Here is what they had to say;

It seems almost inconceivable that a year has passed since our last Championship Finals but it’s here again and what a season it has been. The FIA/UEM European Drag Racing Championship Finals weekend has always been the “big” event of the year but Santa Pod’s calendar is now so extensive that it no longer signals the end to our drag racing activities as there are still many more events to go.

That in no way diminishes the importance we place on this event and the whole Santa Pod team is 100% focused on getting every aspect right. Whether that be planning the pit layout for the hundreds of teams or cutting the grass for public car parking!

In particular, Darren Prentice (Track Operations Manager) and the track team, have been (and still are) working tirelessly on the drag strip itself to achieve a track that is going to provide the optimum surface for our sport. No holds barred - if everything goes in our favour and weather conditions are right, the team hope that they can lay claim to the best track this side of the USA; Darren told us earlier “It’s gonna be quick!”

Of course, we all hold our breath for the weather. We know all too well how the weather has affected various events at Santa Pod in previous years, especially the two FIA/UEM meetings. Well, in 2010, the rain turned some of its attention to rounds in Europe including Mantorp Park (Sweden) and Hockenheim (Germany). The end result being that many Championship classes are still wide open. This will mean hard and fast racing at Santa Pod with serious battles to be fought and won this weekend. It’s often referred to as the solar powered sport but it’s not really the sunshine we need, just someone to banish the rain clouds. (A good dose of autumn sunshine, however, will not go amiss!)

The European Finals entry list is never really in question – anyone who’s anyone should normally be entered. Save for illness, engine failure or bankruptcy, this weekend should present a field of race teams unsurpassed.

In particular, we are all impressed by the huge field of Pro Mods. This class has always been an exciting class, but over the last few years it has overtaken many others in terms of its sheer numbers and popularity. The highlight for many Pro Mod fans, both international and homegrown, is the return visit of top female US Drag Racer Melanie Troxel. Not only has she provided the Pro Mod class with added attraction but she as created a welcome buzz around the Championship as a whole. Having (unofficially) set a new Pro Mod record in her first visit to Santa Pod, the spectator bank next weekend will be holding their breath for yet more.

It is worth noting for 2010, that a huge amount of effort has been put in from both Championship event organizers and race teams alike to this year’s series of TV programmes. It’s not an easy task to project the excitement of such a spectacular sport onto the small screen but public feedback so far has been extremely positive. The TV industry and technology moves incredibly quickly; the demands of viewers are ever-increasing and diversity of how we “watch” expands every day. In short, we must also move with the times and offer an exciting and informative presentation of drag racing – the sport we all love.

Of course, the best view of all comes from standing a just a few feet from that famous bit of tarmac and feeling your bones shake uncontrollably – that’s Drag Racing - see you
at the Pod!

Caroline Day – Marketing Manager Santa Pod Raceway (With the blessing (!) of Keith Bartlett – Santa Pod CEO)

the Santa Pod Raceway website with all you need to know about the events. www.santapod.com

Eurodragster is the source of direct information on site from the races. Round to round comments and timing results, completed with pit notes and photo galleries at the end of the day.


Eurodragster website....
www.eurodragster.com