FIA Euro Finals
Discussion
Flying Toilet said:
Come again and pop round the pits, if were not working on cars/bikes we are all happy to explain the workings etc.
I'm happy to talk you through our car, nowhere near the level of the top dogs but still some tech and that.
It's a truly friendly sport so make the most of it and don't be afraid to go into the pits and ask away.
I'm happy to talk you through our car, nowhere near the level of the top dogs but still some tech and that.
It's a truly friendly sport so make the most of it and don't be afraid to go into the pits and ask away.
Sebo said:
Cheers - where to start really?! Some links to some sites with some build threads would be great if you know of any?
I've been into motorsport in various guises for a while (go down to the 24hrs of Le Mans each year, catch a few BSB rounds, a few hill-climbs etc) and have a track-prepped Yamaha R6 that I do a few Track days on each year, doing my own spannering where I can. The maintenance of which is minimal when compared with the stuff I saw going down the strip on Saturday. I might need to service the brakes once a year, change the oil every 2 or 3 track days and give the bike a wipe down with an oily rag.
From the very little I know so far, depending on the class, the Nitro engines need to be totally stripped and rebuilt with phenomenal frequency ! I basically still can't comprehend the time and money that is put into the class-leading cars and bikes. I'm glad people do though as it is such a spectacle to see.
As others have said its nice when newcomers to the sport really take an interest, its tough competition from one end of the scale (Sportsman ET) to the fastest (Top Fuel).I've been into motorsport in various guises for a while (go down to the 24hrs of Le Mans each year, catch a few BSB rounds, a few hill-climbs etc) and have a track-prepped Yamaha R6 that I do a few Track days on each year, doing my own spannering where I can. The maintenance of which is minimal when compared with the stuff I saw going down the strip on Saturday. I might need to service the brakes once a year, change the oil every 2 or 3 track days and give the bike a wipe down with an oily rag.
From the very little I know so far, depending on the class, the Nitro engines need to be totally stripped and rebuilt with phenomenal frequency ! I basically still can't comprehend the time and money that is put into the class-leading cars and bikes. I'm glad people do though as it is such a spectacle to see.
If you want to look at a Sportsman ET car (now runs low to mid 13's) then you can look at the build blog for my car:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Lots of time and effort put in developing it from a stock 14 second car to a 13.09 second car and still maintaining it as a daily driver, my maintenance at the Sportsman ET level is very similar to yours. I have only been into the sport for five years; no matter how many passes I have seen it does not get old.
Be warned if you do decide to do a bit of numbers chasing on your motorcycle in RWYB it will get addictive!
The national finals is in two weeks time, all the sportsman classes will be there along with Pro-Mod, Street Eliminator and the big bike classes. There are also some Nostalgia Fuel Altered's there too.
Feel free to come to the pits and say Hi
Edited by PanzerCommander on Monday 7th September 16:53
I wasn't there but have been a Pod attender on and off since the early 70s, and latterly at my local strip in Yorkshire . As has been said nothing in motor sport - nothing at all (and I have seen F1, LMPs,F5000, Gp B,NASCAR, you name it )- prepares you for the sheer feral violence of top dragsters . The visual spectacle is pure showbiz and the noise is utterly beyond description- it rattles every internal organ .
The street cars are pretty ferocious too; I have to smile at the adolescent hysteria about million pound jokes like Veyrons and P1s - I've seen a Tigra run a quarter quicker .
Unlike the silly panto of Goodwood or the ' Access no areas at all ' horror that F1 has become,drag racing is entirely without exclusivity or pretence - the people are often diamonds with a few rough edges and all the better for that . It is a breath of fresh air- if nitro scented.No tweed jackets but fairly high tattoo count .
One word of warning to anyone going for the first time - if you don't take ear defenders you may spend the rest of your life lip reading ...
The street cars are pretty ferocious too; I have to smile at the adolescent hysteria about million pound jokes like Veyrons and P1s - I've seen a Tigra run a quarter quicker .
