know how his crash at the APIRA Test and Tune on Sunday felt from the inside. "I launched very hard with the new transbrake", says Gary, "running a 1.4-second sixty foot. It started to drift at 105 mph at half-track, and then at three-quarter track, at eight seconds, I had a severe drift which left me with little or no steering.

"By this time, according to the time ticket, I was travelling at more than 120 mph when I hit the armco, rolled, and came to a stop on the driver's side of the vehicle. I then looked out of the windscreen which wasn't there and saw fuel siphoning from the fuel tank out of the carb at a very fast rate. This is when I thought that it was time to unbuckle the harness and get the heck out! I climbed up and out of the passenger door and the fire crew were there to greet me.

"The reason for the crash was simple: the shovel nose on the car caused an uplift, like an umbrella under the front end which gave me an irretrievable loss of steering.

"I would like to thank all of the staff at Shakespeare County Raceway including the FAST Crew (excellent job), my Crew Chief Linda Malin, and of course fellow Outlaw Anglia racer Paul Wright."

NSCC success at Test and Tune.
26th April: The APIRA Test and Tune featured round one of this year's National Street Car Championship, with Russ Pursley taking the win in his Dutton. James Murray reported in with some details of the weekend action.

"Round 1 of the NSCC was a great success. We had nineteen cars running, with many new faces joining the regulars. After hitting the track on Saturday, most of us took our cars for a gentle cruise out to a local pub. Despite an earlier 10.7-second pass from Rick Swan in his recently backhalved 502ci Capri, and the growth of a blower on Ian Walley's twin turbo V6 Cortina, it was Russ Pursley in the 350ci Dutton who went home with full points, taking the win with an 11.3. Hard luck to Nick Crampton who blew a head gasket on Saturday, and top effort to Shaun Wilson who broke down just ten miles away, got trailed back to Blackpool, but still drove down again to give the Mustang a good thrashing."

The NSCC awards points for attending cruises as well as races, so Ian Walley now leads the NSCC with 2700 points, followed by Russ Pursley on 2300 and Chris McCullough on 2150. You can get full details on the NSCC including the full points run-down and competitor list on the series' official web site at www.nscc.info.

Another taster for Custard Tart.
26th April: UK VW Sportsman racer Natasha Garcia (aka Peaches) is taking the chance to test her Custard Tart Beetle at this weekend's Run What You Brung at Santa Pod Raceway before going into round two of the Vokswagen Drag Racing Club Championships at next week's Big Bang.

"Having had a few problems during the first round, due to some last minute parts not working quite as I'd have liked, we have been working hard to get the car ready", says Natasha. "The car had only been back from the body shop a few days before the first round, so there wasn't time to finish a lot of the things which we had planned to fit. The car has now had a few new engine parts, and also has a tach fitted which led to some surprises when we ran the car. This Sunday is going to be the first opportunity to run the car with everything set up the way we want to, so I'll be focusing on getting some consistency and ironing out any last minute problems in time for next weekend."

Pictures from Hal Far.
26th April: Our good friend Paul Galea has very kindly sent us a number of photographs of last weekend's action at Hal Far Raceway on Malta. The pictures give a good idea of the level of presentation and professionalism to be found on Malta, and as for the weather...

Click here to see Paul's pictures from Hal Far.

Web site updates.
26th April: The latest update on the progress of Håkan Nilsson's new Camaro Pro Mod has now been posted on the Nilsson Motorsports web site at www.nilssonmotorsports.com. "The chassis is on its way to the paint shop right now", says team member Ulf Stadig.

Ian Turburville (aka Turbo) has given his web site a makeover and is promising more new pages soon. Turbo's site covers his design business, his race team, his photography, special deals on videos and posters, and more - check it out at www.turboville.com.

Springnationals entry list.
25th April: The official entry list for next week's Super Series Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway is now available, courtesy of Wendy Talbot of APIRA. It shows a very healthy entry across all classes with some 240 racers listed. Click here to view the entry list.

The Super Series Springnationals takes place on 4th-6th May, and features the first round of the British Fuel Funny Car Championship; the second rounds of the MSA British Drag Racing Championship, UK National Championships, ACU UK Drag Bike Championships, Custom Car Street Eliminator, Super Modified Championship and the Wild Bunch and Real Steel Championships; the first round of the National Association of Supertwins and Outlaw Anglia Championships.

Super Series organisers Obsession Motorsports tell us that some of the larger classes will start their eliminations on the Sunday afternoon and that all classes will run on Monday: due to the large entry, the proposed all-in bracket will not run on Monday. The Fuel FCs will have one qualifier on Saturday and two on Sunday, and Top Methanol will have two qualifiers each on Saturday and Sunday. 9.50 Bike and 10.50 Bike will not be running at this event due to low entries.

There will be a minute's silence for Paul Willis at 10:45 on the Monday morning. Racers are asked to ensure that all engines are stopped in the pits at this time.

Tickets are £15 on Saturday 4th, £18 on Sunday 5th, and £20 on Monday 6th; £25 Saturday/Sunday, £30 Sunday/Monday and £35 for the weekend. Under-sixteens go free. Action starts at 10:00 on Saturday and at 11:00 on Sunday and Monday. For more details call 01483 236262, and for more details about Shakespeare County Raceway including a map, check out the track's official web site at www.shakespearecountyraceway.com.

Racers: Don't hesitate to send your Springnationals race previews to us at news@eurodragster.com.

Web site updates.
25th April: Custom Car Street Eliminator racer Ian Hook's web site has been updated with a new entry in the Fatty's Diary which is documenting the rebuild of the popular '34 Ford which crashed at Santa Pod last season. You can also find all the latest news from the CCSE scene including points standings after the Easter Thunderball. Check it out at www.fbracing.co.uk.

Bill Sly has updated his Bad Boys Imagin' web site with the first set of photographs from last weekend's APIRA Test and Tune. This set of photographs features the Wild Bunch and can be found at www.badboysimagin.com.

UK Championship points.
24th April: Post-Easter Thunderball points standings in the UK National Championships are now available on our Points Standings page, courtesy of points co-ordinators Yvonne Tramm and Simon Groves. We are grateful to APIRA and SPRC for continuing to supply us with the Championship standings in 2002.

Author seeks Gwynn info.
24th April: Award-wining US author Erik Arneson has been in touch asking for help with the official biography of Darrell Gwynn, which he is currently writing. "I would like to talk to anyone who was on the safety crew and involved in Darrell's rescue after his crash at Santa Pod Raceway in 1990", says Erik. If you can help then please E-Mail Erik at ErikArneson@clearchannel.com.

Big Bang entry list.
24th April: Thanks to Spencer Tramm who has forwarded us the official entry list for the Volkswagen Drag Racing Club Championship round at next week's Big Bang at Santa Pod Raceway. You can view the entry list by clicking here.

You can find more details about the Big Bang at www.bugjam.co.uk/bigbang2002.htm.

Paul Willis' funeral.
23rd April: UK Pro Stock Bike racer Paul Willis' funeral takes place tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) in Exeter. You can find full details including directions on the Pit Lane Gossip page of the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com. Ian King also reports that parts of Paul's race operation are to be sold to provide funds for his family; again you can find full details on the King Racing web site.

Miller rocks the Tower.
23rd April: The return of legendary Rocket Funny Car pilot Sammy Miller at the Speedfreaks Ball at Santa Pod Raceway in May is definitely on after successful tie-down testing last week. Event organiser Martin Hill wrote to let us know how the tests went.

"After a long and intensive inspection of the Vanishing Point Rocket Car, tests were carried out on Friday and Saturday to establish the expected performance at the forthcoming Speedfreaks Ball", says Martin. "During static and launch tests the car exceeded all expectations. All the previous fuel problems have now been eliminated. The car was set up very soft, and on every purge of the rocket motor the windows in the Tower, and the Tower itself, moved violently (oh good - Race Control-based raceday reporter). Vanishing Point and Sammy Miller are back!"

Fore more details on the Speedfreaks Ball, including ticket prices, check out the official web site at www.speedfreaksball.co.uk.

Main Event forms available.
23rd April: Word-format invitations, supplementary regulations and entry forms for all classes at June's FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway are now available for download on the Entry Forms page of the Santa Pod Racers Club web site at www.eurodragster.com/sprc.

Dutch SG series still growing.
23rd April: The Dutch Open Super Gas Championship is still growing, says Robert Joosten. "We already have fifteen competitors signed up, with more to come. It looks like there could be a twenty-car field or more!", he says. Robert adds that the prize money for the series has now reached 4800 Euros.

The Dutch Open SG Championship has rounds in Holland, Germany and the UK and as the title implies is open to racers from any country. For more details check out the series' official web site at www.supergas.tiscaliweb.nl.

Hot weekend at Hal Far.
23rd April: Thanks to Michael Buhagiar and Robert Galea for sending us summaries of the weekend's events at Hal Far Raceway on Malta.

