FESTIVAL of POWER
April 21st
The new season gets underway with the ‘Festival of Power’. Held over the Easter weekend in the most glorious weather. As well as being the first round of the various sportsman classes this event also showcases other great machines. Three Top Fuel dragsters put on a show with Liam Jones notching three 3.9, 300+ mph runs!
No fewer than eight jet cars made two runs each including a 1000ft match race between the ‘Fireforce 5’ and ‘Split Second’ dragsters. Also the worlds quickest bike over the 1/4 mile, Eric Teboul on his rocket powered missile!
EVENT WINNERS
Nitro Funny Car. – Kevin Chapman
Pro Mod. – Kev Slyfield
Comp Eliminator. – Andy Hone
Super Pro ET. – Joe Kellet
Pro ET. – Ben Newsome
Super Gas. – Simon Fulton
Super Comp. – Leah Kellet
Junior Dragster. – Matthew Dowdy
Street Eliminator. – Joe Stevens
Wild Bunch. – Keith Crampton
Top Fuel Bike. – Steve Woollatt
Funny Bike. – Jiri Lukes
Super Street Bike. – Steve Venables
Comp Bike. – Louis Davis
8.50 Bike. – Ian Chrichlow
9.50 Bike. – Adam Burns
ET Bike. – Gary Hester
Some (as yet unofficial) records were broken.
Kevin Kent. Nitro Funny Car ET 4.236 & speed 286.49mph
Steve Woollatt. ACU Top Fuel Bike ET 6.062
Steve Venables. ACU Super Street Bike ET 6.815 & speed 211.92mph
MAIN EVENT
May 26th
Sunday qualifying. Saturday had been glorious, I watched some of the first qualifying on the live feed before work and the times were awesome. Come Sunday and the weather forecast was not good and unfortunately accurate. As the Pro classes started Q3 the grey clouds rolled in on the strong head wind. Pro Mods were almost finished when the first heavy shower fell just after noon.
The Track crew got the strip dried after about 45 mins. The Pro Stockers went through and the Top Fuellers were lining up when the rain started again. After another hour light spots were still falling so we called it a day and headed for home. Qualifying was finished at 9pm!
Monday’s eliminations had one stop for rain. I watched the first round on the ‘net before work. Despite the weather Four Top Fuellers Qualified with 3sec 300mph runs. In Sunday’s final Anita Makela set a new European record ET of 3.842 seconds. In the Pro Mods ten cars were in the 5 second bracket with the number 16 ‘bump spot’ 6.299.
DRAGSTALGIA
July 14th
My first visit for five years to this special meeting to celebrate all things nostalgia about drag racing. How things have changed. When I saw the line up I knew this was not to be missed.
The unforecast morning rain soon stopped and we took in the amazing cars in the Rod & Custom show before looking around the pits. Unlike other motor sports here you can get up real close and chat to the drivers and crews if not busy. The bike pits had me like a kid in a sweet shop, so many classics, so many memories. Over in the car area the jaw dropping display of part of Janne Johansson’s collection of legendary Funny Cars including the ‘Jungle Jim Vega’.
Racing got under way just before noon. And if you think these guys and girls are going to take it easy with these classic machines forget it! As soon as they are in stage they want to win. Sam Freeman in his Slingshot survived an horrendous top end crash after fluid leaked on to one of his slicks. Spinning out of control across the track he hit the car in the other lane before flipping on his side and into the wall. The legendary bike racer John Hobbs parted company with ‘Olympus’ his 500cc blown Weslake after getting out of shape on the launch. Everyone was ok except for a few bruises.
Who won what race didn’t bother me so there are no results here, it was just a great day to be at the Pod seeing race machines that you don’t get at normal meetings.
EURO FINALS
September 8th
This will go down as one of if not the best meetings in European drag racing history. With perfect weather for Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s eliminations the number of records and personal best times broken was unreal. In Pro Mod three new cars ran in the 5 second bracket, two super charged cars (Jimmy Alund & Jan Ericsson) became the first ‘blown’ cars in Europe to run 5.7s. Top Fuel e.t fell to Maja Udtian at 3.806. The world Top Fuel Bike record came within 1/100th of falling and so much more it was breathtaking!
Event Winners
Top Fuel. – Anita Makela, Finland
Top Methanol. – Monty Bugeja, Malta
Fuel Funny Car. – Kevin Kent, UK
Pro Stock. – Robin Noren, Sweden
Pro Mod. – Jan Ericsson, Sweden
Comp Eliminator. – Robin Sattler, Germany
Top Fuel Bike. – Filippos Papafilippou, Greece
Super Twin. – Marcus Christianson, Denmark
Pro Stock Bike. – Martin Newberry, UK
Super Street Bike. – Steve Venables, UK
2019 Champions
Top Fuel. – Anita Makela, Finland
Top Methanol. – Sandro Bellio, Belgium
Fuel Funny Car. – Kevin Chapman,UK
Pro Stock. – Jimmy Alund, Sweden
Pro Mod. – Jan Ericsson, Sweden
Top Fuel Bike. – Filippos Papafilippou, Greece
Super Twin. – Marcus Christianson, Denmark
Pro Stock Bike. – Fredrik Fredlund, Finland
Super Street Bike. – Steve Venables, UK
Very cool shots, Brian, the Oklahoma Willy Jet Bus is pretty crazy! I miss going to the drags, lots of awesome memories though. 🙂
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Thanks Donna, maybe one day you will get the chance to go again and yes that VW is nuts!
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Thank you for sharing these amazing, fun and exciting images. Most have been very special to see it live!!
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It’s my favourite sport and very exciting, lots of winners from Sweden also Malta! One day I would love to visit the tracks in those two countries (maybe USA as well).
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..must have been!
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😁 I guessed that’s what you meant.
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