Unlike the silly panto of Goodwood or the ' Access no areas at all ' horror that F1 has become,drag racing is entirely without exclusivity or pretence - the people are often diamonds with a few rough edges and all the better for that . It is a breath of fresh air- if nitro scented.No tweed jackets but fairly high tattoo count .
One word of warning to anyone going for the first time - if you don't take ear defenders you may spend the rest of your life lip reading ...
PanzerCommander said:
As others have said its nice when newcomers to the sport really take an interest, its tough competition from one end of the scale (Sportsman ET) to the fastest (Top Fuel).
If you want to look at a Sportsman ET car (now runs low to mid 13's) then you can look at the build blog for my car:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Lots of time and effort put in developing it from a stock 14 second car to a 13.09 second car and still maintaining it as a daily driver, my maintenance at the Sportsman ET level is very similar to yours. I have only been into the sport for five years; no matter how many passes I have seen it does not get old.
Be warned if you do decide to do a bit of numbers chasing on your motorcycle in RWYB it will get addictive!
The national finals is in two weeks time, all the sportsman classes will be there along with Pro-Mod, Street Eliminator and the big bike classes. There are also some Nostalgia Fuel Altered's there too.
Feel free to come to the pits and say Hi
Thanks Matthew, I feel a bit stalkerish today - I read your PPL diary from start to finish over lunch and your Mustang build thread on the train this eve! We're busy over the weekend of the 19th otherwise I'd certainly be back to watch some more. If you want to look at a Sportsman ET car (now runs low to mid 13's) then you can look at the build blog for my car:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Lots of time and effort put in developing it from a stock 14 second car to a 13.09 second car and still maintaining it as a daily driver, my maintenance at the Sportsman ET level is very similar to yours. I have only been into the sport for five years; no matter how many passes I have seen it does not get old.
Be warned if you do decide to do a bit of numbers chasing on your motorcycle in RWYB it will get addictive!
The national finals is in two weeks time, all the sportsman classes will be there along with Pro-Mod, Street Eliminator and the big bike classes. There are also some Nostalgia Fuel Altered's there too.
Feel free to come to the pits and say Hi
Edited by PanzerCommander on Monday 7th September 16:53
I'm impressed with the sensible approach to the mods on your car - interesting too that sub 12 seconds and it's roll-cage time.
Cheers for the other offers of a wander round the pits and some daft questions !
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't started looking at Hayabusa's today
What a great 3 days of first class European drag racing everyone did our sport proud
Having spent the last 11 years usually seeing the race in front of us and then our cars race i spent 3 days actually watching a race meeting, now we all say how good the track crew are but the thing i really noticed was the effort and shear hard work these guys / girls put in, its just awesome and they deserve all the praise they get . Also the Pod staff also deserve a lot of credit for the smooth running of the event especially the guy marshalling the traffic near the camp sites [ 4 lines of traffic ] who was getting abuse from a few people who expected to drive straight out
Having spent the last 11 years usually seeing the race in front of us and then our cars race i spent 3 days actually watching a race meeting, now we all say how good the track crew are but the thing i really noticed was the effort and shear hard work these guys / girls put in, its just awesome and they deserve all the praise they get . Also the Pod staff also deserve a lot of credit for the smooth running of the event especially the guy marshalling the traffic near the camp sites [ 4 lines of traffic ] who was getting abuse from a few people who expected to drive straight out
Well I can just about make myself out in them pics above! 
, awesome day out! Weather was fantastic too!
Showing people videos of the top fuel dragsters to show the speed, but it's so hard to explain what it's actually like, as in they actually shake you and the noise is just immense! It really is something you've got to experience to really know what it's like. God knows how the hell the 2 lads sat in front of me managed to watch all of it with no ear protection whatsoever (2nd row grandstand at starting line so pretty close), I'm certain that their ears would have been absolutely killing Monday!
, awesome day out! Weather was fantastic too! Showing people videos of the top fuel dragsters to show the speed, but it's so hard to explain what it's actually like, as in they actually shake you and the noise is just immense! It really is something you've got to experience to really know what it's like. God knows how the hell the 2 lads sat in front of me managed to watch all of it with no ear protection whatsoever (2nd row grandstand at starting line so pretty close), I'm certain that their ears would have been absolutely killing Monday!
