For anyone who missed the article in the club mag, there will be 3 rounds north of the border this year at Crail. I've copied the article below, but if anyone wants any more info then feel free to give me a call or drop me an email.
Colin.
Z Club Drag Race Challenge 2003
A big thank you to every member who gave their support to the 2002 season of Z Club Drag Racing – you made it a success, despite the British weather and Santa Pod’s best efforts to cancel our dates. Let’s hope we can go on to even greater things for the 2003 season!
This year we have organised not only the six Santa Pod rounds but also three rounds at the new Crail Raceway in Scotland. This will give our more northern members a chance to participate without having to travel huge distances. At the time of writing, York Dragway has not announced dates for the 2003 season, but if any Yorkshire member would like to arrange and attend some dates at York we could add them in.
For those of you new to this (and as a reminder to the old hands), we operate at Run What Ya Brung days which are effectively public open test days at various tracks. You pay an entry fee per person (£10.00 this year at Santa Pod) and then purchase the facility to make timed runs down the quarter mile track (£15.00 for unlimited runs at Santa Pod). You will collect a detailed performance slip showing your elapsed time (ET) and terminal speed for the quarter mile and at intermediate points along the run (e.g. 60 foot, 330 foot and 1/8 mile). Your reaction time at the start is also given. This provides some excellent evaluation data about your car’s horsepower and what techniques work best for fast launch and quick times. This is “real world” data and you can treat it as you would a rolling road to evaluate changes made to your car during the course of the year.
At each meeting, Z Club contenders check in with the Club representative (usually me for Santa Pod and, this year, Colin Dick for Crail), fill in a simple form and get some morning practice in. We operate different classes for all varieties of Z and ZX, so it doesn’t matter if you have a modified car or are bog stock. In each class, the fastest time of the day will score maximum points (6 for a win) and so on down the field in each class (that sounds optimistic for hordes of entries for every class……). Points will be gathered throughout the year to decide a winner in each class with a trophy presentation at Billing in 2004.
We also operate a “Bracket Challenge” at each meeting with a trophy on the day. All you have to do is be consistent. From your morning times, predict and fill in on your entry form, the best time you think you will achieve in the afternoon. The person closest to their prediction (without going faster than predicted) will be Bracket Champion of the Day! Easy! Until you realise that last year this trophy was won by guys who were predicting to the hundredth what they would run……..
We also award points for Z Club support from spectators, so even if you don’t want to run (although I can think of no good reason for taking your Z to a track and then not wanting to use it…) there will be points scored for turning up (with or without your Z – 3 points and 1 point respectively) at the track. Sign in with the Z Club representative on the day.
As an added incentive – any Scottish member travelling to Santa Pod to compete will be awarded double points on the day and any Southern wimp trekking up to Crail will be similarly awarded double points.
The Rules:
1. Make sure you have your driving licence with you – you will need this to sign-on with the track organisers.
2. Crash helmets – required if the terminal speed of your car can exceed 100mph in the quarter mile. Drivers of convertibles will require a helmet and may be asked to use arm restraints if the car is very quick. Targa roofs may count as convertible if the organisers become very strict!
3. Clothing – arms and legs must be covered, i.e. no shorts and T-shirts. Windows must be wound up. At Santa Pod, no passengers. At Crail, I am told, passengers may be allowed (but do you want that performance robbing extra weight?).
4. Make sure that your car is basically safe – throttle return springs operating properly, battery secure, no fluid leaks that might contaminate the track, seats secure, belts in good condition, wheel nuts tight and tyres in good condition, brakes good enough to slow from 100 mph safely etc.
5. Follow the instructions of the track marshals – they will help you with staging if you are a newbie. No stupid antics in the pits, modest speed for all vehicle movements off the track!
Santa Pod can be found near Wellingborough and is signposted from the M1 junction 14 and off the A14 (A45 junction Thrapston).Telephone 01234 782828, web site www.santapod.com. For details and to discuss, phone Mike Feeney 01277 374201, e-mail mike@mjpauto.com.
Crail Raceway is at Crail Airfield, Balcomie Road, Crail, Fife – from the Forth Road Bridge follow the coast road east to Crail in the East Nook of Fife. Telephone 01333 450801, web site www.crailraceway.co.uk. For details and to discuss, phone Colin Dick 01324 476525 (W) or 013324 812395 (H), e-mail Colin@Dick300.freeserve.co.uk.
The Dates:
Santa Pod Raceway
Round 1: 18th May
Round 2: 31st May (NB. This is a Saturday)
Round 3; 13th July
Round 4: 31st August
Round 5:14th September
Round 6: 12th October – Japanese Performance Day!
