Round 4 2018

Round 4 WebTV Show

Round 4 Race Report

Santa Pod Raceway – Mopar Euro Nationals 28th – 29th July 2018

The wind did blow and the rain did rain. It is ironic that, in a year that will be remembered for its bone-dry summer, two of the four MSA Championship races to date have been rained off. Saturday’s three qualifying sessions were completed but no eliminations took place on Sunday. After the Summer Nationals barn-burner, this was a less auspicious weekend.

In Q1, Andy Robinson was shut off after burning out when a brake pad became detached. In Q2, he reeled off a 5.915sec/242.75mph pass to claim low qualifier, and followed in Q3 with 6.014/238.61.

Andrew Wright Jr. made his competitive debut in BA Racing’s ’38 Ford after testing on Friday at 6.347/227.00 – believed to be the quickest/fastest first full pass anyone has made. His Q1 6.582/216.95 now stands as his ‘official’ personal best, but a spun bearing put the team out of action for the rest of the weekend.

Bobby Wallace clocked three 6.2sec ETs.

Michel Tooren clocked 6.369 in Q1 and 9.095 in Q2. Unable to make it out in time for Q3, he later ran 6.072 in an evening test session. A first 5sec pass surely beckons.

Jean Dulamon ran three steady 6’s. In both Q2 and Q3, the howling headwind pulled him up short of the turn-off and he had to be towed off the track, each time obliging the cars waiting in the next pair to be shut off on the line.

A broken fuel pump slowed Kev Slyfield to 11.266 in Q1 and could not be replaced in time for the remaining two sessions. A footling transmission piece slowed Wayne Nicholson to a 14sec pass in Q1 and, though repaired, he elected not to run Q2 or Q3.

Chris Isaacs and Chris Orthodoxou both withdrew their entries.

Next up, it’s the season’s second combined MSA/FIA round at September’s European Finals.

RESULTS:

QUALIFYING:

                                                  ET           MPH      Best MPH
1.            Andy Robinson  GBR     5.915     242.75  
2.            Bobby Wallace GBR       6.215     217.08   225.50
3.            Michel Tooren  NED       6.369     189.71  
4.            Andrew Wright Jr. GBR  6.582     216.95
5.            Jean Dulamon FRA        6.695     210.88   211.99
6.            Kevin Slyfield  GBR       11.266   44.58    
7.            Wayne Nicholson GBR   14.616   NoSpeed            
Withdrawn entries:
Chris Isaacs GBR
Chris Orthodoxou   GBR

ELIMINATIONS:
Rained off.

Low Elapsed Time of the Event:  5.915sec. – Andy Robinson (Q2)
Top Speed of the Event:  242.75mph – Andy Robinson (Q2)

Personal-best performances set during event:
Andrew Wright Jr.            6.582     216.95