Best Pass Ever.
Discussion
Being inspired by the end of the 'Top end photos' thread discussing the amazing 4.64 Kim Reymond made at the Euro Finals 2003.
So are the most memorable passes you have witnessed?
Give some details, et's and dates if possible.
Mine would have to be:
Any pass by Steve Greens old MK1 Cortina. in the days when the wheelie bar consisted of the rear valance. I can remember seeing Steve and Paul Webster touching the valance up with some paint. Soon after Steve made a wheelie bar...
John Spuffards 5.28 at the Euros 2006. Watched the pass from behind the burnout box as we were due to run after. The car was arrow straight and seeing Bob Jarret get so animated really showed me how much it meant to him.
Grant Downing burning out through Wellington Central, New Zealand. Went to car show called 2hot2handle in 2006 and the final display on the dragstrip (cue temporary barriers and xmas tree) was Terry doing a full track burnout at night with flames from the pipes, smoke billowing off the slicks and the sound echoing round the skyscrapers for about a minute after. Why cant someone do that in London??
Elbros MK1 Escort back in the 90's. Remember the Elbros MK1 Escort from Malta that made its way over in the 90's? It looked like it was from a timewarp and ran a turbo cossie with gas. Ran 9's and kicked everyone in Pro Euros arse! Last seen in the fire up road with the bonnet flying over the barn and re entering the earths atmosphere about 2 days later.
Dan
So are the most memorable passes you have witnessed?
Give some details, et's and dates if possible.
Mine would have to be:
Any pass by Steve Greens old MK1 Cortina. in the days when the wheelie bar consisted of the rear valance. I can remember seeing Steve and Paul Webster touching the valance up with some paint. Soon after Steve made a wheelie bar...
John Spuffards 5.28 at the Euros 2006. Watched the pass from behind the burnout box as we were due to run after. The car was arrow straight and seeing Bob Jarret get so animated really showed me how much it meant to him.
Grant Downing burning out through Wellington Central, New Zealand. Went to car show called 2hot2handle in 2006 and the final display on the dragstrip (cue temporary barriers and xmas tree) was Terry doing a full track burnout at night with flames from the pipes, smoke billowing off the slicks and the sound echoing round the skyscrapers for about a minute after. Why cant someone do that in London??
Elbros MK1 Escort back in the 90's. Remember the Elbros MK1 Escort from Malta that made its way over in the 90's? It looked like it was from a timewarp and ran a turbo cossie with gas. Ran 9's and kicked everyone in Pro Euros arse! Last seen in the fire up road with the bonnet flying over the barn and re entering the earths atmosphere about 2 days later.
Dan
There have been so many it's hard to pick them out.
Watching Patrick Wikstrom run a 6.35 with his Nova at the Euro Finals in 2000 was pretty awe-inspiring, it was just so stout at the time. I think it was on the Saturday night too, where the the last session of Sportsman qualifying was called off (the Nova was illegal for Pro Mod at the time as it was the pre-billet heads era) so he and Freddy Fargestrom lit up the motors and idled down the track and back through the pits...
Witnessing Darrel Gwynn's last pass at the Thunderball in 1990 will always be memorable too. He was my hero at the time and I couldn't believe he was back in England. Seeing that fateful pass is something that I'll never forget unfortunately.
Barry Sheavills' final round win at the World Finals (as was) in 1994 is one that sticks out in my mind too, probably more so than his 4 second breakthrough in '98. Not just because it was the first 5 at the 'Pod, but because of the way that the whole crowd was on their feet and ultra patriotic...be it British or Scandanavian watching Barry and Anita going in to stage. I can't remember any Top Methanol runs getting such a reaction before or since. It's also hard to forget my old man hanging out of Barry's crew bus waving the cross of St. George after as it drove down the track too!
From a personal standpoint, I'll never forget the Summer Nationals in 2005 when we ran our first 7. We'd been chasing gremlins for nearly 18 months and after another 8.0 we'd had enough! We figured something radical needed to be done so we wound a load of clutch at her and there it was.....7.81! Nowadays if we run a 7.81 we're disappointed, but it meant so much at the time.
Watching Patrick Wikstrom run a 6.35 with his Nova at the Euro Finals in 2000 was pretty awe-inspiring, it was just so stout at the time. I think it was on the Saturday night too, where the the last session of Sportsman qualifying was called off (the Nova was illegal for Pro Mod at the time as it was the pre-billet heads era) so he and Freddy Fargestrom lit up the motors and idled down the track and back through the pits...
Witnessing Darrel Gwynn's last pass at the Thunderball in 1990 will always be memorable too. He was my hero at the time and I couldn't believe he was back in England. Seeing that fateful pass is something that I'll never forget unfortunately.