Amongst the highlights of the weekend were the V8 dragsters of John Caruana and Alan Desira and the methanol-injected Cosworth-engined dragster of David Bonavia. The fastest time of the day during a competitive run was achieved by Alan Desira and his team with a 8.0-second run against John Cassar, and the fastest time of the day was that of David Bonavia's Peel'n'go dragster which recorded 7.6/174 during an exhibition run. The Game Over Sierra driven by Alan Camilleri, built by the Bambinu Brothers and runing a small-block Chevy tuned by Zoqdi, ran 9.3/143. Alan Zammit's Cosworth-powered Showtime Escort, also built by the Bambinu Brothers and tuned by Zoqdi, ran a best-ever of 8.8/150. Marco Zammit's Rock Escort, built by Kalakku and with its Ford 2.1 again tuned by Zoqdi, ran a best-ever of 11.5/115. Manty Bugeja was also putting in passes in Frans Sultana's nitrous-equipped Escort 2100 which is nicknamed Diabolic. Only two trucks were present, those of Tommy Agius and Mario Attard. Tommy Agius won the Open 1 class at 11.8 seconds, and Mario Attard won the handicap race by winning two out of three.

You can find reports and photographs from Hal Far on Michael Buhagiar's Maltese Drag Racing web site at www.geocities.com/dragraceway, and on Robert Galea's Zodqi Racing web site at www.zoqdiracing.cjb.net.

Does just what it says on the van.
23rd April: Rookie UK Pro ET racer Terri Lee is in rueful mood this week after her eye-catching Blown It van did just that at the Run What You Brung at Santa Pod Raceway on Sunday.

"Sunday got off to a promising start when we found a picture of the van in the Sunday Times", says Terri. "We went to the Pod to try out the torque converter again, but on the very first run the van decided to live up to its name at about three-quarter track - you guessed it, we've blown it! After returning home and stripping it down it seems we have damaged the blower, block and some pistons. Some phone calls will be needed to sort things out, but right now it's time for a few Buds and some chocolate. Big thanks to Richard and Helen Potts for their help on Sunday."

Match Race Madness.
23rd April: We've had some great weekend reports from racers who attended the APIRA Test and Tune.

First up is 10.90 Bike racer Fred Furlong who discovered a chip off the old block. "I was hoping to fine-tune my bike before the Springnationals - I should not have taken my son along on his Yamaha R1", says Fred. "Seeing Paul in the other lane made me forget I was a bracket racer, and father-son competition took over because I did not want to be beaten. I red-lit on the first pass but evened the score on the second. Paul fancied his chances on the third run, so I turned up my shift point, running a Personal Best ET of 10.4 on my Gixer. For the last race we decided to treat it as a 10.90 eliminator, Paul winning with a lesser break-out running 10.7 on his Streetfighter R1. Final score two-all, and perhaps a new competitor for 10.90 Bike. Thanks son, and well done mate."

The Never Again Drag Racing Team wrote with an apology to their fellow racers after the Coco Connection Camaro oiled the track on Saturday. "The car has had many engine gremlins over the last two years, and this was the first time out with the all-new Jeff Bull-rebuilt 489cu engine", says team member Andy. "Indeed this was a test and tune to the truest sense! The second pass on the Saturday was a 10.3 but a brand new rocker cover gasket failed and sprayed a fine oil mist over the exhaust headers. The burning oil resulted in quite a floorshow with Dave Evans totally oblivious to the Krakatoa-style eruption behind him. The engine lost about a pint of oil, so many apologies to the other racers whose racing was disrupted, many thanks to the FAST Team for the swift response and the rapid clean up. Dave Evans ran a new personal best on the Sunday of 9.817 at 137mph."

Wild Bunch racer 'Crazy' Chris Hartnell was one of a number of racers to break personal bests at Shakespeare County Raceway. "Good weekend wasn't it?", he says. "We put some tyre compound on the slicks and put in a new set of spark plugs, and that was all we did all Winter - apart from changing the oil, which we do every two runs anyway. And off the trailer, we ran a 9.283 at 139 mph! Personal Best ET and MPH! Not bad for starters! On the second run on Saturday, I pulled a big wheelie again and ran 9.315/137. These are the first runs we've been able to get over 135 mph in three years! On Sunday, we were running in round one of the Wild Bunch Series. The track was great. We dialled in at 9.35 and ran 9.2s all day! Who'd have thought it? The first run was a 9.237, even better than Saturday! Wow! I didn't mind going under the dial-in for that one! That run was against Mark Flavell, who ran a 9.10 - might get him next time! Second run of the day was a 9.27, and the third a 9.261, pretty consistent to start the season off, but the 9.2's surprised us! We took third place in a field of twenty Wild Bunch, and won the 'Best Slingshot' spot prize to boot! Thanks to my crew Lee, Claire and Scottie, and a host of other part-time crew! It was great to see everybody again at Shakespeare County Raceway, and thanks once again to all the FAST team and marshals and officials for all their hard work throughout the event. Look forward to the Springnationals in two weeks' time!"

Super Gas racer Paul Hudson had a good time testing, but had a trip home to forget. "After a great day's testing at SCR we were on our way home when one of the water hoses on the lorry decided it wasn't going to play any more and split wide open, spilling 4 gallon of coolant onto the M42 and leaving the engine bone dry about half way through single-lane roadworks which were six miles long!", says Paul. "By the time we had got to the end of the roadworks and could use the hard shoulder, the temperature gauge was so far into the 'hot' bit that the pointer was bending! Once we had parked up I could change the hose, but couldn't find any water. I would like to thank Jerry Collier who pulled up to help. We filled the radiator up with the contents of my lorry's and Jerry's vans' washer bottles, a bottle of lemonade, two bottles of orangeade, and even some beer! With this I crawled to a service station - with the lorry smelling of a mix of boiled lemon and orange and a brewery - and filled up with water. Then we could get home. However, as we pulled off the motorway we could hear an ominous knocking sound from the engine and it seems as if one of the big end bearings has gone. This probably won't get repaired before the Spring Nationals. However, we are trying to organise a replacement lorry or a van to pull a trailer I've got so that we can get there."

Paging Ray Hoare.
23rd April: Another racer celebrating Personal Bests last weekend is Paul Harvey, driver of the Locomotion rear-engine dragster. "It was an excellent weekend for the car and team", says Paul. "I recorded new personal bests of 8.83 and 149.50 mph. Thanks to long term crew Brian (ex-Rob the Cosworth-powered three-wheeled Reliant Robin), John and Mark."

Paul also tells us that he is keen to get in contact with Ray Hoare, who originally built the dragster back in the 1970s when it was known as Turbo Saxon. If anyone knows of Ray's whereabouts then please drop us an E-Mail at webmaster@eurodragster.com and we'll put Paul in touch.

More Test and Tune pictures.
23rd April: The last word on the APIRA Test and Tune, for today at least, with the news that more photographs from the weekend are now available.

Firstly, our good buddy Bob Frye's photographs from Saturday are now available via our APIRA Test and Tune coverage index which you can reach by clicking here, or by clicking on the Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster page.

Eurodragster staffer Sharkman has also posted Test and Tune pictures on his personal web site Sharkman's Top End Tales at www.topendtales.com.

Finally, the Feel The Noise web site has been updated with the first batch of pictures from the weekend, with more to be added later on this week. You can find Feel The Noise at www.feel-the-noise.com.

Well-oiled Bruiser.
23rd April: Paul Marston Racing have announced another sponsor for the PT Bruiser in the form of 76 Racing Oils and Fuels, who have signed up as official supplier of oils, lubricants and fuels not just for the race car but for all of the team's vehicles. "76 Racing Oils and Fuels have enormous presence in America, with major affiliation with NASCAR, Drag Racing, Drag Boats, Dirt Trackers, Monster Trucks, Stock Cars, the list is endless", says Paul Marston. "As you would expect they have an extensive and comprehensive range of fluids for engines of all types, as well as race-only they also have a wide range of quality oils for road vehicles too. Both the transporter and the support vehicle will be running exclusively on 76 Racing Oils and Fuels product, along with the PT Bruiser which will use 76 Oils in the motor, automatic gearbox and rear axle.

"76 Racing Oils and Fuels are exactly the kind of guys we were looking for, a pro-active associate. A lot of time was spent carefully selecting the correct oil for the motor along with the gearbox. The motor received the attention of Technical Head of Blending to ensure that the fuel had exactly what the motor needs in the way of lubricants and enrichments. All of us at Paul Marston Racing were impressed with the attention to detail shown by their engineers. This is the kind of technical support which, when the chips are down, can really come through for you. So where can you get it? 76 Racing Oils and Fuels is a quality product and is only available from selected outlets, one of the latest stockists being our very own Santa Pod Shop in the pits. So at last if you need any engine oils, automatic transmission fluid, axle oil etc. then go no further than the Pod Shop. It makes a change from having to try to find another team with some spare. For any technical details on the 76 Racing product range, either call in at our pit area or Paul Jackson’s VW dragster pit for a brochure. We will also have staff from 76 Racing as our guests at various events during the year who, I am sure, will be happy to answer technical questions and give advice.

