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17/08/2004 BOYS FROM THE BROWN STUFF! Apologies to anyone who remembers the UK TV drama ‘Boys from the black stuff’ but the connection between our race weekend and the colour of tarmac will become apparent later. Do not read on if you have a sensitive disposition, you have been warned! The beginning of our race weekend at Mantorp Park was to be marked by being collected at Stockholm airport by none other than Daryll Bradford. Not many people get to have a Top Fuel taxi driver. His cab (our beloved red dodge ram tow car) even had his taxi number displayed on the side ‘345 HP’. Unfortunately the pickup had developed a gearbox fault on the way to the airport and despite several pints of transmission fluid it resolutely refused to go beyond 2nd gear. We therefore had to rent a car to get the crew to the track and Suzy kindly volunteered to accompany Daryll while he nursed the sick pickup to a specialist at Linkoping which is just a few miles from Mantorp. Later in the evening we drove from the track to collect the intrepid duo as well as luggage, camera equipment and camping gear. A bike and garden table were roped to the roof…..if only Avis knew. Friday dawned warm and sunny and after a track inspection there was some discussion as to what it might handle. The 2nd half of the drag strip doubles as part of a race circuit and the surface changed noticeably at that point. Discussion was somewhat of an exaggeration as our pit was located next to the startline and so we spent most of the weekend wearing ear defenders. Even our warm-ups had to be coordinated with the racing as we couldn’t hear our engine. 1st qualifier was around midday and we were paired with Peter Schofer. A drama-free 5.54 at 411kph (255mph in proper money) suggested there might be more to be had from this track. Firstly though, we had to join an unusually long queue of dragsters that snaked back from the deserted weigh plates. The tech crew was at lunch! Still it gave us the opportunity to pack one of the ‘chutes whilst waiting. A broken right header was replaced but no other problems. Incremental changes made to the cars tune-up resulted in a pleasing 5.50 @ 255mph for the 2nd qualifier. This was good enough to be no1 qualifier at the end of day one. A routine engine-change was made and by early evening it was time for…hair cuts. Yes folks, ACI Racing not only has a resident sports psychologist (Rhonda) but in Suzy it now has a resident hair stylist. So, hair cuts all round for the team and whilst yours truly was having the finishing touches applied, the sh*t hit the fan (literally). You see the ACI Racing trailer is fitted out with bunks, a kitchen, shower, wash basin and a loo. It was known earlier in the evening that the loo was blocked and a certain person who will remain nameless but he drives a race car and has been known to be ‘grumpy’ decided that a broom handle was the tool for the job (so to speak). It was the brown fluid subsequently oozing out of the trailer belly lockers that gave a clue that all was not well. The ACI Racing team takes pride in the speed with which it can turn the car around ready for the next run and it can move pretty quickly when required. Well, you have never seen a section of pit flooring disconnected and lifted from underneath a race car as quickly as occurred that evening. A hose was connected to the trailer fresh water supply and pumped through and underneath the truck. This had to be done from the other side of the truck however and so the Schofer team was disturbed whilst they tucked in to their evening meal. A torrent of water now flowed across our pit but thankfully there was a gentle slope and it continued to flow away, except for the lumpy bits. That required a dustpan and brush. In order to keep the flow going beyond our pit we used a high pressure hose from the startline burnout area to wash down a side-section of tarmac. Seeing Dave doing this, a member of the track team jokingly commented that he could more usefully wash down the burnout area rather than a piece of non-racing tarmac. We decided to smile but not reply. Could you imagine it the next morning when the water had evaporated and cars making burnouts starting spinning their tyres on the dry residue? 2 rows of race cars and their teams all dusted down with a light brown film and each thinking their colleagues have hygiene problems. Still I suppose the smell would mask some of the nitro fumes. Could try telling racers it was a new kind of bio-degradeable VHT. Believing that fate had finished with us for the day, most of the crew went on their customary evening tour of the pits exchanging stories with other racers as to how each was on course to break a record until the ****** (insert your component here) broke. Harry elected to remain behind and shower which is how he came to be stark naked and covered in soap when the track-supplied power failed. Special thanks to the Schofer team for re-setting the breaker several times and thus avoiding Harry having to walk outside in his towel and bending over the distribution panel – not a pretty sight. 2nd day of qualifying began in our pit to the sounds of Mozart as David had decided we all needed a bit of culture. It made a refreshing change but only lasted a few minutes as the cacophony of sound next door at the startline indicated the start of another days racing. Another track inspection had suggested that it was coming good and so it proved to be as for Q3 we cranked out a 5.46 at 258mph. This subsequently confirmed us in the no 1 qualifier spot as for Q4 we dropped slightly to a 5.49 in damp conditions. We had a 5 car field for eliminations and so our first round was a bye. Dave Wilson doesn’t pedal bye runs as he normally wants lane choice and run data and so we were surprised and a little concerned to see a 5.59 on the board. Other cars were also slower however and so we decided the weather and track had changed. Round 2 was delayed by rain and when finally our hard-working Pit Marshal (thank you Susanne) called us out, we discovered the front right tyre was flat. A spare wheel and tyre was fitted extremely quickly and that is why we came to have a bronze-coloured front left wheel and a chrome right for the rest of the day. We were paired with Rob Turner in round 2 and after a further delay for rain Dave left well and took the win with a 5.51. The final was to be an England-Germany affair once again as we took on Peter Schofer. Just as it was looking like it would be rained off we were asked to come immediately to the pairing lanes. One hour later we were still in the pairing lanes whilst the hard-working track crew dried the track. The delay allowed some racers to admire Daves new race suit. Fans in the UK will not yet have seen it but it’s the very latest specification and looks good in ACI Racing colours. In fact, discussion of the suit led to the quote of the weekend…..“as soon as my zip is undone it just goes limp”. What more can one say? Long after many spectators had gone home, we were finally called to the line. The lights ran and Peter Schofer was gone and took the win. No complaints from Dave (he wasn’t even grumpy), Peter went for it and got it, that’s drag racing. The team was still in good spirits and turned the car round ready for Gardermoen. We remain in the lead for the FIA championship albeit the gap has closed. Spectators and racers are well aware that this sport of ours could not happen if it weren’t for sponsors. A big thank you therefore to Ray Maguire of Playstation, his charming wife Jayne and daughter Danielle for joining us for the racing at Mantorp. Special thanks to Danielle for enthusiastically brushing large puddles of rainwater out of our pit. Now to Norway……. p.s. no moose in Sweden
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