Championship Rounds Race Reports

Round 1: Santa Pod Raceway – Auto Trader Easter Thunderball - 10-13 April 2009

Round 1 of the MSA British Drag Racing Championship was a tale of two Joostens. Robert Joosten led Pro Modified qualifying with a sensational run, yet it was his fellow Dutch namesake, Henri Joosten, who ended the weekend as the unexpected victor.

After the now-customary rain had shortened the four-day Auto Trader Easter Thunderball race meeting to a day and a half, Robert Joosten hurtled into the near-darkness on a damp, chilly Sunday night to record an outstanding low-qualifying performance of 6.206 seconds at 230.29mph, barely adrift of his career-best marks and, in such difficult conditions, an early contender for run of the year. In Monday’s opening session of eliminations, Robert smoked the tyres against Essex opponent Graham Ellis and was instantly defeated.

Henri Joosten and his unsupercharged, nitrous oxide-boosted 1955 Chevrolet meanwhile ground their way from the middle of the qualifying list to a rare final-round meeting with another nitrous entry, Roger Moore’s 2000 Dodge Viper. While the Viper misfired, Henri’s Chevy hit a fine 6.895sec./204.25mph to celebrate his 25th year in drag racing in exclamatory fashion. For Moore, it was a remarkable second runner-up finish in just four Pro Mod starts.

Andy Robinson was the only competitor to accomplish two 6sec. passes during the event and Graham Ellis’s 6.701sec. defeat of Robert Joosten came with a career-best speed of 222.50mph. Ray White suffered a minor injury before the event and was forced to join Wayne Nicholson as a non-runner.

RESULTS:

Qualifiers:
1. Robert Joosten - Netherlands  - 6.2069 230.29
2. Andy Robinson  - TurgisGreen, UK - 6.7143 208.89
3. Roger Moore - Chelmsford, UK  - 7.3717 193.58
4. Philip Englefield - Dorking, UK - 7.4126 185.72
5. Henri Joosten - Netherlands  - 7.5723 134.42
6. Mats Eriksson - Sweden  - 7.7534 192.74
7. Kevin Slyfield  - Verwood, UK - 8.6142 107.75
8. Graham Ellis  - Westcliff, UK - 8.6278 176.96

Eliminations:
Round 1:
Henri Joosten 7.214sec. / 189.60mph  def.  Philip Englefield DQ crossed centre-line
Roger Moore 7.939 / 174.95  def.  Mats Eriksson 14.759 / 53.81
Andy Robinson 6.882 / 225.80  def.  Kevin Slyfield 8.503 / 148.06
Graham Ellis 6.701 / 222.50  def.  Robert Joosten 8.034 / 223.16

Semi-final:
Roger Moore 7.342 / 189.58  def.  Andy Robinson 12.555 / 68.30
Henri Joosten 11.151 / 63.35  def.  Graham Ellis shut-off

Final:
Henri Joosten 6.895 / 204.25  def.  Roger Moore 9.979 / 89.01

Low Elapsed Time of the Event:  6.206sec. – Robert Joosten
Top Speed of the Event:  230.29mph – Robert Joosten

Career-best performances set during event:

Graham Ellis - 222.50mph

The 2009 Season Standings are on the Rounds & Points page.