Pro Fuel Shootout
The Thunderball provides some nitro action for the crowds in the form of the Pro Fuel Shootout, with Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars qualifying on aggregate over three rounds (with a 0.35 second handicap to the floppers) to secure a place in the final runoff.
Having had a frustrating 2005, Micke Kagered bounced back with the Bacho Tools Express from a couple of shaking passes and weird things going on with the fuel system to produce a mid five on the final qualifying pass which put him through to the final against John Spuffard. A 5.18 was Low ET of the shootout and was good enough to cover Spuffard's clutch explosion in the back half of the track. "The first win of the season," grinned Micke post-race.
 After a couple of not so spectacular seasons, there were hints that the European Fuel Funny Car scene is coming back to life during the event. The Showtime team of John Spuffard and Bob Jarrett produced the best numbers with a very early click-off 5.586 in the final qualifying session pointed towards a very low five-second pass. The opportunity to produce the numbers at the finish line went away along with the clutch from half track in the final round, the sparkles looking impressive from the start line. Oh, and a former FC car owner was spotted carrying a new CBD FC injector hat which suggests another car isn't that far away from making a debut. |
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Returning to Santa Pod after a year away was the wily old Swede Leif Helander (Dennis Priddle commented, "Leif was considered the 'Old Man' when I was racing!" during his HoF presentation) and the Starkotter Saab. Reskinned with an ex-Burkhart body, the car looked good until a fireball in the lights in the third/fourth place run-off against Lex Joon. Fortunately the damage isn't as bad as first feared and hopefully Leif will win the battle with his wife to be out again at the end of May.