MSA - Reports - Round 3 2007

Championship Rounds Race Reports

Round 3: Santa Pod Raceway - Summer Nationals - 16/17 June 2007

One fine day was all it took to complete Round 3 of the MSA British Drag Racing Championship. After rain had washed out Friday’s testing and Saturday’s three scheduled qualifying sessions for the Pro Modifieds at Santa Pod Raceway’s Summer Nationals (summer?), a one-shot qualifying session was inserted into the Sunday programme before eliminations. The session was a lottery: on a ‘green’ track that had been awash with rain for two previous days, racers could only guess at the tune-up.

Two got it right. Danny Cockerill’s 6.385sec./226.26mph took pole position and collected Top Speed of the Meet. Ian Bishop, on paper only sixth quickest in the field, ran close to his personal bests at 7.184/192.99 to qualify 2nd. The other six teams missed.

Most disappointed of all was Marc Meihuizen, whose team had travelled from the Netherlands intending to put more track time on a new motor and maybe claim some British scalps along the way. Instead, the motor broke two valves right at the car’s launch and may have done further internal damage, sending the team home in expensive dismay.

With seven cars now contesting an 8-car field,Cockerill began eliminations with a strong, 6.383/222.93mph bye run (Low ET of the Meet). Ian Bishop managed a career-best 7.129 in losing to Gordon Appleton’s back-to-form 6.45, but Appleton holed two pistons on the run and was done for the day. Andy Robinson, his perennial UK No. 1 rank now under threat from Cockerill, ran 6.84 to defeat Kevin Slyfield, the Pro Mod rookie enjoying his first competitive outing after being awarded his licence. Bert Englefield beat Ray White.

The semi-finals promised the potential match of the day, Andy Robinson versus Danny Cockerill. Cockerill suffered a gearshift problem and Robinson took the win at 6.71, somewhat slower than Cockerill’s two previous passes. Bert Englefield soloed through the other semi in Appleton’s enforced absence.

The final round produced the competition’s best race, but with a peculiar outcome. Robinson and Englefield both went full tilt for the finish-line but the clocks froze and failed to record any times, speeds or positions. Robinson was visually adjudged the winner and his car’s data system suggested the run could have been as quick as a 6.2. If so, Englefield, in hot pursuit, could well have been close to his own career best of 6.56. We shall never know.

The result moves Robinson and Englefield into 1st and 2nd places in the MSA Championship points, ahead of the previous leader, Robert Joosten of the Netherlands, who elected not to attend on this occasion.

The Pro Mod focus now moves to the FIA European Championship’s races at Alastaro in Finland and Mantorp Park in Sweden. The show returns to Santa Pod for the European Finals, 6-9 September, when a second combined MSA/FIA round is expected to attract another 20-strong field of entries.

Results:

Qualifiers, following single Sunday session:

1.     Danny Cockerill (UK): 6.3851 / 226.26
2.     Ian Bishop (UK): 7.1849 / 192.99
3.     Philip Englefield (UK): 8.0668 / 178.74
4.     Kevin Slyfield (UK): 8.5790 / 171.64
5.     Andy Robinson (UK): 11.1362 / 75.74
6.     Ray White (UK): 12.0060 / 120.34
7.     Gordon Appleton (UK): 12.1319 / 73.18
8.     Marc Meihuizen (Netherlands): DNQ

Danny Cockerill 6.383sec./222.93mph bye run
Andy Robinson 6.845/204.50 def. Kevin Slyfield 8.335/172.31
Gordon Appleton 6.452/207.31 def. Ian Bishop 7.129/189.88
Philip Englefield 7.088/196.48 def. Ray White 7.999/139.71

Andy Robinson 6.712sec./202.58mph def. Danny Cockerill 7.541/140.20
Philip Englefield 12.558/64.19 bye run – Gordon Appleton broke

Andy Robinson def. Philip Englefield – no times or speeds

Po	No	Driver	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	T
1	4	Andy Robinson	56	36	94			186
2	38	Philip Englefield	35	32	76			143
3	4038	Robert Joosten	98	35	0			133
4	3614	Gordon Appleton	37	33	53			123
5	3606	Danny Cockerill	0	38	58			96
6	3666	Ray White	34	10	34			78
7	387	Ian Bishop	0	10	37			47
8	8	Marc Meihuizen	0	33	10			43
9	1	Urban Johansson	0	37	0			37
10	606	Kev Slyfield	0	0	35			35
11	2	Michael Gullqvist	0	34	0			34
=11	6	Mats Eriksson	0	34	0			34
13	832	Bruno Bader	0	32	0			32
=13	3	Seppo Saapola	0	32	0			32
=13	9	Marko Lantto	0	32	0			32
16	1341	Per-Olaf Eriksson	0	31	0			31
=16	3623	Robert Koper	0	31	0			31
=16	3625	Henri Joosten	0	31	0			31
=16	3738	Rolf Ammann	0	31	0			31
20	60	Paul Brander	0	10	0			10
=20	934	Mikael Lindahl	0	10	0			10
=20	7	Roger Johansson	0	10	0			10
23	10	Norbert Kuno	0	0	0			0

The 2007 Season Standings are on the Rounds & Points page.