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2013 Auto Trader Easter Festival of Power
Text & Photos by Dick Parnham
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| Risto Poutiainen |
The first round of the UK National Championships and the change in the weather forecast from snow showers meant that despite the extremely cold conditions Racing would go ahead.
Santa Pod Raceway has also only just been able to complete the resurfacing and levelling of the track due to our record poor cold and snowy weather conditions.
This means that Santa Pod have a world class Drag Strip and with the Resurfacing to be completed at Hockenheim puts both on par with the new purpose built Tierp Raceway for the FIM Championship.
The track crew put in their usual great effort of track preparation and continuing the sledding to lay some rubber to the new resurfaced track.
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The major feature this year was the debut of the European Nitro Funny Car Challenge which will develop into a major highlight alongside with the Top Fuel Dragsters in the FIM Championship.
To maintain the Easter Nitro levels at the meeting there was also an International Top Fuel Dragster Match Race.
EUROPEAN NITRO FUNNY CAR SERIES ROUND 1
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| Jason Phelps |
This early chance for FIM track action should be popular with racers from Europe as well as our UK teams and the chance to check out their Funny Cars in competition from the outset after the close season .
After the first qualifier the table was started at
1. Jason Phelps 6.989 sec / 136 mph
2. Gordon Smith 7.424 sec / 128 mph
3. John Spuffard 11.277 sec / 134 mph
Photo No 1 - Jason Phelps
Photo No 2 - Gordon Smith
Photo No 3 - John Spuffard
All drivers were facing some of the hardest conditions ever to run a Top Fuel Motor in such extreme low temperatures on a newly resurfaced Track.
John Spuffard has an Ex – John Force 4 second Funny Car which had to be dialled well back to offset the cold air and the cold track.
The Showtime Team were also having to pre-heat the oil for the motor to ensure it got round all the bearings.
All cars were putting in bursts off the line and off it at about the eighth mile mark.
For John Spuffard on his run on the Sunday his rapid reactions off the line to recover Showtime from a sharp swerve to the right showed that these were still difficult conditions.
In the final with a no show from Gordon Smith it was Jason Phelps in the FGR Funny Car who went up in smoke off the line and shut off pulling to the side after a bang from the engine was heard
TOP FUEL MATCH RACE
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| Risto Poutiainen |
The Match Race was between the 2012 FIA Top fuel Champion Risto Poutiainen who took the title in good weather and holds the Quarter Mile speed record at 317 mph and the new 1,000 Feet at 305 mph.
Duncan Micallef friom Malta who ran in Top Methanol Dragster is now Licenced for Top Fuel having set a Personal Best of 4.13 sec in the Malta which is a tad warmer than freezing at this meeting.
On his run Micallef ran a good 6.583 sec/89 mph
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| Duncan Micallef |
Risto Poutiaimen on his bye run was still producing too much power and off the line hit massive tyre shake
MSA PRO- MODIFIED
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| Rick Garrett |
Qualifier details
1/ Wayne Nicholson 6.692 sec/214mph
2/ Andy Robinson 6.900 sec/217 mph
3/ Rick Garrett 7.752 sec/ 179 mph
4/ Graham Ellis 7.963 sec/ 185mphg
5/ Jean Dulamon 10.39 sec/ 89 mph (Nitrous Burp Blew Scoop in the air)
Kevin Slyfield in his ’41 Willys had got out of shape on Sunday hitting both guardrails and although he is unhurt the car needs repairs.
With Wayne Nicholson suffering loss of air for his transmission he was not going to match his successes from 2012. this time.
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| Andy Robinson |
Andy Robinson chose to debut his new ’69 Chevrolet Camaro and was soon back on his Championship form to meet Rick Garrett in his ’70 Willys Coupe.
Off the line Andy hit problems with violent tyre spin and shut off in 14.260sec/68mph which left Garrett the win with Personal Best in time and sped on 6.981sec/196mph .
NOSTALGIA FUEL ALTERED
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| Joe Bond |
The Final shootout gave the win to Joe Bond in 6.998 sec/1`76 mph over Nick Davies 8.480 sec/ 196mph
TOP METHANOL DRAGSTER - LICENCING
Brigitte Bremnes already an experienced driver from Malta was successful in completing her Top Methanol Dragster Licence in 5.773 sec./234 mph.
We will see her next at the Main Event.
Dick Parnham
www.flickr.com/photos/dickparnhamdragracing
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