Super Series 4
Monday (race day)



For Dave Grady

The latest updates are at the top. Click on your Browser's Reload button periodically to be sure of picking up the latest news. Click here to go back to the race update index.

19:15

Today's pictures have now been posted and are available from the race update index page.

That's the end of Super Series 4, it was a long weekend but it sure had some great moments. Thanks for staying with us through the event. Eurodragster's raceday coverage was brought to you in association with E-Manumit.com and High Performance Heaven, to whom many thanks as usual.

Your reporters this weekend were Tog and Sharkman of Eurodragster.com, all pictures by Sharkman. Thanks for their help this weekend to: Wayne, Simon and Ozzy of the tech crew; the APIRA officials; Bruno and the FAST team; APIRA Press Officer Jerry Cookson and John Andrews in the SCR Press Office; Terry and Tina Gibbs; and thanks to track announcers John Price and Steve Young for putting up with us.

A big shout to Bruno and the FAST Team for dealing with the oildowns and other incidents in the usual efficient manner. Great work, guys.

Eurodragster's next raceday coverage will be from the pre-European Finals Run What You Brung at Santa Pod Raceway on Sunday 3rd September and then the FIA European Finals on 8th-10th September; our next raceday coverage of the Super Series will be from Super Series 5 on 23rd-24th September. See you then!

18:00

Rob Turner didn't put a foot wrong in the Top Methanol final against Andy Frost. Superb burnouts by both drivers and then it was all Rob once the lights ran, an arrow-straight 5.925/239.86 to Andy Frost's Personal Best of 6.440/210.28. The outcome of the 2000 MSA Top Methanol Championship is of course subject to official ratification so we'll pass this news on when we receive it rather than make a premature announcement.

John Spuffard and Tony Betts matched up in their Fuel FCs, Tony Betts redlit away a 6.832/222.77 as Spuff hit tyre shake and started weaving again, the tyres up in smoke at half track and an early-shut-off 8.030/108.96 win.

Andy Carter's last pass was drama-filled. Barry Sheavills had broken and so couldn't make the call, so Andy soloed. A short burnout and a strong launch then one entire bank of cylinders went out, the blower belt flew off, and the engine made an "arggggggh" noise and expired in a ball of flame. Andy recorded 6.792/140.19.

Martin Hill and Tony Baker closed the show in the Fireforce Jet FCs. Tony Baker went first in Fireforce 1, recording 7.020/230.77, then Martin Hill turned up the wick a bit more to clock a fine 6.154/261.63 in Fireforce 2.

We're now working on today's pictures. Stay tuned.

16:30

Pro Stock Bike round one:

Dave Beck 7.566/175.10 def. Ceri Visick red light, crossed centre line
Len Paget 8.045/163.04 def. Ray Debben red light, no time recorded
Paul King 8.604/151.01 bye
Richard Gipp 7.953/168.54 def. Martin Bishop 8.243/166.05

16:20

An amazing close race between Rob Turner and Doug Bond. Rob really meant business, burning out all the way to 200 feet whilst Doug pulled a short burnout but outdid Rob in the rev stakes. The Turner crew took particular care to clean Rob's tyres before he staged in the just-cleaned lane. Rob got out on Doug at the finish line and just held the lead at the end of the track, as Doug was visibly reeling him in, Rob taking the win at 6.524/186.72 to Doug's 6.583/211.27.

A strange match-up in Pro Mod as Gordon Appleton and Bill Weston faced off. Both cars pulled great burnouts and then pulled towards the line. Gordon left before the lights ran, and Bill went forward about a yard and then stopped.

Next up was Ian King on his Top Fuel Bike, a great run for Ian at 6.766/198.24.

The plan now is to run as much as possible up to 4:45 and then to run the Top Fuel Dragsters, Fuel Funny Cars and Jet Funny Cars. It has been announced on the PA that both racers and spectators here today will be given either discounted entry fees or gate entry as appropriate to a future Super Series event, a big thumbs-up to Obsession Motorsports for this announcement.

Stay tuned and we'll let you know how things go as the meeting approaches its end.

15:45

We've had real drama in the first round of Top Methanol. You will remember that at the start of the day we said that Dave Wilson "only" had to win the first round to take the MSA Championship, and pointed out that "only" is not a word you use in drag racing. In his first round matchup with Andy Frost, Dave came off the line strongly, the car lurching to the right a little and then all hell broke loose. Dave's clutch blew, the blower belt came off, a parachute opened, and the oil filter blew off and shot into the right hand lane. Both Dave's engine and the oil filter left a long trail of oil on the track, which is still being cleaned up even as I type. Andy Frost ran a rough-sounding 10.086/110.57 but he got there first which is the aim of the game.

