Happy Birthday to Barney Campbell, head of Box Lane Video Productions who produces streaming video for Santa Pod Raceway, also to former Pro Modified racer Johan Samuelsson. We hope you had a great day.
Have plans for the winter?
Feel the need to share?
Looking for that extra sponsor for next year, perhaps share you winter plans with friends?
We are planning to get something together for our Winter Series called "Drivers Diaries".
We want your plans, from past, present and future. What was the 2024 season for you, the highs and the lows. Build plans, new cars, old cars, stories, ideas and whatever you feel like sharing.
Drop Graham an email at drivers diaries email with some words and we will include in our weekly updates on Eurodragster.com.
Keep posting your updates to keep all in the Drivers Diaries loop.
Kieran along with in excess of Brits, will be at the MDRA Haltech Finals from Thursday to Sunday 14th-17th November at Hal Far Raceway. We have updated our Event Coverage index links to information on the event and video with the support of John Woolfe Racing. See our coverage at this link
The Final European Race of the season is back!
Haltech National Finals presented by Race Winning Brands
The stage is set, Champions will be crowned, Records will be broken, the place will be packed. The last weekend of Drag Racing in Europe.
Top Fuel, the quickest and fastest Imports in Europe, 6 Second bikes, all gathered at the same venue, along with more to be confirmed.
Buy your spectator tickets online, Secure your spot by clicking here
A live stream will be available until Sunday on the Motors MT Facebook page, and you can also read about individual performances from the Facebook pages of Malta Drag Racing, Mk1Kieran, and European FWD.
Thanks to Martyn Greathead from Straightliners for sending in this report from Monday 11th November as history was made when The “Force of Nature” Steam Rocket bike ran at Elvington.
The bike couldn't run at Santa Pod Flame and Thunder due to delays because of the British weather but Graham Sykes and the team needed to know what the latest changes to the Rocket nozzles were going to make in improved times and speeds so they hired Elvington along with Straightliners and UK&ITA official timekeepers to run the bike against the clocks.
The Straightliners team set the track up on surveyed points that are used for world speed record verification. The points used at Elvington on runway 26 were set at the following increments: 60.0 ft, 330.0 ft (1/16th mile), 660.0 ft (1/8th mile) and 1320.0 ft (1/4 mile). Tag Heuer timing equipment was used for timing each distance with an individual clock used for each increment. Timing beams once set up, were tested and confirmed as working correctly.
The Force of Nature team planned to run twice during the day, with the aim of testing and collating data on the performance of the new nozzle configuration. To ensure this could be achieved during the daylight hours available, it meant starting the heating process early, at 5.00 am to run at 10.30 am. All went to plan, and the sun was soon up turning the early morning gloom into a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and no wind. - Perfect conditions.
With Phil Wood riding as Graham had damaged his shoulder previously, the bike was taken up to the start line and removed from the mother ship transportation trolley. With Phil on the bike and the front wheel positioned up against the timing jig, Graham armed the bike and removed the safety pins. Phil gave Graham a nod followed by a short count down from 5 to 1. The button was pressed!
The bike left the line and seconds later history was made, with the clocks stopping at: 60 ft 0.723 seconds 330 ft 1.968 seconds 660 ft 3.284 seconds and 1320 ft 6.165 seconds.
The speeds were taken from their data logging and were: 60 ft 98 mph, 330 ft 173 mph, 660 ft 164 mph and 1320 ft 149 mph
The bike powered for 1.902 seconds and coasted the rest of the 1/4 track.
As far as we are aware, these are the fastest ever incremental times to the 1/8th mile by a 2 wheeler.
With the bike back in the awning, at 11.00 am everyone observed the minutes silence for the fallen, then work started to get a second run in before dark. A change of nozzle inserts to test, and the super pure deionised water filled into the bike and the burner was set off again to start the heating process for its second run of the day.
By 4.15 pm the bike was taken up to the start line and as the sun was setting, the bike again launched hard off the line to another fantastic run. Although not as fast as the first run, Phil still managed a 0.759 60 ft 1.981 seconds 330 ft 3.313 second 660 ft and a 6.243 1320 ft
A great end to an amazing day.