"I would personally like to thank all of the concerned fans and racers who contacted us regarding our problems at the Easter Thunderball, where we elected not to run in eliminations due to some delicate problems. We had many offers of help and advice for which we were very grateful. I would like to especially thank John Ellis, head man at C & S Racing, for the use of his endoscope. I am happy to report that all is well and that we will be back out at the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway. We can hardly wait!"

Web site updates.
23rd April: If you were tuned in last month you will remember that we previewed Swedish Top Methanol FC racer Leif Helander's trip to the USA to work with his friends the Simpson family (not that Simpson family - Ed), who also race a Top Alcohol FC, in Houston. You can now find the story of Leif's trip on the Starkotter web site at www.starkotter.se.

Another Swedish TMFC racer on the US trail recently was FIA European TMFC Champion Leif Andréasson, who went one round of competition in Houston after taking out Vern Moats. Reports and photographs from the Andréasson Mototsports US Tour are now available on their official web site at www.andreassonmotorsports.com. Look out for an even worse pun than the above Terri Lee headline in the Houston second round report!

Custom Car Street Eliminator racer Andy Frost has updated his web site the latest on the build of his Red Victor 2 race car. "Apologies to people who've been on my site to find no updates for a while", says Andy. "This is due to a high workload at work and at home. But rest assured I will be at the Main Event, even if hell freezes over! I need to drive this car!". You can find the Red Victor web site at www.redvictor1racing.co.uk.

Malin thanks FAST.
22nd April: Outlaw Anglia racer Gary Malin was quick to thank those who came to his aid after his top end crash at Shakespeare County Raceway yesterday. "The right rear lifted and it was gone", said Gary. The car veered across the track, went up on its side, tagged the guardrail then flipped. The FAST crew were there before the car stopped. "The rescue crew did a fantastic job, thanks to everyone who helped", said Gary. "The car is totalled, but we'll be back with another race car."

Faulkner sniffs out problem.
22nd April: Pro ET racer Rob Faulkner bounced back from his problems at the Easter Thunderball, running a number of low nines at almost 150 mph in his Crossfire Camaro at the APIRA Test and Tune over the weekend. Speaking to us in the pits yesterday, Rob revealed the cause of the problems at Santa Pod a few weeks back.

"A friend of mine works at a restoration garage", said Rob. "They used to have a race car which burned alcohol. He had some fuel left over, he offered it to me so I took it. When I took the lid off, it smelt strange but I took it anyway. We went to Santa Pod and it wouldn't idle, it wouldn't do anything. It ran twelves and elevens. Then I got some clean fuel from Martin Curbishley, and it ran 9.77. It turned out that what I was running on wasn't alcohol, it was Gumwash thinners!"

The thinners are now finding gainful employment elsewhere, and Rob's quest for an eight-second pass is back on.

Web site updates.
22nd April: The official web site of the UK's Shockwave Fuel Funny Car team has been updated with a report from the Easter Thunderball. "Because of the time spent repairing the car, the update has taken a little longer to produce, but the job is done now", says crew member Stuart. You can find the Shockwave Racing web site at www.funnycar.uk.com.

The official web site of Swedish Pro Stock team AC Delco/Malmgren Racing has been updated with more photographs from their Revenge 2002 tour in the USA. Check it out at www.acdracing.net.

Robert Galea has updated the Zoqdi Racing web site with photographs of the weekend's action at Malta's Hal Far Raceway. You can find the Zoqdi Racing site at www.zoqdiracing.cjb.net.

And another photo update, this time from Andrew Bamford who has posted some great Easter Thunderball pictures on his web site at www.racing-green.co.uk.

APIRA Test and Tune coverage.
21st April: It's been a very busy weekend at Shakespeare County Raceway with the pairing lanes never less then packed and non-stop action on the track.

Click here to see our reports and photographs from Shakespeare County Raceway, or click on the Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster page. We will post Bob Frye's pictures very shortly.

Marcus' day off.
21st April: The Wildside Inc Top Fuel Dragster team took a day off from preparing the Fueller for this season when crew member Marcus Humphrees married Melissa in Bedford on Friday. "Marcus has been working very hard on the car so we let him have a holiday!", said driver Darryl Bradford. We would like to wish Marcus and Melissa all the best for the future.

Paul Willis.

19th April: We are very sorry to have to report the death of UK bike racer Paul Willis who passed away on Wednesday after a long and brave fight against cancer. Paul was a Champion and record holder in Pro Stock Bike but also helped to originate Funny Bike in the UK.

Paul's skills as a rider and tuner always meant that when he came to the start line you could guarantee that you were about to see something special, and he was always friendly and approachable in the pits.

To Paul's parents and sister, his wife Julie, children Jamie and Jemma and all of his family and friends we offer our very deepest sympathy.

If you would like to send a tribute then please send it to ian@kingracing.com.

Hal Far set for race #2.
19th April: Malta's second race of the year takes place at Hal Far Raceway this weekend, 20th-21st April. It was preceded by a RWYB last weekend, and Bernie Hepworth and Michael Buhagiar very kindly sent us some details.

"There were a number of drivers making their last test and tune passes, and a large number of street cars which also got in great runs on the strip", says Michael. Bernie tells us that the RWYB was attended by two Super Pro-type Chevy dragsters running in the mid-eights, together with a number of street bikes and the omnipresent Ford Escorts. Michael adds that there were some new cars in the shape of a Cosworth-powered Comp Altered, a V8-powered Mk 1 Ford Escort, and a V8 Ford Sierra tuned by Zoqdi.

Both Michael and Bernie remarked on the two drag trucks, the Maksar Construction truck driven by Tommy Agius and the Scania of Mario Attard. By all accounts these eleven-second, 120 mph machines are spectacular. "You must see this type of racing, as the trucks start off with great burnouts like two normal race cars!", says Michael.

Michael also had some words of encouragement for Bernie Hepworth, who tunes for Malta's Borg Brothers Top Methanol Dragster team, as he prepares to ride a Supertwin Top Fuel Bike this season. "Good luck Bernie, you are always welcome with the Maltese spectators", he said.

You will be able to stay in touch with events at Hal Far this weekend on Michael Buhagiar's Maltese Drag Racing web site at www.geocities.com/dragraceway.

Still on the subject of Maltese racing, Robert Galea has been in touch to let us know that the Zodqi Racing website has had a complete makeover. You can check out the new look site at http://www.zoqdiracing.cjb.net.

NDRS forms available.
19th April: Our good buddies at Svensk Dragracing have updated their web site with invitation, supplementary regulations and entry forms for this year's Nordic Drag Racing Series. "This information will be continously updated as new information is available", says Erik Zettervall. You can find the Svensk Dragracing web site at www.dragracing.se.

Team RnR announce sponsors.
19th April: The UK's Team RnR Supertwin Gas team have announced their sponsors for 2002. "Staying with us are Bright Sparks, discount mail order suppliers of motorcycle spares such as plugs, brake pads, clutch, and much more", says Ric Naylor. "New on board are Hyperbolt, distributors of alloy and titanium fasteners, and Stealth Engineering.

"Over the winter we have been analysing our old engine in depth with Stealth and identifying its weak points. Stealth have reworked the engine to overcome these and it will be used as a platform to test out many new ideas over the coming year, with a view to a new engine for the future.

"As it stands, we hope the improvements will be enough to get us our goal of nine-second passes on a street tyre and crack Jerry Collier's long-standing two-stroke twin record of 10.04s. We will be testing the revamped bike at this weekend's Test and Tune at Shakespeare County Raceway."

For more details on the Team RnR operation, check out their official web site at www.teamrnr.co.uk.

Frye has coverage covered.
19th April: If you were tuned in yesterday then you will have read that we promised some special news about our event coverage of this weekend's Test and Tune at Shakespeare County Raceway. We are pleased to announce that on Saturday we will be joined by a guest photographer all the way from the USA in the person of our good friend Bob Frye.

Regular readers will be familiar with Bob Frye's name as he photographs NHRA races at Pomona and kindly sends his spectacular pictures for posting on Eurodragster staffer Tog's personal web site. Bob also produces the video clips on NHRA's official web site. Bob happened to be in the UK on business this weekend and arrived packing his digital camera. Thanks to the good offices of APIRA Press Officer Jerry Cookson, Bob is all set to pair up with raceday photographer Sharkman on Saturday whilst raceday reporter Tog fills the notebook.