Rob Turner and Doug Bond are sitting in the start area waiting for the track to be cleaned and cleared. If Doug wins this race then Dave Wilson is MSA Champion, if Rob wins this race then the quest continues.

Other highlights today have been a slew of nine-second runs, records and personal bests in Custom Car Street Eliminator, Steve Pateman the pick of the bunch at an incredible 9.161/152.03. Ian Hook smashed his personal best again at 9.370/145.16, Steve Nash his at 9.676/142.41, and Jon Sleath at 9.371 at a huge 154.11. We all waited with bated breath for Jeff Meads' pass, but he had a nitrous burp at about 300 feet, pulled over to the safety crew at the top end and got out of the car in much less than the requisite seven seconds.

Chris Hall has been the class of the day on two wheels, running 7.187/182.93 on his Funny Bike. Helen Curran set what we think was a new PB with an 8.862 on her Super Street Bike, whist Team Cooperised team-mate Tony Clark has run a best of 175.10 so far in his quest to back up his 178 mph speed record.

Unfortunately there is just no way that this meeting is going to be finished, but stay tuned and we will let you know how things pan out. Next up is Rob Turner v Doug Bond, and Gordon Appleton and Bill Weston in their Pro Mods.

15:25

Hi there and welcome back. Well, we could not make up the day we've had today. We've had oildowns, rain, more oildowns, more rain and more oildowns. We are currently about three and a half hours behind schedule, let's fill you in on what's been happening.

In the first of today's Fuel Funny Car match-ups, John Spuffard again raced Gordon Smith. Gordon pulled a huge burnout whilst Spuff's FC seemed reluctant to light the tyres. On the green both cars shot off the line, Gordon straight and true down the track until there was a pop and the blower belt flew across the track. Gordon went through in 6.512 seconds at 171.76 mph, but what we didn't know at the time was that a lifter had broken and the engine had hydraulicked. Gordon's FC went through the top end on fire, the safety crews chased him down and got the fire out. Spuff shook and weaved all over his lane, getting very close to the guardrail. Finally Spuff's tyres went up in smoke at about 900 feet and he got off it, recording 8.272/106.38. There was a long delay whilst the shutdown area was cleaned up and dried off, a combination of oil and the water used to put out the fire.

Next up were Tony Betts and Allan Bates. Two great burnouts, and then on the green both cars left with cylinders out. Tony stayed with it and clocked 7.026/207.37, whilst Allan got off the throttle at about half track and clocked 8.613/106.64. Another cleanup ensued as Allan's FC left a pool of oil at the end of the track.

Next after the Fuel FCs was the first of today's Top Fuel match races between Barry Sheavills and Andy Carter. Andy Carter pulled a long, long burnout, Barry burnt out to about fifty or sixty feet. The cars were away together on the green, Andy quickly pulling away whilst Barry's tyres went up in smoke at about 300 feet and he got off the throttle. Andy started weaving left and right towards the top end but wasn't getting off it for anything and recorded 5.266 at a whopping 274.39, taking not just his own strip mph record but taking the absolute speed record from Martin Hill's Fireforce 2 Jet FC. Barry recorded 6.299 at 150.00 miles per hour.

So it's two out of two for Andy Carter, can he make it three?

Tune back in about fifteen minutes and we will bring you up to speed on developments in Top Methanol.

9:00

Good morning and welcome to Shakespeare County Raceway. It's another sunny and warm morning, we're set for a frenetic day's racing.

We will be having a minute's silence this morning in tribute to Dave Grady. It will be taking place before the first round of Super Gas, which is scheduled for 11:10. If you're tuned in at that time then please join us for a minute's reflection.

There was a great firework display last night, courtesy of the Supertwin racers. Thanks very much indeed, guys. The display was spectacular and Shakespeare County Raceway old hands will be pleased to hear that the left-hand bank didn't go up with the fireworks this time.

We spent a very pleasant evening in the company of our good friends at Talbot Racing, many thanks to Pat and Stephen for their hospitality. Stephen Talbot has taken a second off his Personal Best ET in the "Sanity Assassin" Pro ET Celica, but the car has been sidelined by a problem with the gearbox. "We could put in a fix, but it would probably break again", he said. "It's not worth risking blowing up the engine. We'll take it back and replace the gearbox".

One issue which will be settled today is the 2000 MSA British Top Methanol Championship. Dave Wilson in the Nemesis TMD has only to win the first round to become Champion - but this is drag racing and "only" has to take account of all sorts of variables.

Jeff Meads tells us that everyone made the Custom Car Street Eliminator cruise last night. Jeff's 9.2-second Pop has been weaving on his passes this weekend. "It doesn't worry me, but my missus doesn't like it!", he said.

Racing is scheduled to start at 10:30 this morning, stay tuned for more news from the track.