Best drag event to visit at Santa Pod this summer?

[anonymous-user]

Hi all,

Been to watch some Straightliners bike & car days at the local airstrip and really enjoyed them, plus I've been to Santa Pod for a performance Vauxhall/run what ya brung type day and really enjoyed it, but me and the girlfriend quite fancied going to watch some 'proper' drag racing for the first time... The sort of thing where we will need to take earplugs with us!

So can anyone recommend a good day at Santa pod where we would get to see a mix of stuff like street eliminator type stuff, funny cars, right through to the top fuel 300mph beasts? If it was a day where there was other entertainment laid on the breaks between races that would also be good. Are there any events that go on into the night at all?

We just want to try a bit of an exciting day out at the drag strip!

Thanks guys!

[GrahamR15]

Main event ! End of discussion! Then once you've been there you'll be going to the euro finals!
Graham

[redvictor]

GrahamR15 said:

Main event ! End of discussion! Then once you've been there you'll be going to the euro finals!
Graham

Totally agree.

Edited by redvictor on Friday 25th February 18:02

[ribaric]

Go to the main event. End of.

If you are not into the competiton side of things, go on the Saturday because you will see all the competitors during final qualifying whereas after the first round of races on Sunday, half of them will going home.

Pick a sunny day.

[chris89]

For sure the the big FIA ones (main event and euro finals). These get a bit busier than your usual rwyb so turn up early to avoid those waits getting in. Be sure to get in the pits for a top fuel warm up, something not to be missed!

Chris
www.eurodragpics.com

[anonymous-user]

Thanks guys, The Main Event at the end of May it is then!
Had a read on the Santa Pod site and it looks like a cracking day out.

Cheers for the advice about trying the Saturday rather than the Sunday.

I take it these sort of weekends attract big crowds then?

[NitroWars]

NinjaPower said:

Thanks guys, The Main Event at the end of May it is then!
Had a read on the Santa Pod site and it looks like a cracking day out.

Cheers for the advice about trying the Saturday rather than the Sunday.

I take it these sort of weekends attract big crowds then?

You have been given a bit of duff information above... Saturday and Sunday are qualifying days with Bank Holiday Monday being race day for eliminations.

All four days (Sportsman qualifying held mainly on Friday) will see the facility very busy unless there is wet stuff falling, but even then it will be busy. If you are intending going to this event I would suggest you check the weather forecasts and pick either the Saturday or the Sunday dependent on those. Having said that, Santa Pod does seem to have its own climate...

I would favour the Sunday out of the two as those going into the final qualifying session will be going balls out to try and get into the show for Monday.

Edited by NitroWars on Friday 25th February 12:28

[RWJ]

NinjaPower said:

Cheers for the advice about trying the Saturday rather than the Sunday.

I take it these sort of weekends attract big crowds then?

Just to clarify re Saturday and Sunday: at the Main Event, final eliminations take place on the Bank Holiday Monday (so too at Easter Thunderball), so Saturday and Sunday are both qualifying days on which you will get to see everyone in action (Friday Sportsman only).

The "come Saturday" advice applies to the European Finals in September (not a Bank Holiday weekend), when final elims run on Sunday.

But hey, come to them all. £60 (advance booking) for all four days of the Main Event, action from 9am till dusk, is pretty serious value.

[RWJ]

Hey, Jim. You got in a minute ahead of me.

[RWJ]

NinjaPower said:

I take it these sort of weekends attract big crowds then?

They do. If you don't get in early morning, particularly on finals day, you can find traffic jammed. Coming from the Lake District, bring a tent or caravan and camp out.
http://www.santapod.co.uk/g_camping.php

[chris89]

You could also check out the easter thunderball, (someone mentioned it here while talking about qualifying)you get the top fuel cars; dragsters and funny cars, pro mod, methanol classes, nfaa, funny bike, pro stock bike, top fuel bike and pretty much most sportsman classes. Not as full on as the Main Event but a very good event nonetheless if the weather is playing ball.

Chris
www.eurodragpics.com

[ribaric]

Sorry about the Bank Holiday Monday thing, we don't have them in central Europe. Good advice above.

[WJM]

Tend to agree about the main event. I don't tend to book advance tickets any more as it's so weather dependent and you don't want to go if it's going to rain all day. Like others I tend to prefer the final qualifying partly because the crowd is a bit less and partly because traffic on a bank holiday Monday is usually prety grim if you are leaving the Pod at 5pm or whenever.

I try to get there for about 9am as the traffic is normally not bad then and as somebody else has said you get the TF warm ups normally from about 10 am and you don't want to miss that {though try to stay up wind of the nitro fumes !}. TF is normally scheduled for around 11am and for some reason starts the Pro qualifying {in some ways it would be better to start with the less noisy cars and build up}which normally takes the best part of 2 hours to complete. If everything is running to schedule {ie no rain, accidents, or oil downs} TF should be out again in the middle of the afternoon. If the 1st Pro qualifying is delayed { and it normally is} and does not finish until 2.30 or later the odds are the TF cars will not be out again until 6pm or so and if you have a long drive home you might decide that it's better to leave early in the afternoon after the first Pro session {normally ended by the jet funny}.

You get a good view from the earth bank but it's quite hard work standing at an angle for hours on end and if it's a bit wet and muddy sitting down in between big runs may not be an option. The grandstand is extra but has proper tip up seats and gives a good view, with the demise of the old barn it's probably the noisiest place to watch from as well. The pits side has no bank but you can get quite close to the strip at the top end and it's a good place to see some of the cars going really fast. The trouble is most of the action is on the startline and often some of the bigger faster cars are freewheeling by the last 100 yards so it's somewhere to see a few runs at rather than to settle there.

Bill

[veryoldfart]

beg or borrow a transit van, get an airbed, 2 sleeping bags and a cool box

take some bog rolls and disposable BBQ's

sorted

[Cheese Mechanic]

NinjaPower said:

Thanks guys, The Main Event at the end of May it is then!
Had a read on the Santa Pod site and it looks like a cracking day out.

Cheers for the advice about trying the Saturday rather than the Sunday.

I take it these sort of weekends attract big crowds then?

If you have never sat on a start line when 2 top fueller's are launching off, you are in for some experience!

It has to be one of the most awe inspiring things you are ever likley to witness.

Mind your ears