Eurodragster's American Car Imports-sponsored coverage of the APIRA Test and Tune will consist of regular reports of the on-track action during both days, with a photo gallery posted at the end of each day. You will be able to view our coverage by clicking here, or by clicking on the Event Coverage link on the left-hand side of any Eurodragster page.

We have heard from a number of other racers who will be testing or competing at SCR this weekend. First up is Super Street racer Mike Bentley, who will be testing his Brute Force Sierra. Outlaw Anglia webmaster Paul Wright tells us that OA racers Bob Hancox, Gary Malin and Dale Giles will be attending, whilst Dragtorque, Fireforce and Speedfreaks Ball webmaster Dave Nelson will be taking a turn down the track in his Mini with a view to running in Sportsman ET at some races this season. On two wheels, two-stroke team Jade Racing will be well-represented with Jerry Collier (Kawasaki H2), Rick Davies and Sefton Whitlock (RDs) all testing, with fellow Supertwin Gas racer Ric Naylor also taking to the track (see above).

Web site updates.
19th April: Sweden's SBM Racing, owners of the world's fastest Hyundai, have launched a web site at www.sbmracing.com. The car crashed at Landskrona last season and is currently being rebuilt at Bertans Racecars. Fredrik Karlsson of DTE Racing has put together this very professional web site for the team, featuring details on the car, pictures, news, links and more.

The official web site of the UK's Outlaw Anglia series has been updated with the 2002 race calendar, plus new News, Classified Advertisement and Forum pages. Check it out at www.outlaw-anglia.co.uk.

Schöfer starring in Leipzig.

18th April: German Top Methanol Dragster racer Peter Schöfer has his newly-extended and engined TMD on display at Auto Mobil International in Leipzig until this Sunday (click on picture to see a larger version).

"AMI is one of the biggest car shows in Germany, running from 13th-21st April", says crew member Gittli Koller. "This year the show is very important because the shows in Munich, Hamburg, Saarbruecken and Stuttgart have been cancelled. AMI has been very popular for the last twelve years. Many of the main manufactures use AMI to show their new cars to the public, for example Volkswagen.

"One of the halls is called the Horsepower Paradise. Peter's dragster is in this hall next to a Formula 1 car and some other circuit racers. The visitors are very interested in the dragster, and most of the time one of the PSR crew is there to answer the questions. Most of the visitiors haven't seen a dragster before, except on TV!

"When the show ends we will have to hurry because our first test will be at the Thunderstorm Event at MZA-Luckau in Germany at the beginning of May."

You can stay in touch with events at Peter Schöfer Racing on the team's official web site at www.p-s-r.com.

Race-prepped at Test and Tune.
18th April: Shakespeare County Raceway's strip is to be fully prepped for this weekend's APIRA Test and Tune, and a full complement of marshals and safety crew will be on hand, says FAST's Bruno Sanderson-Brown. This will give a boost to the several racers who are planning to turn out to the Warwickshire venue to test or to compete in the Wild Bunch and Real Steel series and the National Street Car Challenge.

UK Top Methanol and Junior Dragster Team Shell Racing will be at SCR this weekend with both cars. "We are busy reassembling the motor of the TMD", says Crew Chief Martyn Hannis. "The block has been saddled and line bored, and the crank has been ground after spinning the centre mains at the Easter Thunderball. Derek Annable will be driving the car in the Wild Bunch to get a few runs on the motor, and Joe Bond will be running Junior Modified Dragster."

Super Gas racer Paul Hudson is also taking the chance to test after showing his Camaro on the SCR stand at the Doncaster Show last weekend Jerry Collier's bike. "We are going to zero the weather station and throttle stop", says Paul. "We also intend to get as many runs in as possible to hopefully shake out any more gremlins which may be in the car. One of the breather pipes shook off the top of the engine during the burnout in the first round of eliminations at the Easter Thunderball - this was due to my bad installation techniques! Also a message to Dave Day: the 'Flat Cap and Whippet Army' is growing, you have been warned!"

Paul Croston and the 'Sting Boys' will be at SCR testing the Croston Racing J and A Murphy B'Sting Topolino Altered on Saturday, and racing in Round 1 of the 2002 Wildbunch and Real Steel Championships on Sunday. "The plan for Saturday is to try and improve on launches, 60-foot and eighth mile performance but if the 'Sting runs as consistently as last year we'll be happy, no more starter motor dramas now we have a brand new mini starter fitted, thanks to Jeff Bull", says crew member Barry Bohannon.

Mark Watkins will be making his first outing with the Team Clarkson Evans Super Street Datsun, which is sponsored by Clarkson Evans Electrical Contractors and Training, Forge Motorsport of Gloucester, and MJP Eastern Autos car parts and Nissan specialist. "We will have the old ZXtra Datsun 280ZX (Ratz) which we have just fitted with a new BBC 461", says Mark. "This was the original engine for the car when Mike Feeney owned it. We need to get in some testing before May, although only on Sunday as I am working on Saturday."

Making a welcome return to the strip this weekend are Team Predator with their Funny Bike. After a two year layoff to construct the bike from scratch using one of the last chassis made by John Clift, the team of Crew Chief Shaun Howard, rider Stu Chamberlain, tech support Roy Farmer and team manager Dave Chamberlain are all looking forward to getting back into competition.

Finally, Super Street Bike racer Peter Bellinie is hoping to test his new ride. "The weather has got to be good though - fingers crossed", says Pete.

We have had a couple of enquiries about the Eurodragster Perfect Light Award, please note that this will not be available at the APIRA Test and Tune; the next Perfect Light will be at the Springnationals at SCR on 4th-6th May. We do however hope to bring you, in the next day or so, some special news about our American Car Imports-sponsored coverage of the Test and Tune. Stay tuned.

SPR hospitality, RS RWYB.
18th April: Santa Pod Raceway's Kelly Ingall has been in touch to remind racers that discounted hospitality is available for their sponsors and VIPs at the FIA Main Event on 1st-3rd June. "The deadline for bookings is Friday 17th May", says Kelly. "We are already filling up and would advise you to take advantage of your discount as soon as possible". For more details or to make a booking, contact Kelly by E-Mail at kelly@santapod.fsnet.co.uk or call her on 07800 782828 (from outside the UK +44 1234 782828).

Also on the subject of Santa Pod Raceway, this Sunday's Run What You Brung is the Central RS Owners Regional Day. Although an RS Owners Club day, all cars and car clubs are welcome whether RS or not. There will be traders, live bands and more as well as the chance to set up grudge races. More details on Santa Pod Raceway's web site at www.santapod.com.

NSCC opens at Test and Tune.
17th April: This weekend's APIRA Test and Tune at Shakespeare County Raceway sees Round 1 of the National Street Car Challenge. "The NSCC is the Street and Strip series for the rod and custom scene", says co-ordinator James Murray. "We will be running over the two days, with qualifying on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. Pre-registration is not required; just turn up on Saturday and join in."

James says that the NSCC looks set to grow in 2002. "We are hoping for a larger turnout than the first round last year", he says. "The NSCC has rounds at Shakespeare County Raceway, Santa Pod Raceway and York Dragway this year. With thirty nine signed up already, and an enthusiastic mood, things are looking better!"

For more details either check out the NSCC web site at www.nscc.info, E-Mail James at jsm@jsm-net.demon.co.uk, or call him on 0121 743 1622.

Web site updates.
17th April: Magnus Cato of Sweden's AC Delco/Malmgren Racing Pro Stock team has updated the team's official web site with a report of their weekend at the NHRA O'Reilly Nationals in Houston, where Michael Malmgren ran right on the European record at 6.94/198. "When I am settled back down in Sweden, I will add some more photographs", says Magnus. Check it out at www.acdracing.net.

Terri exterminates gremlins...
16th April: If you were tuned in yesterday you will have read our snippets from Sunday's Run What You Bring at Santa Pod Raceway. Rookie UK Pro ET racer Terri Lee has been in touch with news about her day.

"I think we have sorted the gremlins out", says Terri. "One seemed to be a faulty chip in the three-step, and I am hoping that the other is as simple as the pump jets being too small (fingers crossed). I was on a bit of a downer on the way home as I didn't have a lot to show for a sleepless night. I wonder if it will catch on trying to get smoke from both ends in a burn out (see Sharkman's pics from the RWYB - Ed)?

"Thanks to Wayne Nicholson for letting me try out his torque converter, and thanks to John Pickering who helped my husband Ian through the night to fit it. It was John's birthday on Sunday and he should have been going out for dinner with his daughter, but he decided to drag her to the Pod instead. Sorry it couldn't have been a better display."

Editor's note: On the subject of running what you brung, thanks to all of those racers who have already E-Mailed to let us know that they will be at this weekend's APIRA Test and Tune. Keep those E-Mails coming to news@eurodragster.com and we will run the 'entry list' later this week.

