Summer Nationals 2007

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We couldn't believe a third rainy meeting this year, what rotten luck, the second time I take the wheel too! So Saturday was quite miserable, although Pro ET was one of the lucky classes as at least we had one go on the track.
The Santa Pod crew - if at all possible - worked even harder than usual, it seemed, and the weather cruelly laughed at their brave efforts to get the racing going and again and again it turned on the wet stuff as soon as the track was dry.
What can I say guys, if not a big thank you for not giving up.

So on the rainy day some impish genie was playing with Pro ET normally incredibly close qualifying, so the whole field seemed to run unpredictably and slower than usual, with numbers that would be better not to disclose!
The only unlucky DNQ at the Summer Nationals was the unfortunate Phil Toppin with his new ride "Pony III" 460ci motivated Sierra, who was pushed back in the one shot qualifier and didn't get another opportunity to make a run.

Heaven & Hell was running slower at the weekend and meagre consolation was gained by seeing that most everyone else was also off-beat. We also added another - thankfully minor - problem to the list of "things to fix during the big gap in racing": a baffling smoky cloud which emerged from the loud pipes when we started the engine after warming up, which was puzzled out only after consulting Kenny Coleman of EDA who gave us the simple answer on a plate: oil was being sucked down through the rocker stud threads. Phew, an easy one for a change, and one that I wouldn't have thought of, thank you Kenny!

So the lukewarm qualifying and the surprising first round results started to reshuffle the championship hopefuls, with Steve Bolton in the lovely wheelstanding black Scamp qualifying bottom and going out in the first round with a red light, closely followed by number 2 (yours truly) at the wheel of the Heaven & Hell Camaro, who snoozed on the line with a 0.09 reaction which Neil Hunter in the Mopar motivated Capri obliterated with a 0.01 footbrake launch. Hey, if most other racers were a bit off, Neil for sure wasn't, my rotten luck to get the one who was fully awake and alert despite the night before! A good race to the top end which we unfortunately could not win, even avoiding a breakout by tapping the brakes and dumping him 20 foot before the line, quashed our hopes of getting to lead the points.

Other first round upsets included Chris Hodgkins in the SBC powered silver dragster, who fell prey to Paul Baynton's CAPRIcious blue ride, Paul as fully awake as Neil who prevailed with an 0.01 reaction. John Atkinson in the rapid blue Cortina pulled a cherry (an oh-so-close 7 thousandths one!) against Mike Lacey, Nicky Frost in the gorgeous bright orange 67 Camaro who pulled a red against Gary Springford's returning Shogun which was running mid nines on half throttle and which Gary says he is still testing, the power potential being perhaps a tad greater than the car length can easily handle. Gary snoozed in the second round against Tig Napier.
It was great to welcome Tig and Cath Napier with their lovely purple Challenger sporting a brand new 572ci engine. The Mopar mill has propelled the big street legal 3800lbs Dodge to 9.94 during testing at Shakey County, and Cath was disappointed that it would only run 10 zeros at Santa Pod. Tig had never raced at the Pod and the last time he was there was in 1994, but we hope he'll be back to play with us some more.
The 10.00, however, were seriously consistent , and Tig used Cath's precise dial ins to go 4 rounds and to put away - no mean feat - 3 of the Paul Marston Racing entries in the process, being finally defeated by Neil Hunter 's "7 Year Itch" Capri in the semis.

Gino Bernardine's bright red Escort behaved herself for most of the meeting, the size of his engine surprising a few punters who couldn't believe a 2 litre four pot could run mid to low nines. It was good to see him go a few rounds and to the semis too. Unfortunately he didn't get as far as the finish line in his fourth round against Keith Herbert, the car capriciously refusing to play and denying him a chance to fight for a place in the final.

Mike Lacey in the Metamorphosis Camaro did us all proud in Pro ET by organising a live band - "The Hoggz" - who lifted everyone's spirits by braving the rain and playing some great music on the Saturday night.
After such a miserable, wet day, the band managed to cheer us all up with their humour and their skill. "Drumming Man" Joe Kellett should also be commended for surprising us all with his drumming abilities, with "Mustang Sally" being much enjoyed by all.
A considerable crowd, given the weather, gathered up around the band and everyone was bopping with their brollies despite the rain, and soon enough music and booze drowned our sorrows.
Mike should seriously consider a career as event organiser, because if an evening where everything was against successful entertainment went as well as it did, well, I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to organise a piss-up at the International Convention of Teetotallers.
A thank you to Carl Burton and Charlie Chivers too for helping to organise the financing by collecting donations and raffle tickets, there were a few cries of "RIGGED!!" when we collected our second prize (mind you, we bought a million tickets) but if it's any consolation drunken Rick grabbed the Sherry bottle thinking he got hold of the Jim Beam... well his mum will enjoy it!
The raffle was a great success and together with the donations it covered the cost of the band with some surplus being set aside to go towards the Pro ET End of Season Bash.

Mike didn't just manage the Pro ET entertainment division though, he also found the time to go 2 rounds, putting away John Atkinson in the first and Liz Malcolm in the second, being stopped in the third by Neil Hunter in his march to the final.
Ian Brown, busy as usual with his double entry also won two rounds, being stopped by his red light against the ineffable Keith Herbert also on his way to the final.
And so we get to our two finalists, Neil Hunter used his good RTs against Heaven & Hell in the first round, then grabbed a bye in the second, put Mike Lacey away in the third and stopped Tig Napier in the semis. Alas, Neil used the RT he should have gallantly used against me only in the final against Keith…
As far as Keith Herbert in the "Hillingdon Speed and Spares" Super Stock replica, he used the meeting to barge in - unannounced - straight into number 1 spot in the National Championship points, displacing Steve Bolton who dropped to number 4. Not content with upsetting everybody, without any concern for other racers' hurt feelings, he decided to go for overkill, unashamedly qualifying number one with a staggering 5 hundredths off his dial-in (normally not even good enough to get you in the field) and then - not satisfied with snatching the generous prize money and vouchers offered by the Pro ET Sponsorship Scheme, he went for total overkill by also winning the meeting, defeating Neil in the final with a 0.11 reaction…………..!!
I mean, the guy has no manners… !!

So Keith now holds the pole position in the National and in the money championship (SPRC), whilst Heaven & Hell hang on by the skin of their teeth to second place in both, and Paul Baynton and Carl Burton hold third place respectively, but it's real close and we'll have to work hard to even stay there!
Unofficial points standings have now been posted on the Heaven & Hell website and will soon be posted on the Pro ET site (see forum for top 10 positions) but as always please refer to the official points standings when they are published on Eurodragster.

Finally, a big thank you to the crew at Santa Pod, you're the best - to the Eurodragster crew, best place in cyberspace - to the Pro ET Sponsors Inkwell Printers, Penn Autos, Sandy Scooters, A1 Motor Stores, W.A.S.P., Toxico Clothing, Black Bear Harley Davidson, Alley Jax, Motorshack, Hauser Race Cars, Real Steel ; to Mike Lacey, Carl Burton, Charlie Chivers and all in Pro ET, for making the class so brilliant to race in.

Thanks Carla for the report