Crail Raceway
Round 1: 22nd June
Round 2: 3rd August
Round 3: 26th October
Colin.
Z Club Drag Race Challenge 2003
A big thank you to every member who gave their support to the 2002 season of Z Club Drag Racing – you made it a success, despite the British weather and Santa Pod’s best efforts to cancel our dates. Let’s hope we can go on to even greater things for the 2003 season!
This year we have organised not only the six Santa Pod rounds but also three rounds at the new Crail Raceway in Scotland. This will give our more northern members a chance to participate without having to travel huge distances. At the time of writing, York Dragway has not announced dates for the 2003 season, but if any Yorkshire member would like to arrange and attend some dates at York we could add them in.
For those of you new to this (and as a reminder to the old hands), we operate at Run What Ya Brung days which are effectively public open test days at various tracks. You pay an entry fee per person (£10.00 this year at Santa Pod) and then purchase the facility to make timed runs down the quarter mile track (£15.00 for unlimited runs at Santa Pod). You will collect a detailed performance slip showing your elapsed time (ET) and terminal speed for the quarter mile and at intermediate points along the run (e.g. 60 foot, 330 foot and 1/8 mile). Your reaction time at the start is also given. This provides some excellent evaluation data about your car’s horsepower and what techniques work best for fast launch and quick times. This is “real world” data and you can treat it as you would a rolling road to evaluate changes made to your car during the course of the year.
At each meeting, Z Club contenders check in with the Club representative (usually me for Santa Pod and, this year, Colin Dick for Crail), fill in a simple form and get some morning practice in. We operate different classes for all varieties of Z and ZX, so it doesn’t matter if you have a modified car or are bog stock. In each class, the fastest time of the day will score maximum points (6 for a win) and so on down the field in each class (that sounds optimistic for hordes of entries for every class……). Points will be gathered throughout the year to decide a winner in each class with a trophy presentation at Billing in 2004.
We also operate a “Bracket Challenge” at each meeting with a trophy on the day. All you have to do is be consistent. From your morning times, predict and fill in on your entry form, the best time you think you will achieve in the afternoon. The person closest to their prediction (without going faster than predicted) will be Bracket Champion of the Day! Easy! Until you realise that last year this trophy was won by guys who were predicting to the hundredth what they would run……..
We also award points for Z Club support from spectators, so even if you don’t want to run (although I can think of no good reason for taking your Z to a track and then not wanting to use it…) there will be points scored for turning up (with or without your Z – 3 points and 1 point respectively) at the track. Sign in with the Z Club representative on the day.
As an added incentive – any Scottish member travelling to Santa Pod to compete will be awarded double points on the day and any Southern wimp trekking up to Crail will be similarly awarded double points.
The Rules:
1. Make sure you have your driving licence with you – you will need this to sign-on with the track organisers.
2. Crash helmets – required if the terminal speed of your car can exceed 100mph in the quarter mile. Drivers of convertibles will require a helmet and may be asked to use arm restraints if the car is very quick. Targa roofs may count as convertible if the organisers become very strict!
3. Clothing – arms and legs must be covered, i.e. no shorts and T-shirts. Windows must be wound up. At Santa Pod, no passengers. At Crail, I am told, passengers may be allowed (but do you want that performance robbing extra weight?).
4. Make sure that your car is basically safe – throttle return springs operating properly, battery secure, no fluid leaks that might contaminate the track, seats secure, belts in good condition, wheel nuts tight and tyres in good condition, brakes good enough to slow from 100 mph safely etc.
5. Follow the instructions of the track marshals – they will help you with staging if you are a newbie. No stupid antics in the pits, modest speed for all vehicle movements off the track!
Santa Pod can be found near Wellingborough and is signposted from the M1 junction 14 and off the A14 (A45 junction Thrapston).Telephone 01234 782828, web site www.santapod.com. For details and to discuss, phone Mike Feeney 01277 374201, e-mail mike@mjpauto.com.
Crail Raceway is at Crail Airfield, Balcomie Road, Crail, Fife – from the Forth Road Bridge follow the coast road east to Crail in the East Nook of Fife. Telephone 01333 450801, web site www.crailraceway.co.uk. For details and to discuss, phone Colin Dick 01324 476525 (W) or 013324 812395 (H), e-mail Colin@Dick300.freeserve.co.uk.
The Dates:
Santa Pod Raceway
Round 1: 18th May
Round 2: 31st May (NB. This is a Saturday)
Round 3; 13th July
Round 4: 31st August
Round 5:14th September
Round 6: 12th October – Japanese Performance Day!
Crail Raceway
Round 1: 22nd June
Round 2: 3rd August
Round 3: 26th October