...but Wells gets infested.
16th April: Fellow UK Pro ET racer Steve Wells is not having such a good time of it, as an inspection of his engine has revealed damage which will sideline the hugely-popular wheelstanding Pop pickup for a few weeks.

"We stripped the engine of the Pop last night", says Steve, "to find that water which had leaked from the charge cooler had got into the oil again, causing serious camshaft damage. Crane Cams can't make me another one until the middle of May."

If anyone can do anything to help Steve then please get in touch with us at webmaster@eurodragster.com and we'll pass it on.

FB Racing to miss next round?
16th April: Also in the wars is UK Custom Car Street Eliminator racer Ian Hook, whose rebuild of the FB Racing '34 Ford is proving more complex than expected.

"Round two (Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway - Ed) now looks unlikely", says Ian. "Running the exhausts out the back of the now-lower '34 has been an absolute nightmare. We would have dropped the idea but for the fact that we had designed this in from the start, and other features of the chassis prevented us from doing anything else."

In the meantime, Ian has posted provisional (Ian asked us to stress provisional) CCSE points standings on his FB Racing web site at www.fbracing.co.uk.

When we said cut a light...

16th April: Ex-Top Fuel Bike racer and now photographer and videographer Brian Johnson sent us this great shot (right, click on picture to view larger version) of Super Pro ET racer Roger Moore taking out the Christmas Tree at the Easter Thunderball.

Readers of a logical turn of mind will have worked out what happened next. BJ's video camera was also a casualty of the crash, and we understand that this was the second camera which BJ lost in a short period. "We are looking at ways of getting a minicam in the same spot - it's cheaper to replace!", says BJ.

BJ and photographer and web site designer Neil Smith are currently working on a web site which should be up and running in about a week. "We will have pictures from US and European races", says BJ. "Video is, as we speak, being edited down to make a watchable film of Gainesville (NHRA cars and bikes), Atlanta (Prostar bikes), and the Easter Thunderball (bikes)."

Stay in touch and we will bring you more details of BJ's services as soon as the web site is launched.

Speedfreaks Ball pitting.
16th April: Speedfreaks Ball organiser Martin Hill has been in touch to clarify the pitting arrangements for the bike-oriented event at Santa Pod Raceway on 10th-12th May.

"Anyone wishing to have hard-standing pit space shoudl contact me by E-Mail at martin@fireforceracing.co.uk or telephone Paul Bailey on 01795 583542. Please do not call Santa Pod Raceway with pitting queries.

"Pit space will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, and those who have pre-booked tickets will get priority."

For more details about the Speedfreaks Ball, check out the official web site at www.speedfreaksball.co.uk.

Private test still booking.
16th April: Santa Pod Raceway are still taking bookings for a private test session on Saturday 25th May, the weekend before the FIA Main Event.

The strip will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on 25th May, and will be prepared to event standards. The usual range of timing facilities will be in place and there will of course be full safety cover. A Run What You Brung takes place on Sunday 26th May giving racers the chance for further testing.

Entry to to the private test on 25th May is £110 plus VAT (17.5%); this is based on a minimum of seventeen racers attending. If less than seventeen racers attend then the fee will rise on a sliding scale to a maximum of £200 plus VAT. Pre-entry is mandatory and entries should be received by 1st May. For full details (including important points about licencing and insurance) and an entry form, both in PDF format, click here.

If you have any queries then please contact Santa Pod Raceway by phone on 08700 782828 (+44 1234 782828 from outside the UK) during business hours, or E-Mail test@santapod.fsnet.co.uk.

UK Nostalgia site launched.
16th April: From Alan Currans comes news of the launch of another web site dedicated to the historical aspect of UK drag racing. The Acceleration Archive showcases Alan's great photographs of UK drag racing between 1973 and 1985. At present there is a page each for Pro/Top Fuel, Funny Cars, Altereds, Jet and Rocket cars, and Pro Comp, with more to be added. We've checked the site out and we think it is just superb, apart from reminding your news editor how old he is. Take a look at www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk.

North Herts FC not drastic.
15th April: The UK's North Herts Engineering Fuel FC team were upset that they couldn't do more at the Easter Thunderball, but the engine damage is well on the way to being repaired, says driver Gary Page. "A bearing wasn't sitting properly on the cap, and it turned", says Gary. "It wasn't too drastic, the car is fine."

Gary tells us that the block is being repaired today and that the plan is to have the engine rebuilt and fired this weekend, leaving plenty of time before the first round of the British Fuel FC Championship at the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway. Amongst the work on the car is a change of lubricant. "We're going to start using Triple R - Barry Sheavills used to have trouble with bearings until he started using it", says Gary who works on Barry's Top Fueller when he's not piloting a Fuel FC.

Although the team were disappointed to be out of the Easter Thunderball after one pass, progress was made. "We did what we wanted to do on that run", says Gary. "We had new fuel pumps on the car and they worked fine. Also it was my first weekend with the team and we all got on OK. Mark (Hawkins, car owner - Ed) was happy and he's the governor!"

Plans are well afoot for the first Championship round. "Mark's got some new bits he wants to put on the car", says Gary. "We plan to run 5.80-5.90 and then decide where to go from there."

APIRA Test and Tune beckons.
15th April: This weekend (20th-21st April) sees the first event of the season at the UK's Shakespeare County Raceway. The APIRA Test and Tune is open to racers and the public, and clubs from other forms of motorsport on two and four wheels have been invited. The event also sees the first round of the 2002 Wild Bunch and Real Steel series for Nostalgia racers, and a round of the National Street Car Challenge.

Admission to the APIRA Test and Tune is £10 per day or £15 for the weekend. A further £10 per day or £15 for the weekend buys you as many runs as you can get in at the Warwickshire venue. The track is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, and from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday.

For more details including a map check out the Shakespeare County Raceway web site at www.shakespearecountyraceway.com or the APIRA web site at www.eurodragster.com/apira.

Eurodragster will be reporting from the Test and Tune; more details about that later in the week.

Racers: If you are planning to race or test at the APIRA Test and Tune then let us know at news@eurodragster.com and we'll publish it here later this week.

RWYB snippets.
15th April: Eurodragster staffer Sharkman attended yesterday's Run What You Brung at Santa Pod Raceway and reported a few snippets.

Top Methanol FC racer Dennis Wratten took his first trip out in this car, pulling a storming burnout but then shutting off with throttle linkage problems. The team were concerned about possible engine damage and so did not run the car again. Pro ET racer Terri Lee was in attendance to test out a converter with a higher stall which she acquired through our Jeff Bull Engines Swap Meet. The converter was picked up yesterday and the team fitted it overnight. Terri suffered repeated problems with the engine losing fire and didn't put in a representative pass. Duncan Watts in the ex-Cooky's Dodge Dart put in a number of passes between 10.68 and 10.88, and is planning to race in Pro ET at the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway. Darren Hulkes has all new braided transmission hoses on the Sportsman ET Camaro after a trans line burst on his first qualifier at the Easter Thunderball. Darren put in several storming burnouts and strong runs. Carl Tipler laid down some nice burnouts with the Super Pro ET altered but was another racer that did not manage a representative pass. Starter Motor problems stopped him running later in the day.

A selection of pictures from the RWYB can be found on Sharkmans personal website at www.topendtales.com

Web site updates.
15th April: FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion and Easter Thunderball Pro Fuel Shootout winner Andy Carter's web site has been updated with another report from the Thunderball, this time by clutch technician Dan Leggett. Dan's report is very informative and makes interesting reading; check it out at www.andycarter.net.

Sunday drive for Andréasson.
14th April: Sweden's Leif Andréasson races at the NHRA O'Reilly Nationals in Houston today after emerging victorious in the first round of Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminations yesterday. Leif qualified #9 at 5.834/245.49 then in round one saw off #8 qualifier Vern Moats with a 5.804/247.25. "It was a great way for Leif to celebrate his forty-second birthday!", says crew member Anders Magnusson, who has posted a report on the team's web site at www.andreassonmotorsports.com.

You will be able to stay in touch with Leif's progress today on Summit Racing's Drag Race Central at www.dragracecentral.com and on the NHRA web site at www.nhra.com.

Fellow Swede Michael Malmgren ended up at #31 in Pro Stock right around the European record at 6.941/198.82. Crew member Magnus has also found time in the team's busy schedule to update the AC Delco Racing web site with the inside story of last weekend's events in Las Vegas. Check it out at www.acdracing.net. Reader Bill Baird of Lappeenranta, Finland has been in touch to point us to a great picture of Michael in action in Vegas; you can find it on the Competition Plus web site by clicking here.

Web site updates.
14th April: The official web page of the 2002 British Fuel Funny Car Championship has been launched on the Showtime Racing web site at www.showtimeracing.co.uk. The page currently contains news items, links and contact details but will also be updated with points standings after the first round of the Championship at Shakespeare County Raceway on 4th-6th May. The Showtime web site has also been updated with a photo gallery from the Easter Thunderball, featuring some excellent shots by crew member and webmaster Chris Dossett.

