I first went to Santa Pod when the BDR&RHA was still an entity and was there to see Don Schumacher and Paula Murphy run their funny cars. A few more trips plus a visit to a US raceway is my total experience...but it is unforgettable.
There are quite a few videos out there and some are very spectacular, but this (IMO) is one of the more interesting (eg 35 mins in...the blower strip down):
PS See if you find out where (and why) they use 2-stroke oil (and castor oil).
Thanks have done RWYB at Santa Pod as well as watched top fuel etc. so will look at the video later.Originally Posted by PickleB
In answer to your question as an ex 747 and 545 user - Castrol R smells good !
I did have to add a cap full to my petrol to stop my flatslide carbs sticking in the wet but for drag racing I expect it burns off cleaner ?
Been to santa pod a couple of times, took my mitsubishi GTO to a RWYB but forgot my license so couldn't do a run, met some lovely people there from the GTOC.
Also went to USC as a guest of the guy running the dance tent there, that was a great laugh, the rocket car creating it's own weather was a particular memory.
In general I prefer modified road cars to custom built drag / funny cars but can appreciate the skills required to both build and drive them.
Started going to Santa Pod in the 70's and remember some really nice cars over the years. Saw Don Garlits in his "Swamp Rat" dragster, Slammin' Sammy Miller in his rocket car and lots of nice UK cars as well. Ran bikes in the RWYB as well, was good fun.
'Money Hungry' an early favourite...
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Never been but have been meaning to go since I moved nearer. It looks a cracking day out. Ought to take the Boy there as he would enjoy it too.
Tapatapatapatapatalk
There’s a guy on here who runs a totally tricked out DAF, due to its light weight it would smoke anything in those videos, fo sho bro!
I’m sure he’ll be along soon to show you how it’s done. ;-)
Is a dress essential?
n2
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Take hearing protection...👍
I've been a couple of times, once to a proper full-on Top Fuel and Funny Car championship meet, with lots of Swedish lunatics, and once to a RWYB event where I had a run in the Formula Vee which I looked after.
A memorable day. I'd always wanted to try my hand at drag racing. But first, we had to wait for it to stop drizzling, and just become damp and overcast. Which meant that they had to bring out the track dryer, which was a flat bed truck. With a jet engine mounted on the back, and a nozzle type thingy directing the exhaust from the jet on to the track.
Which was still quite slippery, causing the Vee to spin its wheels off of the start, and when I changed into second. And again when I changed into third. And then a friend offered to let me have a run in his full-on Beetle, which would do the quarter mile in a bit less than 12 seconds, but alas, the rain returned and I never had the chance to find out.
RWYB (Run What You Brung) events are great, the variety of cars, bikes, vans and competitors is incredible. Nitro-burning Top Fuelers and Funny Cars are just awesome, but as said above, take ear protection.
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
If you have never seen a Top Fuel car and you like engineering then you really should go once. The noise is ridiculous - it sounds (and feels) like all hell is about to break loose and in the blink of an eye (quite literally) the car is gone and before you can work out what happened it has crossed the line.
I remember a good few years ago talking to Tony Baker (now sadly deceased) at Avon Park about his outlaw Anglia, Torque of the Devil - the thing would do the 1/4 mile in sub 9 seconds hitting 170+ mph in the process, yet it was road legal, taxed and MOTed.
The top fuellers are something else - I cant imagine what 0-100 in less than a second feels like.
Does anybody else remember Mighty Mouse? See:
- YT link1...look for the arrow in lights at 2 min 10 sec
- YT link2...deserves a special prize for longevity?
- Brian Chapman
I love getting down to the Pod. I was there for Kim Reymond's 4.6s/317mph quarter mile pass in Top Fuel, never seen a car look so hooked up since. An amazing experience, get yourself down to feel the noise!
I raced in ACU Competition bike from 1992 -2005 off and off , when I wasn't racing I crewed for a few mates, one in the Pro-Stock bike class where we won two national championships and set numerous European records and one in Funny Bike
A few of my old snotters
Since giving it up my cars seems to end up on the strip a fair bit
That sounds right up my street.
A long time ago I went to a number of tractor pulling events, there was some serious machinery there too. That got quite noisey too.
I went to an NHRA meet in the states a while back, 10,000bhp, 330 mph in a 1000ft and 150db. certainly gets your attention
It seems that drag racing is very much alive and kicking in Australia:
See also...Top Bike & Sportsmans
Last edited by PickleB; 18th March 2019 at 15:55.
Been a few times to Santa Pod, first few were for Bug Jam in the late 80s when I had my Beetle, good fun and lots to see, went a couple of years ago for Bug Jam now i have a camper van T2 and it was such a disappointment, more Pikey fun fair than decent cars.
Took the boys to a drag race day last year and it was pretty good, the rocket car made a insane noise.
Last edited by JasonM; 18th March 2019 at 21:25.
Cheers..
Jase
It really is.... I prefer to watch it than the American stuff.....the Aussies have some seriously fast kit..
I raced in ACU Competition bike from 1992 -2005 off and off , when I wasn't racing I crewed for a few mates, one in the Pro-Stock bike class where we won two national championships and set numerous European records and one in Funny Bike
A few of my old snotters
Since giving it up my cars seems to end up on the strip a fair bit
You don't happen to know Mike Carter do you? I shoot clays with him and he was the UK record holder in the late 80's on his Kawasaki.
No before my time i'm afraid , i didnt start until '92
Burning hot sun, tshirts, shorts, hot engines, sweat... Castrol R ..................Arohhhhhhhhhmatherapy.
B
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