We have been told that the design and building of a new larger pressure vessel and valve assembly has started, which will increase the duration by around 1 second.
Lets wish Graham and the team well for 2025.
Pictures taken from Straightliners website and credited to David Taylor
Thanks to Lee Child, promoter for the Spitfire raceway at Parrenporth, Cornwall who has It’s the final drag and drift event in the whole of the uk for 2024 right here in Perranporth. Spitfire raceway is also currently the only 1/4 mile drag strip venue in the whole of the south west. We can’t wait to see you this Saturday 16th November.
Drag and drift spectators no need to pre book for this event Saturday 16th November just turn up on the day.
Online bookings are open with space left for the next drag and drift.
Drag strip driver/rider you can enter by clicking here. Drift driver link you can enter by clicking this link.
Camping can be booked online here. Spectate or take part at Spitfire Raceway. Spectators £10 per person under 16s go free.
Drag race from £15 after admission. Crash helmet and full driving licence required.
Show & shine no charge after admission
All vehicles are welcome at spitfire raceway Cornwall
- Gates open at 8am
- Track action 11am to 3pm
Don’t forget to you can camp on site. Enjoy the events and the local area.
All vehicles have a safety check for drag racing and drifting.
Drag strip riders and drivers meeting at race control 10.45am *Please respect the surrounding areas and speed limits when travelling to and from this event,
Happy birthday to Wild Bunch racer and Junior Dragster dad Mark Coulsell, Street Eliminator racer Elliot Day, Top Methanol Funny Car racer Sandro Bellio and former Top Fuel Dragster tuner Per Andersen. We hope you all had a great day.
We were sad to hear of the death of Production and Modified racer from the 1970s and 1980s Sam Connell, aged 69.
Jerry Cookson wrote: Sam Connell started his racing career in October 1974 with a stock 327ci Camaro, the engine compartment of which fairly gleamed every time the bonnet was raised. Best time was a 15.4s, very respectable in view of the restrictions placed on competitors racing in the NDRC (National Drag Racing Club) Production classes. However, further up the class listing was a guy called Bob Byrne who was dominating the class with a 396ci Camaro, running high 13s. Bob decided to retire the car in early 1976, so Sam sold his 327 Camaro and purchased Bob’s 396 version. Instant performance. For the rest of 1976, Sam was more than happy with its results and the way the car was performing. It was also about this time that sponsors Red Devil Incorporated of New Jersey came along.
During the 1977 season, Sam became more and more competitive, eventually lowering the class B Production record to 13.35/105. However, low thirteen’s came at a price when he kept breaking the Muncie four-speed transmission. Not once, but twice. This eventually sidelined Sam for the rest of the season with the dilemma of how to pay for it.
Red Devil Inc were approached again. They said yes, and a new B&M Turbo 400 was purchased from the states. They also paid for a brand new Holley 3310 carburettor, TRW low compression pistons and cam and valve gears from Crane Cams.
The result was a step up the ladder into Modified where he not only won a few races, but also claimed the C/Modified class records for the quarter (12.45/109) and an 8.52/90 over the eighth at Long Marston. Not bad for a car that was daily driven to the races. Then came the offer he couldn’t refuse. With help, again from Red Devil Inc, Sam purchased Wiffy Smith’s former ‘Insurance In Motion’ Pro Stock Chevy Nova, later running a Gen 2 Camaro.
The '69 Camaro was later sold to Phil Turk who raced it as Rampage then after being sold, Peter Taylor ran it on the street, with the twin Dominator carbs replaced by a single Holley on the 468cu in engine. Sadly it was rolled in 2002, but the body was restored.
We at Eurodragster.com send our deepest condolences to Sam's family and friends.
Thanks to Remco Scheelings from Drag Racing Europe for this news update about Rikard Gustafsson from Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes:
Sweden’s man in black, Rikard Gustafsson eased to the 2024 FIM-E Top Fuel championship winning three events and runner-up in the remaining two and posting some quick and consistent numbers along the way. While the Falkenberg based RG Engineering team plans for 2025 are slightly up in the air, Gustafsson welcomes a new sponsor on board for the forthcoming season.
You can read the full article by visiting this link.
