The Main Event - Santa Pod - 27th/29th May 2000

Welcome to our report on the Main Event from Santa Pod. Before we talk about the meeting we would just like to offer our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Chris Hampson who sadly died from his injuries after crashing his Top Fuel bike on Monday. He had just won his race but crossed into the pit lane and hit the barrier in the shutdown area, the bike ending up in the field. Although we didn't know Chris we have watched him race many times and he was always a good competitor and will be sorely missed. Drag Racing is a very safe sport and it is because of this that we sometimes forget just how powerful and dangerous the cars and bikes are, and although the racers know the risks it is still very sad when an accident like this happens. Right on with the report.

SATURDAY 

So are the rumors true that Santa Pod is to be renamed Fence Panel City Raceway!! No that's unfair the fencing around the toilets make it look much tidier and the hospitality village looks very smart and is a much needed improvement, we hope that it is successful. After days of rain before the event it was no surprise that it rained on and off during the day. I have never before seen so much standing water around the site. Despite this most classes got two qualifying runs in with the racing going on well into the evening. Top Fuel only had one run, Peter Beck 6.048, Anita Makela 6.55, Alan Jackson 13.82. Barry Sheavills did not put in a run and with the weather forecast not looking good would he get another chance? Top Methanol Dragster had Manty Bugeja from Malta number one in his first event 5.84, Eero Kilpelainen 5.87, John Ellul also from Malta 5.92[where have they suddenly come from!!] Lindsay Deucher 5.94, Peter Schoefer 6.07, Doug Bond with a new best ever 6.11, Rob Turner with an of their pace 6.52, new man Andy Frost 6.70 and Kim Raymond 7.56. A major surprise was that last years one and two in the championship, Jarmo Riovas and Dave Wilson, did not manage to put in runs in either session and with no runs on Sunday due to the weather both failed to qualify. TopMethonal Funny Car saw Lief Andreasson number one 5.88, Micke Kagerad 5.96, Urs Erbacher 6.13, Lief Helander 6.21, Ulf Leanders 6.44 and Lex Joon 7.25. The top four in Pro Stock were very close to the six second zone, could we see a first European six? Jari Konola was on top with a 7.06, Niclas Anderson 7.07, Jacob Ferrer 7.085 and Michael Malmgren 7.086. The number one qualifiers in the three F.I.M. European bike classes were Top Fuel Super Twin, Rob Van Geffen 7.27. Competition Bike,Steve Woollat 6.86 and Pro Stock Bike, Paul Willis 7.77.So that was Saturday despite the weather a very good days racing!

 
John Spuffard

SUNDAY 

A very disappointing day, it had rained over night and racing did not start until the afternoon. Some of the super classes managed a run as did some of the bike classes. Constant showers held the racing up despite the best efforts of the hard working track crew. Rain caused the day to be called of at 6 p.m. The Custom Car Street Eliminators could not get out of the track due to a flood near the main gate ,and had to cancel the road cruise which is part of their qualifying to prove that they are street legal. 

MONDAY 

The weather man said it was going to be dry and the sun was shinning, so we were up the pod before nine. Some of the classes were to get a run first before the eliminations this included Top Fuel with the following result. Beck 5.49, Makela 5.64, Sheavills 5.94, Jackson 6.57. 

Top Methanol Dragster- Because there were nine qualifiers there were four races and a bye in the first round . This system gives one car a bye in the semi final, in our opinion we should have two races in the semi finals and sort out byes in the first rounds. The first round went like this, Kilpelainen 5.73 beat Reymond 6.88, Bugeja took it easy on a bye 10.86, Bond 6.15 beat Shoefer 8.44, Deucher ran a new best 5.90 to defeat Turner 6.52 and finally Ellul 6.11 beat Frost 6.73. Round Two saw Ellul and Deuchar unable to make the call. Bugeja 5.88 beat Bond 6.26 and Kilpelainen ran a solo 13.45 and that was it. In the semi finals it all got a little confusing. In one race Bugeja 6.04 defeated a red lighting Kilpelainen 5.86 and with the other semi not contested Manty Bugeja only had to stage in the final to win his first event. He not only staged but ran a 6.04 to the delight of a large number of supporters from Malta.

