If anybody was wondering where I was (which I doubt
)
in Santa Pod at the FIA European Finals 9th - 12th Sep
I left past week Wednesday straight from work, through Belgium, France to Dunkerque catching the fairy at midnight to Dover, arrived Thursday morning approx 5am at the race track, set up my tent and went to sleep until the sound of dragster engines woke me up.
I adjusted to the left-side-driving faster and easier than I was afraid of ... which made it more fun to enjoy the trip and the british people were outstanding friendly and helpful whereever I went.
Thursday was nice and warm, Friday was a bit rainy, Saturday and Sunday were mostly dry but very very cold and windy during the day, and
turned into storms during night...
The place is a former air port turned into an all-year dragstrip.
Therefore the track was excellent prepared, glued, shiny, smooth... except the slow down area getting a bit bumpy and having side winds.
They got concrete walls left and right, then a filled up grassy hill on the right side (just steeper but not as high up than Bitburg to the right) and amusement stuff for the spectators behind that hill which all ends towards the end of the quartermile so the wind can come in unblocked there. The left side of the quartermile is pits area, a patchwork of grass, concrete, asphalt and gravel.
I met up with two german teams I am friends with, Pat-Shöfer-Racing (Top Methanol Dragster) and Kuno Racing (Pro Mod), second one "adopted" me as a semi team member and I stayed with them.
Pat lost his last years title as No. 1 European Champion already in Hockenheim and did not win in Santa Pod either.
Norbert Kuno ran his best time in Santa Pod on Saturday night (6.64) in the last qualification round but he got beat in the second elimination on Sunday morning by the lateron winner, Patrik Wikstrom from Sweden.
A big impression for me was: On Saturday night at the end of the races I was going up to the tower to ask for a timeslip reprint - the tower crosses the track above the start line - and it happened that the Jet dragster started his flame and thunder show right then approx. 10 feet underneath my feet... no that wooden barrack did not burn and did not bust, but I swear it was close to!
Saturday night then we had to fight the storm, secure the tents (I took mine down in darkness and flooding rain), it was a long rough night -
ecspecially after Friday night the team took all engine apart and back together until almost morning.
I got home Monday at 22pm and... was not sure if I was dead or alive.
Of yourse there was many many more details, stories and stuff to tell,
but most important: Many good cars and bikes racing, from Top Fuel, Funny Cars up to:
Super Street (1 Camaro) Super Pro ET (1 Camaro) Pro ET (7 Camaro, 1 Firebird) and Sportsman ET (1 Camaro, 1 Bird) all UK though.