Happy Birthday to Santa Pod Raceway timekeeper and etslips.co.uk webmaster Adam Bentley, Top Doorslammer racer Stefan Jansson and Renault 5 FWD racer Peter Cole. We hope you all have a great day.
Happy Birthday for today to Santa Pod Raceway marshal Nigel Anniwell, Old Skool Ford racer Steve Dowling and drag bike racer and 2XS Drag Racing Team member Tanya Hardy, we hope you all have a great day.
Belated Happy Birthday greetings to former Pro Modified and Top Fuel racer Linda Thun Tønseth, Pro ET crew member and longtime fan Dave Buckland, Pro Doorslammer Cortina Mk3 racer Darren Peart and Maltese Bike racer Leslie Said. We hope you all had a fantastic day.
A triple Wedding Anniversary today. Happy Anniversary to Ian and Nikki Marshall, also to Kev Charman and Lizz McCarthy-Charman and to Carla Pittau and Rick McCann. Have a great day!
Eurodragster.com is again running its traditional Christmas Gift Mart. If you have any products you would like to sell to Eurodragster.com readers, please forward details to [email protected]. Previous gift marts have included t-shirts, calendars, mugs, prints, DVDs and even parts for race cars. The publication date for the Christmas Gift Mart will be Monday 25th November.
Thanks to Remco Scheelings from Drag Racing Europe for this news update about Jonny Lagg:
For Jonny Lagg the 2024 season started as a nightmare with seven ‘up in smokes’ and no decent ET on the scoreboards. The first turning point was the semifinal at the SpeedEvents Internationals where the Swede suddenly stormed to a winning 5.31 seconds. With the problems solved, Lagg ran a string of 5.3-second runs to claim wins at the Summit Racing Equipment Internationals and Hockenheim, and the 2024 FIA European Top Methanol title as the final result.
You can read the full article by visiting this link.
Happy belated Birthday to Top Alcohol Funny car crew chief Jörgen Leanders, we hope you had a fantastic day Jörgen!
For those interested in the detailed results, including winners' circle photos, of the Haltech World Cup Finals Import vs Domestic race you can see the final official results at importvsdomestic.com.
Happy Birthday to former Eurodragster.com Editor Tog, have a great day on your annual birthday trip from us all at Eurodragster.com. Ain't No Saint builder and racer Lee Johnstone, Super Pro ET racer Robert Doyle and VW Pro Racer Dave Crowhurst. We hope you all have an enjoyable day.
Also a BIG Happy 50th Birthday to Victoria Smith, we all hope you have a great day Victoria.
Happy belated Birthday for yesterday to Walters Motorsport crew and team mum Julie Walters, Top Methanol Dragster racer Petteri Liimatainen and slo-mo videographer Steve Kelly. Hope you all had a wonderful day to all.
Happy Birthday to Santa Pod Raceway founder and British Drag Racing Hall of Fame member Roy Phelps, Top Fuel Bike racer and current FIM-E ET record holder Filippos Papafilippou, Street Eliminator racer Tony Higgs, Super Street Bike racer Ross Morrison, Wild Bunch racer Danny Jones, FWD racer Connor Edwards and photographer Alice Fairhead. We hope you all have a great day.
The British Drag Racing Historians are proud to present the Drag Festival Witness Accounts story as part of the 60th Anniversary:
This story takes a look at a selection of witness accounts from the 1st British International Drag Festival in 1964. Some are taken from our previous ‘Pioneer Stories’ and all feature people who, blown away by the American drag racers, became hooked and got involved with the growing UK drag racing scene. Some were inspired to build their own machines and race, becoming top drag racers themselves..
Story produced by Nick Pettitt and published by editor of Eurodragster.com Chris Winn. 
You can view this story by clicking here.
Good luck and stay safe to Nitro Revival sponsor Geoff Stilwell as he flies to Los Angeles tomorrow (Tuesday) with crew members Nick Davies, Rob Loaring and Scott Barnes following closely behind with an important new addition to the 7707's mechanical setup.
Geoff said "We will be racing at El Mirage next weekend 9th-10th November, and all are welcome to come to see us. We're sad the dates make attendance at Nitro Revival impossible for us, but spectators may be able to do both events as Nitro Revival is on 8th-9th November.
