Rain on race day decided the final positions of the 2015 ACU Championships in Funny Bike, Comp Bike and Super Street Bike. Four qualifying sessions were completed on Saturday. There were a few personal bests set and a speed record. Racing started at 2.30pm and 30mins later rain fell and the meeting was called.
Funny Bike.
The field was increased to thirteen with the appearance of Alex Hope and Mark Smith from Pro Stock Bike making it a sixteen-bike eliminator. Saturday was cloudy and there was a cross wind to start the day and then the wind changed direction. Stuart Crane stunned everyone with an out of the trailer 7.010 with a personal best speed of 186.61. Reigning ACU Pro Stock Bike Champion Alex Hope was next 7.262-182.81. National Finals winner Phil Crossley was next with a p/b 7.509-172.41. Eric Richard ran 7.567-179.94 for fourth spot. Nick Daniels very nearly didn’t compete due to parts not arriving. He got the parts on the Tuesday (small motor) and didn’t have time to test, so going into the meeting without a set up. In the last session Daniels ran a personal best of 7.663 at 174.41. Points leader Dave Peters had a clutch issue were he went though 3 sets of clutchs and fitted a complete new one for the eliminations. His best run was the opening session 7.732-178.48. Championship contender Allan Davies melted two spark plugs and had to repair some valves/seats 7.899-174.40. The other Championship contender Bob Brooks had a head gasket blow on his second pass and qualified with a 13.745.
Crane broke the beam to save time. Parnell was a no show so Davies had a bye run 7.705-177.85. Papafilippou got shut down on the start line fluid leak leaving Richard to solo and he ran a p/b of 7.346-185.82. Daniels had the weld break on the gear lever when the crewman tried to engage the gear for the burnout. Smith ran 8.384 bye run. Hope got out the gate first against Brooks who powered pass at mid-track when Hope slowed at ¾ track 7.212 to 9.145. Crossley fitted new nitrous solenoid for the eliminations and ran a jaw dropping personal best of 7.346-177.83 against Buttery who slowed at ¾ track 8.999-100.09. Leeks left before the lights were activated against Peters who had a late reaction of rt643 and took the win light and the 2015 ACU Funny Bike Championship. This is Peters first major title in 21 years of drag racing.
Comp Bike.
Paul Hambridge just edged Eddy Smiley for number one qualifier with 7.828-166.66. Smiley ran back to back personal bests in qualifying and finished with 7.836-178.48. Another rider to run a p/b was Mick Winyard 7.924 at 180.65. Dave Smart had a weekend to forget when the adjuster broke on the chain damaging the sprocket and after he repaired the chain went slack again on the next pass, after a mechanical problem. Points Leader Kevin Osman hurt a piston on number three cylinder which put him out of the show. But Dave Batcheler offered Osman the use of his bike after Osman had helped Batcheler out with parts at Shakespeare County two weeks before this event. Osman qualified on the bump spot 9.835.
Osman broke just off the start line against Hambridge who took the win light 7.927. Newcomer to the class Mark Hope came from behind to beat Dave Thomas 8.159 to 8.818. Smiley broke the beam when Smart was a no show. Winyard pulled a huge wheelie against John Mclean Jr who won with 8.401 to Winyard 9.027. Kevin Osman is the 2015 ACU Comp Bike Champion.
Super Street Bike.
The 2015 European FIM Super Street Bike Cup Champion Garry Bowe only had to qualify for the ACU Super Street Bike Championship and to make sure he ran7.148 with a speed of 207.12 (unofficial speed record). Steve Venables ran 7.3 and had to change engines due to low oil pressure. With the spare motor in the frame Venables ran 7.178-203.48 for number two spot. Pete Field ran a p/b of 7.181. Mark Wells had his smaller motor (1300cc) that he has had in his van wrapped in bubble wrap for three years in the frame and ran best figures for that motor of 7.577-195.55.
Bowe faced his nearest challenger Chris Reed in round one of the eliminations and ran 7.233 at 206.98 to back up the 207.12 for a new ACU speed record. Sam Sykes came in first alternate for Daniel Lencses and broke against Richard Hann who was back on form 7.471. Field beat second alternate Richard Stubbins 7.223 to 9.507. Rain started to fall when Stephen Mead came to the start line on a bye run and the officials let him break the beam for the points and that was the end of the 2015 drag racing season.
Congratulations to the following Champions.
Top Fuel Bike. Rene Van Den Berg.
Funny Bike. Dave Peters.
Comp Bike. Kevin Osman.
Super Street Bike. Garry Bowe.
Note. Pro Stock Bike had only one race meeting and for a championship it is a minimum of two events.
Report by Steven Moxley.