The opening rounds of the ACU Championships and the first round of the European FIM Cup for Super Street Bike kicked off at the Festival of Power meeting at Santa Pod. Qualifying days where dry but windy. Race day saw the rain arrived at dinner-time and the track crew tried to get the track dried, but the rain returned and the meeting was called at the semi-finals stage of the event. During the three days records were set and reset and many riders ran personal bests.
Top Fuel Bike.
Multi-time ACU Top Fuel Champion Steve Woollatt led the three bike field with 6.544-173.69. Woollatt has fitted and air operated clutch over the winter, which has seen 60ft times of 1.01 sec. Germanys Christian Jager was doing some testing before the opening round of the European FIM Championships next month.
Jager suffered tyre shake last year and ran better over the first 300ft at Festival of Power meeting, recording a best of 7.781-128. Rene Van Den Berg was having handling problems over the weekend and ran a best of 8.619-129.
The riders were in the staging lanes when the rain came down on race day.
Funnybike.
There was an international flavour to Funnybike field. Topping the big field was Filippos Papafilippou from Greece on his ex ADRL Pro Mod bike, who was testing and clicked off early (1000ft) 7.002 at 149.12. Gary Jones was next 7.188 with top speed of the meeting 187.42mph. Reigning champion Stuart Crane had his spare motor in the bike and ran 7.305 for third spot. Dave Peters had clutch issues and ran 7.455 and Maarten Zijlstra from Holland was fifth with a p/b of 7.750. Bob Brookes was on the bump spot 8.115.
Czech rider Jiri Lukes qualified with personal best figures of 8.324-163.09. He was first alternate for Brookes and ran another p/b 8.291 against Papafilippou who won 7.482. Peters red lit against Zijlstra. Jones and Joswig both broke in their race. Crane won on a holeshot against teammate Dale Leeks 8.007 to Leeks quicker but losing 7.893. Rain stopped the race.
Pro Stock Bike.
Three time ACU Pro Stock Bike champion Len Paget led the small field 7.573-171.11 at the expense of a valve retainer breaking, which put Paget out of competition. Reigning champion Mark Smith had electrical gremlins and managed to qualify with 7.832 with a top speed of the meet 171.77. Alex Hope was riding his fathers (Chris) Pro Stocker and was getting quicker on every pass resulting in a best of 8.056-159.09.
Comp Bike.
On paper this could be the tight fought class for a title. Allan Davies ran personal best figures 7.581-175.73 to just edge Phil Crossley 7.585 p/b at 167.31. Tony Clark ran 7.702-177.76 for third. Kevin Osman was another rider running p/b 7.861 and ran 186.00 p/b with a slower time, which was top speed of the meet.
There was a shock in round one when Davies broke just off the start line and Dave Batcheler who had clutch issues over the weekend had a bye to his first ACU final, only mother nature decided differently. Crossley had a bye run to the semis and would have faced Clark who beat Osman.
Super Street Bike.
Where the stars of the meeting in both ACU and FIM qualifying and the opening round of the ACU Eliminator. Reigning ACU champion Graham Balchin was the number one qualifier 7.203-200.65. Teammate Steve Venables weekend didn’t start well having to make one engine out of two and qualified with figures of 7.225-204.24. Pete Field set an ACU et record of 7.242 and recording his first 200mph plus with a p/b of 203.35 and just edging FIM Champion Garry Bowe for third spot 7.247 at p/b of 198.80.
Balchin had a lucky break in round one. On a bye run he had very low oil pressure and broke the beam to into the next round. Venables set both et and speed records of 7.210 at 205.10 when he beat Erich Gruber. Field ran another p/b run of 7.231-205.06 against Steve Wood. Luke Farrugia from Malta ran a jaw dropping personal best ever of 7.194-199.67 (and wheelie from the 150ft mark to the 300ft mark on the pass). There were also wins for Richard Hann, Jemma Venables and newcomer Dave Thomas.
European FIM Cup.
Super Street Bike.
Graham Balchin topped the field in the FIM field as well with and set an FIM et record of 7.193. Steve Venables was close behind 7.213 at 203.33 and reigning FIM Champion Garry Bowe with personal best of 7.219. Pete Field ran another p/b of 7.224-200.53 just ahead of Shaun Buttigieg from Malta who had assistance from Stephen Mead and by phone from Walter Sprout USA. Resulting with a p/b of 7.235 at 195.46. Luke Farrugia ran 7.255 but there was a blue line violation from one of his crew, the time didn’t stand. Mogens Lund also ran p/b of 7.481 at 195.44. The teams were in the staging lanes when the rain came down to end the event.
Report by Steven Moxley.