"The part that Nick and Rob will be fitting at Mick's Paint workshop in Pomona is a new oil pan. The oil gets so cold at night in El Mirage that conventional oil heaters are not enough to get the oil flowing properly and the block heated. The temperature gets down close to zero celsius compared to 24-28 degrees during the day. In fact, it took so much energy to turn over the engine with its 14:71 blower that some teeth broke off the blower drive.
"The new oil pan will enable heaters to blow hot air into the the area of the pan. Nick, Rob and Scott will fit it on Wednesday, and we will load on Thursday and drive out early Friday."
"After the event, Rob will be staying to remove the rear axle, trans and clutch for them and the trans blanket to be recertified over the winter. In the US you have to be early in the queue for recertification or you could face a long wait. Fortunately B&J who certify trans parts, and Brad Anderson Engineering who will service the cylinder heads provide excellent help to us.
"If you're lucky enough to come and join us you will be able to see us and a couple of legends, Arley Langlo who has run 300mph at El Mirage, and Danny Thompson who will be taking the wheel of the Ferguson Streamliner with its Ardun-Flathead combination which has been at 241mph."
If you can't make it to El Mirage, watch the live stream on Youtube at the Gearhead Garage channel.
Happy Birthday to British drag racing pioneer Bob Gleadow, former Super Twin Gas and Wild Bunch racer Martin Holgate, Comp Bike racer Chris Neary and Fuel Altered racer Adam Clayton. Have a great day guys.
Thanks to Nikki Marshall from BRITISH DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME has sent in this update: The BDRHoF Benevolent Fund will be carrying out a raffle as part of the BDRHoF Gala Dinner this year on November 23rd at Oatlands Park, Weybridge.
The BDRHoF Benevolent fund was established as a Registered Charity to provide benefit to people involved with drag racing who are in need of financial support through injury, accident or financial circumstances, including organisations which operate in drag racing but also for the public benefit. Money raised by donations and fund raising goes back into the sport.
Throughout the year fundraising for the charity has gathered momentum with the sale of BDRHoF Benevolent Fund stickers and involvement at Speed Weekend 2024, as well as continued support from BDRHoF Ltd., at Dragstalgia. Tickets for the raffle, purely for the benefit of the BDRHoF Benevolent fund, will be on sale during Saturday at the Gala Dinner at £5 a ticket with 5 tickets for £20.
We are very appreciative of the donations of prizes received from Santa Pod Raceway, AMP Audio Solutions, Oatlands Park Hotel, Santa Pod Racers Club, Undertaker Racing & Ashdown Bulk Haulage, Andy Thetford & 1st Airport Taxis, Leah Kellett & Team Dolly Daydream, Team Twister, Three Brothers Brewing and a special prize donation from Pete Dodd. We would like to thank all of them for their continued support
Prizes include a Fender Stratocaster Snap On electric guitar worth over £200, one nights bed and breakfast for two at theOatlands Park Hotel, 2 weekend tickets to Dragstalgia at Santa Pod Raceway, brewery tour for 4 at Three Brothers Brewing, wine hamper worth over £100, The Ivy Group restaurant voucher worth £100, a luxury food hamper and luxury handmade chocolate hamper - all perfect with Christmas fast approaching!
If you would like to become involved with fundraising for the BDRHoF Benevolent Fund, our trustee Nicola Marshall, will be happy to chat with you and can be contacted at this link. Also if you would like to discuss the possibility of a grant for you or someone you know who is in need, please again contact Nicola with details so this can be discussed further.
From the drag racing community. For the drag racing community.
Happy Birthday greetings to retired Super Gas wife and former SCR clerk of the course Tina Moore, Pro ET and Super Gas racer Bob Molden, Junior Dragster racer Kai Cooper and National Street Car Challenge and Outlaw Street racer Ian Walley. We hope that you all have had a wonderful day.
World Cup Finals - Import vs. Domestic taking place at Budds Creek, Maryland. The results can be seen at this link and live coverage, including excellent on-screen incrementals (apart from 1/8 mile), is at FloRacing (subscription required) by clicking here or you can see highlight videos on FloRacing or videos from the startline at The Racing Vids Youtube channel at this link.