Bill Sly has updated his Bad Boys Imagin' web site with Fuel, Top Methanol and Bike pictures from the Easter Thunderball. Other car classes will be posted shortly. Check it out at www.badboysimagin.com.

Ellis Aid.
12th April: UK Super Modified racer Graham Ellis had a rough weekend with his Oldsmobile at the Easter Thunderball. It had its satisfactory moments, though, such as a pass in the 8.0s, but Graham wouldn't have done it without a lot of help for which he is very grateful.

"I had a bad time on the Saturday", says Graham. "When we warmed the motor in the pits we promptly burnt the end off a push rod and ruined a few rocker adjusters. Having a fairly unique block/head combination - one other in the country - we were all but ready to give up and go home but were saved.

"I'd like to say thanks to Rob Loaring (of our sponsors ICE Automotive Racing Engines - Ed) who drove all the way to Rayleigh, made me a push rod, and drove straight back with it and saved the day. Great after-sales service guys. Thanks also to Paul Marston for the adjusters - new ones are ordered and will be with you shortly, Paul; to Andy Robinson for the offer to go back to his workshop and raid his spares which I am sure would have netted something we could have used; to Danny Cockerill for letting his Crew Chief Kev Perkins have a look at my clutch as I was a bit lost with the settings - and of course Kev too; lastly to everyone who helped or hindered me for the rest of the weekend...Thanks Guys!"

Andréasson reports in.
12th April: FIA European Top Methanol Funny Car Champion Leif Andréasson stayed on to test after last weekend's NHRA National event in Las Vegas. The team ended up in #22 spot after qualifying and so spectated on Sunday, but they were back on The Strip at LVMS on Monday although it sounds as if things didn't go completely to plan.

The team's official web site has been updated with a report from LVMS qualifying and testing, together with a travelogue of the trip to Houston, where the next NHRA race starts today, and a number of pictures from Vegas and the 'Wild West Tour'. Check it out at www.andreassonmotorsports.com.

You can stay in touch with the progress of Leif Andréasson and fellow Swede, Pro Stock racer Michael Malmgren, in Houston starting today on Summit Racing's Drag Race Central at www.dragracecentral.com and on the NHRA web site at www.nhra.com.

Last-minute Donny news.
12th April: Further to yesterday's news, Shakespeare County Raceway Press Officer Jerry Cookson has been in touch with an up-to-the-minute report on the festivities at this weekend's National Custom and Sports Car Show at Doncaster Exibition Centre.

"In the outdoor Live Action Arena we now have Supercharged Outlaw drivers Neil Townson and Pete Ratcliffe. Neil will be at the controls of the 'Northern Spirit' KB-powered five-window Coupe hot rod, whilst Pete will be performing burnouts with his flamed 'Burning Desire' altered, also KB-powered with 500ci of horses. All of the teams will be performing twice a day, and to round the show off will be Martin Hill and the 'Fireforce 2' Chevy Lumina Jet Funny Car in the northern début for the stunning new paintjob. If that's not enough to tempt the drag fans to the show, then perhaps the girls from the Adult Channel will. Live action (in the outdoor arena, not on the Adult Channel stand - Ed) will be hosted by Adam Rainer and yours truly..."

Larsson signs sponsor.
11th April: Swedish Pro Stock Bike racer Anders Larsson has signed a sponsorship deal with Enström and Partner. Enström and Partner is a Swedish-based event marketing company which promotes two of the major athletic tournaments GE-Globen Galan and DN-Galan.

Lars Enström has been involved in event marketing business for several years, and has also played handball in the major leagues and in the Swedish National team. When Lars was looking into possibilities for marketing activities for his own customers, drag racing came to mind. He visited Mantorp Park in the summer of 2002 pieces started to fall into place. Lars and Anders then negotiated until they reached an agreement a few weeks ago. The deal is on a year-on-year basis with options to extend.

"This is great opportunity for me to take event marketing to a new level", says Lars Enström. "I can use drag racing to create an adventure, to make an event for my customers, and really give them something to remember."

"We are very pleased to have Enström and Partner as our new main sponsor", says Anders. "Lars knowledge of event marketing is a real kick forward. With his ideas and knowledge we now have something to build on."

Kirks working on all fronts.
11th April: The UK's Rat Fink team is making good progress towards the track but there is a lot of work yet to do, says Crew Chief Lee Kirk. Andy Kirk's Camaro has previously run in Super Comp and Super Gas but the car has spent the off-season being readied for Super Modified.

"The car should be coming back from Hauser Race Cars within the next couple of weeks so we can strip it, paint it, wire it, plumb it and rebuild it", says Lee. "At the same time we have got to do exactly the same thing to an Iveco tractor unit and 40 foot trailer as well as modifying the taillift, panelling the inside, installing toilet, sink, cooker, oven, fridge, seating, beds, work area, belly lockers and a side door.

"The engine is currently being rebuilt at ICE Automotive, where it is receiving rods and bearings, a new inlet manifold with an extra carb, a nitrous system and a general freshen up. While this is going on, Lee Child at LA Racing Parts is beavering away trying to source us a transmission from the states.

"All in all it's going to be a long few weeks! We were originally planning to attend the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway, but looking at the list of jobs still to be done the Main Event seems more likely.

"A big thanks to everyone who has helped us out during the project so far, and we can't wait to get back to the track."

The team's official web site at www.kirkmotorsport.com has been updated with some pictures of the rebuild of the Camaro.

Curbishley's triumph.
11th April: UK Super Comp and Super Gas racer Martin Curbishley has a début to remember in his Brogie Roadster, winning Super Gas and taking runner-up in Super Comp at the Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod Raceway.

"The decision to run two classes from the outset was obviously the right one", says Martin. "We had discussed at length any problems we may have encountered with refuelling, where we were pitted, cool-down time between qualifying and elimination rounds, and just generally being in the right place at the right time. Running fourteen qualifiers in one weekend was, in itself, a daunting task. The goal we had set ourselves was to run all fourteen, and to advance through any rounds on Monday would have been a bonus.

"All the planning and co-ordination paid off. We ran thirteen qualifiers with the last round on Saturday being rained off - so far so good. All of the relevant weather and other information was logged in the computer, a small amount of maintenance by Jon Webster and Jeff Bull at the end of each day, and we were ready for eliminations on Monday.

"We weren't under any illusions for Monday's eliminations; if we went a round in each class we would have still had a successful weekend. We set out to get as much data as possible during the weekend, so even first round fodder wouldn't have been a disappointment. But the great man in the sky (Tony Dickson of course!) was looking down on us on Monday and we managed to slice our way through both fields. Two finals in our first meeting, WOW!

"The closest race of the day was against Brian Pateman: a cats whisker on the line, there is actually a dent in the firewall where I pushed the pedal that hard looking for that extra thousandth, what a squeaker.

"We are looking forward to the rest of the season; our new goal is to take the double in Super Comp and Super Gas at a National event.

"The usual big thanks go to Jon Webster, Jeff Bull, Spencer 'Skippy' Tramm and my wife Ruth (Happy Wedding Anniversary). Just a reminder to Dave Day, the flat cap and whippet mafia mean business, eh up!

"See you all at Shakespeare County."

Drags at Donny.
11th April: Drag racing is putting up an impressive showing at this weekend's National Custom and Sports Car Show at Doncaster Exhibition Centre. Shakespeare County Raceway Press Officer Jerry Cookson has been keeping us up-to-date with developments during this week.

"Shakespeare County Raceway is represented by Paul Hudson's Super Gas Camaro and Jerry Collier's H2 Comp Bike", says Jerry. "Pennine Drag Racing Club have Steve Neimantas' wild Aston Martin and the Round Brothers' dragster, whilst Custom Car Magazine are displaying Steve Pateman's Calibra.

"Outside we have the Talbot family's Matrix Junior Dragster, and maybe one other JD if Dick gets it finished, Bob Hancox's Outlaw Anglia Prefect plus one other, Mark Needham's Chain Reaction Fiat, plus the Fireforce Jet Funny Cars."

The Doncaster Show is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend (13th-14th April). You can find full details about the Show including ticket prices on the official web site at www.donnyshow.co.uk.

Web site updates.
11th April: Swedish Top Doorslammer racer Stefan Peterson's web site has been updated with pictures of the Mercury Cougar's new paintscheme. You can find the pictures on the Car page at www.stefan.thn.nu. The site is presented in both Swedish and English.

The Dragsterworld web site at www.dragsterworld.com has been updated with a report from the Easter Thunderball including a feature on the 'Sunday School' teach-in which Showtime Fuel FC Crew Chief Bob Jarrett held on the second day of the event.