Barry Sheavills' final round win at the World Finals (as was) in 1994 is one that sticks out in my mind too, probably more so than his 4 second breakthrough in '98. Not just because it was the first 5 at the 'Pod, but because of the way that the whole crowd was on their feet and ultra patriotic...be it British or Scandanavian watching Barry and Anita going in to stage. I can't remember any Top Methanol runs getting such a reaction before or since. It's also hard to forget my old man hanging out of Barry's crew bus waving the cross of St. George after as it drove down the track too!
From a personal standpoint, I'll never forget the Summer Nationals in 2005 when we ran our first 7. We'd been chasing gremlins for nearly 18 months and after another 8.0 we'd had enough! We figured something radical needed to be done so we wound a load of clutch at her and there it was.....7.81! Nowadays if we run a 7.81 we're disappointed, but it meant so much at the time.
Edited by Rat_Fink_67 on Tuesday 27th February 11:42
Two jaw droppers that stick in my mind. Kim Reymond's 4.64 is the obvious one, but in terms of all time favourites, it would have to be seeing Vanishing Point run in (I think) 1986. Same meeting as the fateful Hellbender crash, if memory serves. No idea of time or speed other than very fast. That was the run which got me interested in the sport.
I can also remember seeing Fast Freddy run for the first time, although again I can't date it. Think it was before NDRS pro mods came to SPR, so I'm guessing it was Comp Eliminator or something. Sure it was him and Thomas Nataas, as I can recall then both rolling round and pulling massive burnouts. Sure Freddy match raced a TMFC later in the day as well.
I can also remember seeing Fast Freddy run for the first time, although again I can't date it. Think it was before NDRS pro mods came to SPR, so I'm guessing it was Comp Eliminator or something. Sure it was him and Thomas Nataas, as I can recall then both rolling round and pulling massive burnouts. Sure Freddy match raced a TMFC later in the day as well.
The most memorable pass I have ever seen has to be Sammy Miller's first ever run in the UK at the September 1978 International meeting. Prior to this meeting, the Santa Pod record stood to Peter Crane at 5.97 seconds.
When he came to the line, nobody knew what to expect. The acceleration off the line was truly awesome and you could tell that he had clicked it off just after half track as the car was visibly slowing as it approached the finish line. His ET was still 4.94 at a slowing 225 mph.
When he came to the line, nobody knew what to expect. The acceleration off the line was truly awesome and you could tell that he had clicked it off just after half track as the car was visibly slowing as it approached the finish line. His ET was still 4.94 at a slowing 225 mph.
obviously Kim's 4.64
also:
Barry and Andy running side-by-side 4s@300 for the first time
the first time I ever saw Freddy run the truck; Euro Finals 1999; 1/2track burnout dialled in 6.66 in super pro and ran 6.57
Clive Mechaell running a mid 6, and thinking "one day I want one of those"......
also:
Barry and Andy running side-by-side 4s@300 for the first time
the first time I ever saw Freddy run the truck; Euro Finals 1999; 1/2track burnout dialled in 6.66 in super pro and ran 6.57
Clive Mechaell running a mid 6, and thinking "one day I want one of those"......
I have only witnessed this type of thing a few times and the only thing that sticks in my mind is at Santa Pod about 12/13 years ago a pal and me laughing and pointing at a Nissan Cherry van approaching the Christmas tree and then doing a low 13 second pass, nothing that remarkable time wise I know, but a NISSAN CHERRY VAN!!! (we later discovered it had a turbo motor in it but still impressive, and front wheel drive too!).
Rat_Fink_67 said:
Witnessing Darrel Gwynn's last pass at the Thunderball in 1990 will always be memorable too. He was my hero at the time and I couldn't believe he was back in England. Seeing that fateful pass is something that I'll never forget unfortunately.
I would like to agree on this note. He was/still is my idol. I would never take my Darrel Gwynn T shirt off for a start as i won one when i went to Avon Park once when the pits were the other side. (if my memory serves me correctly) Anyway i will never forget that day, i was standing at the side of the track near the control tower. I knew something was wrong. It was the same with Hellbender, i was seven and i could tell it was bad but it never hit home that it was fatal. That was the meeting when the hells Angels were there and one of them went and sat in the middle of the track near the startline and refused to leave. My mother was engaged in the hospitality in the double decker buses... remember those?
I remember the races Barry and Anita had together in Top methanol and Barry reaching the fives first at santa Pod. Also i have the timing ticket from the first side by side 4 second 300mph TF run by Barry and Andy sitting next to me, i remember that race too. Unfortunately i also remember Barry's accident like it was yesterday
So many memories... my favourite would be the Pro Mod wars with Geoff Hauser and Tim Cook. Pro mod has always been one to watch. Looking back through the old copies of Drag Racing News is a firm favourite on a sunday and the photography albums which my mother collaborated over the years. My memory is terrible, i wish i could remember dates and times.