DWphil said:
What a great 3 days of first class European drag racing everyone did our sport proud
Having spent the last 11 years usually seeing the race in front of us and then our cars race i spent 3 days actually watching a race meeting, now we all say how good the track crew are but the thing i really noticed was the effort and shear hard work these guys / girls put in, its just awesome and they deserve all the praise they get . Also the Pod staff also deserve a lot of credit for the smooth running of the event especially the guy marshalling the traffic near the camp sites [ 4 lines of traffic ] who was getting abuse from a few people who expected to drive straight out
Yeah, I felt sorry for the marshalls - they were getting grief when they were doing their best; but the frustration at least was understandable. I'm not an expert in these things but to me it seemed under-marshalled. We were parked quite close to the exit road and for much of the time the traffic seemed to be moving quite smoothly along it; however, we were sat stationary for at least an hour as our turning from the field onto the road was barriered off. When the marshalls eventually made their way to our exit, they'd stop the flow on the road, let a dozen or so cars out of our field, then let the traffic flow again for a minute or so, then repeat, which worked fine. To the uninitiated, it just felt like there weren't enough marshalls to man each turning, so you didn't get an even flow out of each area; hence the consternation...Having spent the last 11 years usually seeing the race in front of us and then our cars race i spent 3 days actually watching a race meeting, now we all say how good the track crew are but the thing i really noticed was the effort and shear hard work these guys / girls put in, its just awesome and they deserve all the praise they get . Also the Pod staff also deserve a lot of credit for the smooth running of the event especially the guy marshalling the traffic near the camp sites [ 4 lines of traffic ] who was getting abuse from a few people who expected to drive straight out
Sebo said:
Thanks Matthew, I feel a bit stalkerish today - I read your PPL diary from start to finish over lunch and your Mustang build thread on the train this eve! We're busy over the weekend of the 19th otherwise I'd certainly be back to watch some more.
I'm impressed with the sensible approach to the mods on your car - interesting too that sub 12 seconds and it's roll-cage time.
Cheers for the other offers of a wander round the pits and some daft questions !
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't started looking at Hayabusa's today
The PPL blog will be updated regularly so keep an eye on that I'm impressed with the sensible approach to the mods on your car - interesting too that sub 12 seconds and it's roll-cage time.
Cheers for the other offers of a wander round the pits and some daft questions !
I'd be lying if I said I hadn't started looking at Hayabusa's today
The car is about at the end of its development – we have pretty much reached the end of what we can squeeze out of the chassis tuning now, the next big step will be an engine and gearbox rebuild (with better components) – when it needs doing as its my daily so I am loath to take it off the road for that long unless I have to.
I always like reading about first timers experiences at events like the FIA Main Event and Finals because I remember what it was like for me when I made my first trip to Santa Pod in 2010, like I said it doesn't get old - ever.
First timer here too like sebo & yiliterate. Ticket was a birthday present from a friend who brought his son & a couple of his sons mates along. I only live about 20 minutes away & had thought so many times "I really should have a look...". Never did & probably never would have.
I could not believe how loud it was..Nah, I thought, no need for ear plugs, my hearing's screwed from too many gigs anyway...First top fuel run: er, where did you say those earplugs were?...Brutal.
Great high drama: proper duels, with the outcome balanced on a knife edge & all done in moments. I thought the turnarounds between runs was excellent - I was expecting to be waiting ages. Viewing/sight lines were perfect; Pits were great: no officious security - the boys were given a free piston ring (or, erm, something) by one mechanic, which made their day.
I'd definitely go again, although as someone said earlier, it was a pain getting out of the car park. To be fair, it took me an hour to get out of Milton Keynes after the Foo Fighters on Saturday. Usual story - we arrive at staggered times then all leave on the dot...
I could not believe how loud it was..Nah, I thought, no need for ear plugs, my hearing's screwed from too many gigs anyway...First top fuel run: er, where did you say those earplugs were?...Brutal.