Hal Far upgrades.
10th April: Malta's Hal Far Raceway is to be upgraded, says Malta Drag Racing Association president Anthony Borda. "I want to see Hal Far Raceway one of the best in Europe and maybe start to organise International events", says Anthony. "In mid-June, MDRA will be organising an International for street and drag bikes, mostly coming from Italy. Last year we had a few bike racers over from Italy. They tested the track with the fastest time being 8.1 seconds by a 1000 cc Pro Stock Bike."

"The Italians want to bring over another three or four teams in 2002", adds Arthur Calleja, MDRA's Club Secretary. "This is because the ferry from Sicily is not expensive compared to going to the UK."

The executive committee of the MDRA has decided upon a number of upgrades to the facility to bring it up to professional standard. "The first project is that to build a new control tower; this will start in the coming weeks", says Anthony Borda. "If all goes as planned then this should be complete by the end of August. Next will be the purchase of a new Portatree wiring system so that we will be able to provide eighth-mile readings."

Some work has already been done at Hal Far, including painting and the construction of a larger water tank, and the track surface has been scraped to remove excess rubber. In addition the MDRA has commissioned a new web site at www.maltadragracing.com which will be launched soon. Finally, Anthony tells us that the Maltese government will be assigning the MDRA a fifteen-year lease to Hal Far in the coming month.

Lawbreakers ready to roll.
10th April: The UK's Team Lawbreakers are ready to hit the track at the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway on 4th -6th May. The team is made up of a number of bikes and cars and there have been some off-season changes.

"Ady Reade is moving up to 9.90 Bike on his new Hayabusa" says Lee Baxter. "I have sold my 9.90 Bike GSXR to new racer Chris Reed, so I will now be racing Ady's Suzuki Katana in 10.90 Bike. Johnny Ricketts will be racing in Custom Car Street Eliminator in his big block Chevy Anglia, and Nikc Curtis is currently working on his supercharged big block 57 'Chevy and hopes to be out in the same class later on this season."

Team member Guy March is selling his 1500 GSX Super Street Bike, which ran 8.6 last season. If anyone is interested in buying Guy's bike then visit the Team Lawbreakers pit at Shakespeare County Raceway.

ACU points posted.
10th April: The post-Easter Thunderball points standings in the ACU UK Drag Bike Championships are now available on the King Racing web site at www.kingracing.com.

Larsson contest result.
10th April: We received a large number of entries to our contest to win Swedish Pro Stock Bike racer Anders Larsson's 2001 crash helmet. The correct answers were:

1. At what point on the track did Anders' engine explode in the final round of Pro Stock Bike at last year's European Finals? 35 feet before the finish line

2. What is the maximum pressure on a Pro Stock Bike piston revving at 13500 rpm; a. 750 kg, b. 4200 kg, c. 6300 kg? b. 4200 Kg

3. To which location is Eurodragster.com making its first-ever visit in 2002? Mantorp Park, Sweden

Congratulations to Gary Cottingham of the Dragsterworld web site whose entry was one of only two with all three answers correct. Gary will receive Anders' crash helmet at the FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway in June.

Webmaster E-Mails lost.
10th April: If you sent an E-Mail to webmaster@eurodragster.com (or tog@togsdragracing.com) between 21:00 UK Monday and 14:00 UK Tuesday, then your mail may have been lost because of a server problem at our ISP. We think that some ten E-Mails were involved. If you want to be absolutely sure that we got your mail then please feel free to re-send it. Our News and Links addresses were not affected.

Shockwave hardly damaged.
9th April: The Shockwave Fuel Funny Car has turned out to be relatively undamaged after the fuel tank exploded in spectacular fashion in the first round of the Pro Fuel Shootout at Santa Pod Raceway last week.

"Although these fires look very spectacular from the grandstand, on checking right through the car there now seems to be very little damage, mostly superficial", says driver Gordon Smith. "As most fans will know, over the last few years the safety equipment on all the Fuel FCs has been constantly updated and I have to say that all this equipment worked extremely well, with all systems working right down to the fire-retardant paint on the underside of the body, which without doubt saved further damage to the Pontiac.

"We would like to thank the safety crew, who were very quick to respond and were on me almost before the car came to a halt. This includes the medical staff, fortunately they were not needed as I sustained no injuries all, again this was mostly down to the equipment on board the car and of course my driving skills (?). Thanks to my partner and Crew Chief Dave Bryant, and thanks also to Barry Sheavills who was very quick to show his concern.

"There was no engine damage at all, all of the new parts worked very well, and we now feel that we can run the car to its full potential. We are now well on our way to repairing the car. Thanks to Spuff for his help, to the whole crew who are working round the clock, and thanks to the fans for their support. We look forward to seeing you all at Shakespeare County Raceway."

You can stay in touch with the Shockwave team on their official web site at www.funnycar.uk.com.

Veidec expand sponsorship.
9th April: Swedish repair and maintenance product manufacturer Veidec have expanded their drag racing sponsorship in 2002. A long-established sponsor of Pro Mod racer Håkan Nilsson, Veidec have now signed up FIM/UEM European Pro Stock Bike Champion Roger Pettersson.

Our good friends at Svensk Dragracing have got the full story on their web site at www.dragracing.se/short/veidec.html.

Stolen trailer sought.
9th April: 2001 UK National Sportsman ET Champion Al Platt has been in touch asking for Eurodragster readers' assistance in tracking down a stolen trailer.

The trailer was stolen from the Ashton area of Manchester last Friday night, 5th April. The manufacturer is Wessex, the trailer is hydraulic tilting/beaver-tail type. It measures 17 feet x 7 feet, and has four special ten-inch wheels. The bed is wooden and the tailgate has Santa Pod stickers. The registration on the back is B117 RLP.

If anyone spots the trailer then please contact Al Platt on his mobile phone at 0789 0097375.

Web site updates.
9th April: Our buddy Stuart Dempsey has updated his Custom Car Street Eliminator fan site with a report, results and pictures from the Easter Thunderball. Check it out at ccse.homestead.com.

Terri's great weekend.
8th April: Rookie UK Pro ET racer Terri Lee is still on a high after her first race weekend at the Easter Thunderball. The eye-catching blown Escort van caught the imagination of the fans on its first outing last week, and Terri tells us that she had a great time.

"My main aims were to do my observed runs and to see if the van went in a straight line, and I managed both!", says Terri. "Since getting home my husband and I have been watching the video and sorting out a few little teething problems. One is the torque converter which is standard at the moment. I've placed an ad in the Parts Wanted section of your Swap Meet for a high stall, so if any one can help that would be great as I'd like to do a RWYB with it before going to Shakespeare County Raceway.

"I'm looking forward to going out again, but before then I must say some Thank Yous. Firstly a big thank you to my sponsors MB Supplies of Spalding and Witham Oil and Paint Limited for their support, thank you to my crew Richard and Helen, and also to Ian Marshall for being so patient with me on the start line. Last but no means least, thanks to yourself and Sharkman and to all the racers who gave me such encouragement and the nice comments on the van's appearance."

Emms wins on US set-up.
8th April: Easter Thunderball Junior Dragster Ricky Emms managed to take the win even with a problem with his Junior Modified car, says Crew Chief and Dad Chris.

"When the motor came back from the USA, it still had an American set-up in the fuel system, something we didn't spot during the meeting", says Chris Emms. "As the air got worse, so the car reacted worse to our set up. I have apologised to Ricky - we did win the meeting, however we would have liked to show the spectators the car's true potential."

The Cool Green Racing team will be taking the chance to test before the next UK National Championship round, the Springnationals at Shakespeare County Raceway in early May.

Web site updates.
8th April: The UK1320 web site at www.uk1320.com has been updated with a report and photographs from the Easter Thunderball. Webmaster Gareth Evans is this season publishing pictures at 800x600 rather than the previous 600x350. "Although the file sizes are larger, most people these days are using 56K modems, and the lucky ones have cable or DSL, so the larger sizes are less of a problem", says Gareth.

UK Wild Bunch racer Tony Smith has updated his Cunning Plan web site. "I have a new home page and changed all of the photographs for quicker downloading", says Tony. "I have also added new photo albums. When the season starts, the News and Reviews page will be updated after each event, and the Guess Whose Car feature will be started". You can find the Cunning Plan web site at www.cunningplan.btinternet.co.uk.

Eurodragster staffer Sharkman has taken time out from axe wielding at Fastette comeback gigs to update his personal web site Sharkman's Top End Tales with a report and pictures from the Easter Thunderball, together with four video clips and a bunch of Windows wallpaper. This is Sharkman's first race report since his shoulder operation last year and fans will be pleased to hear that he has lost none of his touch. Check it out at www.topendtales.com.

Hard work for Malmgren.
7th April: Swedish Pro Stock racer Michael Malmgren qualified #31 at this weekend's NHRA National event in Las Vegas with a best of 7.075/194.86, and so didn't make today's eliminations. However crew member Magnus Cato tells us that it wasn't for the want of hard work.