Mine would probably be watching eric teboul run his 5.75 at the Bulldog 06 from the control tower. The video is on www.topnitro.co.uk at the very bottom of the videos page, if anyone is interested.
Urs erbacher running the 4.7 @316 (or somthing like that) at the pod at the euro finals.
Jim Usher running the Mob's first 6 @ 200.
Andy carter runnign shakeys track record of 5.197 @ 291
And plenty of others!
Urs erbacher running the 4.7 @316 (or somthing like that) at the pod at the euro finals.
Jim Usher running the Mob's first 6 @ 200.
Andy carter runnign shakeys track record of 5.197 @ 291
And plenty of others!
I remember seeing Robin Read run his mini-fueller when it was lashing it down on a cold & miserable World Finals qualifying day. I think he needed to put in one timed pass to qualify and I was a virtual lone figure on the banking watching him blip the throttle down the track. Also my 1st glimpse of the Scandavian Pro-Street cars at Santa Pod, those guys took my breathe away with their practice launches and unheard of (to me) rolling burnouts.
I've been lucky enough to see the majority of the TF runs where the Santa Pod track record was re-set along with the blistering runs Brian Johnson put in when he got into the mid/low 6.1's.
What I'd like to see in the future are the fuel funny cars running in healthy fields again and running low 5's, high 4's
I've been lucky enough to see the majority of the TF runs where the Santa Pod track record was re-set along with the blistering runs Brian Johnson put in when he got into the mid/low 6.1's.
What I'd like to see in the future are the fuel funny cars running in healthy fields again and running low 5's, high 4's
BennettRacing said:
Not sure how old i was, but it was at the pod, tim cooks motor, he launched chute popped out and still ran a 6, does not sound much but the car was square, with the chute out full pass.
Tim Cook never ran a 6 with any of his cars. He did have a parachute incident once though. It launched itself during a burnout, and everybody rushed to tell him not to reverse but it was too late.....it got tangled around the wheels and axle and he had to abort.
Rat_Fink_67 said:
BennettRacing said:
Not sure how old i was, but it was at the pod, tim cooks motor, he launched chute popped out and still ran a 6, does not sound much but the car was square, with the chute out full pass.
Tim Cook never ran a 6 with any of his cars. He did have a parachute incident once though. It launched itself during a burnout, and everybody rushed to tell him not to reverse but it was too late.....it got tangled around the wheels and axle and he had to abort.
like i said mate was young so not 100% but he did run with chute out.
maybe he had problem with chute clip!
BennettRacing said:
Rat_Fink_67 said:
BennettRacing said:
Not sure how old i was, but it was at the pod, tim cooks motor, he launched chute popped out and still ran a 6, does not sound much but the car was square, with the chute out full pass.
Tim Cook never ran a 6 with any of his cars. He did have a parachute incident once though. It launched itself during a burnout, and everybody rushed to tell him not to reverse but it was too late.....it got tangled around the wheels and axle and he had to abort.
like i said mate was young so not 100% but he did run with chute out.
maybe he had problem with chute clip!
I remember him making a pass with the chute out from 60ft. The burgandy one?
flying toilet said:
BennettRacing said:
Rat_Fink_67 said:
BennettRacing said:
Not sure how old i was, but it was at the pod, tim cooks motor, he launched chute popped out and still ran a 6, does not sound much but the car was square, with the chute out full pass.
Tim Cook never ran a 6 with any of his cars. He did have a parachute incident once though. It launched itself during a burnout, and everybody rushed to tell him not to reverse but it was too late.....it got tangled around the wheels and axle and he had to abort.
like i said mate was young so not 100% but he did run with chute out.
maybe he had problem with chute clip!
I remember him making a pass with the chute out from 60ft. The burgandy one?
Cant remember if it was his '56 or green '55
Other run i remember but watched from top end as dad had just run was brian johnson, he ran a 6.22 OR it was 222mph i forget was at bulldog i think about '93 and il always remember the sound of the run.
afd said:
Luke, 222 and 6.2 both must be wrong, cause Hakan Nilson only ran 222 in 2003, and 6.22 has only just been beaten last year in Promod, maybe it was a 7.22, or a crisp packet
If you read it i think he means Brian Johnson ran a 6.22 @ 222mph...
Also, Tim's Chevy's were Burgandy and the newer one built by Jon Webster in the JMW days was white with red and yellow graphics. It didn't go Green until Henri Joosten rebuilt it after Tims crash and was backed by Quaker State
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