 
Manty Bugeja

Top Methanol Funny Car- In the first round Kagerad 6.14 beat Leanders 6.38. Helander 5.96 beat Erbacher 10.62 and in the last race Anndreasson 5.84 defeated Joon 6.2. Semi finals gave Andreasson the bye, in which he took an easy 8.03. In the other semi Helander 5.96 beat Kagarad 6.11.The final saw a great side by side race with Andreasson 5.87 just taking the win from Helander 5.93. 

Pro Stock- This was probably the best racing of the event with the European E.T. record changing hands several times during the eliminations! Also would that first six in Europe be run! In round one Kjetil Hauge beat Rune Berg, Michael Malmgren 7.03 [New Record] defeated Christer Andersson 7.38, Niclas Andersson 7.07 beat Jacob Ferrer 7.06 in a very close race and Jari Konola completed the first round with another new record 7.01 bye run. In the semi finals Konola 7.07 beat Hauge 7.26 and in the other semi Malmgram took the record with a 7.00,in the other lane Andersson slowed to a 14.46. The final was fantastic!! Malmgram won the race as Konola could only run 9.92 and in doing so ran the long awaited six 6.99 . His crew went mad down on the start line and deservedly so!! 

Top Fuel- With only four cars entered it was straight into the semi finals. Alan Jackson ran a 5.99 to defeat Peter Beck who broke during his run. In the other race Barry Sheavills launched really hard and looked to be heading for victory and a good time when problems mid track forced him to shut down this allowed Anita Makela to drive by for a place in the final with a 5.65. The Final was a good race, Jackson ran low E.T. of the meeting 5.27 to beat an engine blowing 5.53 from Makela which caused another track clean up. Alan Jackson now goes into round two in Finland with the points lead but after losing his main sponsor will Sheavills be there? 

Fuel Funny Car- These only ran once but what a race!! The only side by side was John Spuffard who set a new European record time of 5.39 to beat Gordon Smith 6.11, Spuffard shut of well before the finish line and could well have run a 5.2 or 5.1 great stuff. Smax Smith ran a solo and after a good launch he lifted about mid track but then floored it again,a blown engine was the result. Tony Betts in the Jungle.com sponsored car ran a half pass 7.58 on an observed run. Things are looking good for the Cannonball in July . 

Sportsman Classes- The sportsman classes all deserve praise for putting on some excellent racing, they also have to put up with being fitted in around the pro classes. Unfortunately due to a shower, a high number of oil downs and the long delay caused by Chris Hampsons crash the finals of the sportsman classes could not be run as time ran out because of  the 9pm curfew. Do they run these finals at another event or split the points?? If you know please tell us. 

F.I.M. Bike Classes- In the Pro Stock Bike final Paul Willis 7.59 beat Roger Pettersson who red lighted away a winning 7.50. Top Fuel Bike final was a solo from Brian Johnson 6.41 and in the Top Fuel Supertwins final Ton Pels ran 6.89 to win over Per Bengtsson 17.84. 

OBSERVATIONS

It seems inappropriate to have our usual little moans this time so we would just like to mention the hard working track and medical crews, the racers, organisers and the spectators who stuck with the event through three difficult days. However one last point....we thought it was great to see the wheelie car out again!! 

Why not share your views in the FORUM!!!!

RACER OF THE EVENT: Top Methanol Dragster winner Manty Bugeja. What a terrific first event!!

TEAM OF THE EVENT: Again the Track Crew for their tireless hard work. 

Thanks for your time.....The next report will be after the Cannonball.....

Gary and Phil for dragracing.atfreeweb.com

Many Thanks to Sharkman / Tog / EuroDragster for the photos....