We were sorry to hear of the passing of UK drag racer and fibreglass specialist Pat Cuss on 10th October at Bath Hospital.
Pat started in the early 1970s with his fibreglass skills initially predominant. In 1970 The Hillbillies ran a steel Topolino with injected 283 then they took it along to Pat Cuss who made the first of many glass Topolino bodies from it. They came out in '71 with the glass body fitted along with an injected 454 Rat. Pat's business name was Fibreglass Applications, but as well as crewing on cars initially, he got into painting other cars, such as Ray Hoare's Saxon dragster and car construction.
He got involved with a Jag engined 100e called 'Old Smokey'. Pat then made a fibreglass front end and boot lid and did a lot of modifications to the body and chassis to put a Pontiac motor in it but before he finished it he sold it in 1974 to to Little Big Horn / Fire Injun driver Jason Smith and Steve Short, Roy Fursman joining the team shortly afterwards.
In 1975 Pat joined the ranks of Top Dragster, and Pro Comp which was growing fast as a class. His first dragster, powered by a 354cu in nitro injected Chrysler Hemi engine, was the short wheelbase slingshot Ratcatcher, with an abbreviated Topolino body. The car, updated for current regs and minus the Topolino body, is still campaigned after almost 50 years by Terry Clifford. Pat broke into the eights at 170+ in Ratcatcher. During this period Pat raced at Santa Pod, Long Marston and Aintree in the Pro Comp Championship, but was outclassed in performance by the blown alcohol cars.
Pat debuted a rear engined car in 1977 with the blown hemi combination that had become dominant in the Pro Comp. Pat constructed the car with team partner Bob Ashley from the then-latest US thoughts on dragster construction and included aluminium body panels painted by Pat. The open cockpit was supplanted by the streamliner for 1978, his Bel Ray Streamliner described by many as one of the most beautiful dragsters constructed.
After 1978, Pat decided to quit racing and the Bel Ray Streamliner minus the streamliner panels went to John Dowse who raced it in Pro Comp in 1988 for a couple of years. The whereabouts of it since are a mystery.
He produced many altered and funny car bodies over the years as well as constructing his cars and cars for others (the 1978 Datsun West End car which came back out 10 years later as Mo Blackburn's Jigsaw II car).
In later years he became a stalwart of the model flying fraternity. Pat's funeral was held on 28th October. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Photos courtesy Andy Brough, Dave Gibbons and Keith Lee
Following up on the race report from Melbourne round 8, which was published on 9th October It was reported that the "Force of Nature" Steam Rocket bike ran a 0.78 second 60 ft time and stated that only 1 vehicle had gone quicker by 1/1000th of a second, a 0.779 second 60 ft from Sammy Miller in "Vanishing Point".
We have been informed that Sammy Millers time stated is not his quickest, and it has been pointed out that he ran a 0.408 second 60 ft on 08.07.1984. We have been advised that this time was extrapolated from the 0-100 mph time of 0.36 seconds as there were no 60 ft beams.
Straightliners retract our comparison and apologise for any confusion this may have caused.
Motor Sports Announcer - Writer Bob Beck announced on this Facebook page earlier this week with this official statement from Steve Gibbs:
As announced by Track Operator Tim Huddleston earlier this morning, Irwindale Speedway will cease operations at the end of 2024. Although it was an announcement we've been expecting for some time, the reality of losing another racing facility will have a major impact on motorsports...and in particular, Nitro Revival.
While it obviously means that our upcoming event will be our final production at Irwindale, Cindy and I have every intention of producing future Nitro Revival events. Talks are now in progress regarding alternative sites and plans for 2025, and we expect to make a detailed announcement very soon.
We are absolutely dedicated and committed to continue our efforts in presenting events that celebrate the unforgettable cars and unique individuals from the golden ages of hot rodding and drag racing.
Nitro Revival is not going away.
We invite our loyal participants and fans to join us on November 8th and 9th for our farewell to Irwindale. With your continued support, we look forward to future Nitro Revival events for years to come.
Happy Birthday to former Top Fuel Dragster racer Liz Rowland and to Dan Collis, crew chief for Mace Racing's 7 second Vauxhall Cresta 'Nuthin But Trouble'. We hope you both had a great day.