"The first round of qualifying was not good at all", says Magnus. "The car made a hard move to the right, so there was some work to be done with the four-link. The second session, run at night, was awesome with a lot of rumble in the ladder, unfortunately for us we didn't have enough clutch in the car, still we run our best time of the weekend. That session was fantastic with the nitro cars out in the dark. We worked to eleven o'clock pm on some wiring in the ignition box, but we couldn't get the top speed which we know is there. Obviously we couldn't get into the field as the fastest session was yesterday. It sucks big time!"

Today the AC Delco-sponsored team will be undertaking a rewire of the whole car, and making some major changes for next weekend's NHRA race in Houston. Magnus tells us that if time and equipment permit he will post some photographs to the team's official web site at www.acdracing.net.

Fellow Swede Leif Andréasson qualified #22 in Top Alcohol Funny Car with a best of 6.114/235.56.

Our friends at Svensk Dragracing have updated their web site with some of Håkan Mattson's photographs from LVMS together with some more words on the Scandinavian racers' progress. Check it out at www.dragracing.se.

Jane and Wayne's FAST wedding.

7th April: If you were tuned in yesterday you will have read that we were out for the day at a wedding. The nuptials in question were those of Jane Vogwell and Wayne Read of APIRA's FAST team.

When the bride arrived at the church in one of FAST's rescue trucks you knew it was going to be a special day, and that's exactly what it was with a beautiful service followed by a thoroughly enjoyable reception which amongst other things featured high jinks from FAST and APIRA race officials such as well-timed wedgies and the return of the legendary Fastettes (I've seen better bands on a cigar - Ed).

We are sure that everyone will want to join Tog and Sharkman in wishing Jane and Wayne every happiness.

Highs and lows for ACI Racing.
7th April: If you were tuned in to last weekend's Easter Thunderball coverage you will have seen that the American Car Imports Top Methanol Dragster team experienced the highs and lows of the sport when they set a new British TM record of 5.597 and then went out in the first round of eliminations when the throttle cable snapped - the first such occurrence of this problem which anyone could remember.

"Due to delays at customs we were only able to collect our new dragster on the Saturday before the race", says Crew Chief Andy Bissett. "Everyone was itching to run again after our success in the USA and to prove that we could replicate those performances back home in England. With the engine tune up corrected for the ambient air conditions, the remainder of the setup was left untouched and the American Car Imports Racing machine responded admirably with a 5.59 at 252mph on its very first pass in Europe.

"A backup run within 1% is required, meaning we needed to run at least a 5.64 to beat the existing record of 5.72. In Sunday’s cooler conditions Dave Wilson drove straight down the track again to record a 5.61 at 241mph for an official record. The last time the record was lowered by over a tenth of a second at once was way back in 1979! We took the number one spot with a margin of almost eight tenths of a second and with the official record already set the whole team felt relaxed and confident going in to eliminations.

"Sadly our good fortune did not hold out on Monday when the throttle cable snapped in our semi-final match against the Funny Car of Steph Milam. That will teach us to buy a car from a Canadian! The whole team is determined to move into the top slot in the MSA British Drag Racing Championship at the next race on the tour, the SpringNationals at Shakespeare County Raceway on 4th-6th May."

You can get the full story of American Car Imports Racing's weekend on their official web site at www.americancarimportsracing.com.

Problems plagued Bruiser.
7th April: The Easter Thunderball was a hard weekend for Paul Marston Racing and the ChryslerCard PT Bruiser Super Comp. Paul Marston explains:

"To begin with, it was a classic case of everything you do to make progress working against you. The primary gearbox still has the same fault which it had last year, even though the replacement parts have been fitted, so it will be replaced until fixed. The data-logging computer which we fitted over the winter was backfeeding through the electrical system and causing some problems. Lastly we had a small problem with the motor which stopped us from competing in eliminations on Monday, despite qualifying on Saturday. I can only apologise to all our fans who visited us in the pits but did not get to see us on the track on Monday.

"The Bruiser is back at the workshops. Thanks to our friends at C & S Racing Engines for the loan of an endoscope last Wednesday; unfortunately no-one had one at the track which meant that I could not rectify the motor problem at the event. We could have risked it, but it was a unanamous decision by all the crew to play safe and fix it with the correct tools at the workshop.

"All now seems fine after consulting with Jari Konola Pro Stock Racing. Jari has givien us the all clear so far, once the spare gearbox is fitted we will fire the Bruiser up and perform a full systems check. On the plus side, over the winter some aerodynamic improvements have been made and they made a measurable difference."

Paul has also sent us an overview of last weekend's Super Comp action. "The Super Comp ranks swelled at this event with three new entrants in this increasingly popular class. Martin Curbishley in the Brogie Roadster, Paul Knight in his Trans Am, and Colin Aldred's slingshot dragster. It was also good to see Dave and Sarah Day back in Super Comp, Sarah's recent visit to Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School paying dividends. Sarah handled all that the roadster could throw at her during the weekend. Competition was tough, but with only door cars left by the final round the dragsters, which are always considered to have an advantage, were by no means having it all their own way. Congratulations go to Martin Curbishley who was competing in both Super Gas and Super Comp, at his first National Event in his new ride Martin can look back at this weekend and be justifiably proud. Martin finished in the winner's circle in Super Gas and runner-up in Super Comp. The Jeff Bull Racing Engines alcohol-swallowing Big Block Chevy in Martin's Brogie Roadster powered consistent low .4 reactions and on the money at the top end - a good weekend's work by all concerned, well done."

Fed-up Faulkner.
7th April: Another racer hit by problems at last weekend's Easter Thunderball was Pro ET racer Rob Faulkner who drives the Crossfire Camaro.

"Well, what a weekend it was", says Rob. "From my point of view it was a strange meeting. I worked over the winter to put a new engine together, fitted ally heads and a big cam. I took it out for a run and would it launch? No! I thought 'What is going on here then' so we took a bit of fuel out and went back out when called. The same thing happened again, a twelve-second pass, terrible! After launching at a higher rev range we got down to 9.77 which is still half a second slower than last year. So I'm a bit fed up.

"We are going to the APIRA Test and Tune in a couple of weeks to give it one more go, and if it doesn't launch then I will change the cam back to the old one.

"Still I thought the weekend was fun, although a tad chilly it was still a good meet. It was nice to see all of our Pro ET friends again, they are such a friendly lot."

Web site updates.
7th April: Crew Chief Martyn Hannis has updated the Shell Racing Top Methanol and Junior Dragster web site with a report from last weekend's Easter Thunderball. Check it out on the News page at www.eurodragster.com/shellracing.

Belgium's Erwin Raets Top Methanol FC team is know known as Danny's Racing Team, and have moved URLs to www.dannycars.be. The web site currently has a Home Page only, but the team are working hard on the rest of the site.

The Swedish Pro Street News magazine at www.spn-photo.com has been updated with all of the latest gossip from the Swedish scene.

Callins' thanks.
6th April: Susanne Callin and her father Gordon are very grateful for all of the help and support they have received so far during Susanne's Top Fuel licencing.

"I would like to thank Tog and Sharkman for the great coverage of Susanne and our efforts to win her licence", says Gordon (thank you for inviting us - Ed). "Unfortunately, things didn't go our way this time but we will be back as soon as we can.

"I would like to thank King Knut and the team (Alan, Stuart, Mark, Dave, Rob, Robin and family). They did a good job trying to make the car run both for Susanne and for Robin Read, especially after blowing the engine to pieces on Sunday. And, as Robin wrote, if we hadn't had to struggle with compatibility problems then things might have been a lot better - Susanne getting her license and Robin winning the race.

"A big thank you to the personnel at Santa Pod and the fellow racers who came to talk to us and to wish Susanne luck with her licence and for the future competing in Top Fuel. We would also like to thank Dave Wilson, Rob Turner, John Spuffard, Alan Jackson and Andy Carter who kindly lent Susanne equipment such as fire suit, gloves, arm straps etc."

Another Viking invasion.
6th April: From Sweden's Starkotter Top Methanol Funny Car team comes news of another Viking invasion of the USA. Hugely-popular driver Leif Helander and three of his crew are to spend next weekend's NHRA O'Reilly Springnationals with US Top Alcohol FC racer Todd Simpson. Leif has been friends with the Simpson family for some years and will be taking the opportunity to learn the latest tricks together with purchasing a new clutch and rear wing parts.

For more details check out the Starkotter web site at www.starkotter.se. Crew member Lars-Olof Jonsson tells us that he hopes to post updates to the site from the USA.

Web site updates.
6th April: The Nilsson Motorsports web site has been updated with the latest news and pictures from the construction of Håkan Nilsson's new Camaro Pro Mod. Check it out at www.nilssonmotorsports.com.

Mäkelä hasn't quit, but...
5th April: Finnish Top Fuel Dragster racer Anita Mäkelä has announ