Great high drama: proper duels, with the outcome balanced on a knife edge & all done in moments. I thought the turnarounds between runs was excellent - I was expecting to be waiting ages. Viewing/sight lines were perfect; Pits were great: no officious security - the boys were given a free piston ring (or, erm, something) by one mechanic, which made their day.
I'd definitely go again, although as someone said earlier, it was a pain getting out of the car park. To be fair, it took me an hour to get out of Milton Keynes after the Foo Fighters on Saturday. Usual story - we arrive at staggered times then all leave on the dot...
CardinalFang said:
Usual story - we arrive at staggered times then all leave on the dot...
I can't comment on the marshalling arrangements. However, Sunday was unusual. Invariably there is at least some delay to the schedule -- weather, track clean-up -- and as Sportsman eliminations continue after the Pro finals, people start to drift away. On Sunday the programme was wrapped up so smartly that everyone headed for the exit at once.There may be some advantages to being located at the end of a country road (??) but, if so, ease of access and egress are not among them.
RWJ said:
I can't comment on the marshalling arrangements. However, Sunday was unusual. Invariably there is at least some delay to the schedule -- weather, track clean-up -- and as Sportsman eliminations continue after the Pro finals, people start to drift away. On Sunday the programme was wrapped up so smartly that everyone headed for the exit at once.
There may be some advantages to being located at the end of a country road (??) but, if so, ease of access and egress are not among them.
I think that was pretty much it. Thankfully we had some fellow race fans from up North staying over until Monday so we went to their tent for a bru whilst the queue dispersed. It was massive it went all the way around to family camping!There may be some advantages to being located at the end of a country road (??) but, if so, ease of access and egress are not among them.
Great Weekend, thanks to all involved and active, be it track crew, racers or fans.
I am just sorting out more than 1000 pics I took from grandstand, trackside and Top End.
Top End was lonely on Sunday, but I got some nice chute shots and some geniune "first moment without helmet" photos,
be it an enthusiastic winner or a devastated loser.
As written above, I have never seen a meeting so accurate on schedule with everyone leaving at the same time,
or at least trying to do so.
I took down my tent in the bike pit area and the cars did not move an inch for 2 hours.
I was at the trophy presentation for the first time with FIA/FIM trophies and speeches,
Anita had a smile on her face again and Lindstrom was a bit pickeled.
Highlight of my weekend was the 6,3 by the Zodiac Team,
it really takes a stubborn dutchman like Ton Pels to climb the mountain that is a blown nitro V-Twin.
I am just sorting out more than 1000 pics I took from grandstand, trackside and Top End.
Top End was lonely on Sunday, but I got some nice chute shots and some geniune "first moment without helmet" photos,
be it an enthusiastic winner or a devastated loser.
As written above, I have never seen a meeting so accurate on schedule with everyone leaving at the same time,
or at least trying to do so.
I took down my tent in the bike pit area and the cars did not move an inch for 2 hours.
I was at the trophy presentation for the first time with FIA/FIM trophies and speeches,
Anita had a smile on her face again and Lindstrom was a bit pickeled.
Highlight of my weekend was the 6,3 by the Zodiac Team,
it really takes a stubborn dutchman like Ton Pels to climb the mountain that is a blown nitro V-Twin.
CardinalFang said:
I could not believe how loud it was..Nah, I thought, no need for ear plugs, my hearing's screwed from too many gigs anyway...First top fuel run: er, where did you say those earplugs were?...Brutal.
Welcome to the wonderful world of drag racing :-) You can tell someone it's loud all you like. But until they experience it in person, they just don't understand!Benni said:
Highlight of my weekend was the 6,3 by the Zodiac Team
Certainly was a great sight to see after all the problems they've had over the years! The SSB class was, and always is for me, a highlight of the weekend and I cant see it being too long until the Scandinavians catch up. Being a big supporter of the fuel coupes, it was another disappointing weekend as a fan but, I live in hope. Pro Stock car was, again, a fantastic class to watch and it's going to be interesting to see how that plays out over the next couple of years.
From a spectator POV, I don't think I've been to a better run event at santa pod. For the first time in, well ever, I was able to spend a couple of hours at the end of Sunday's racing having a mooch round the pits rather than having to dart off to catch my flight.
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