Easter Thunderball - Wild Bunch

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Easter Thunderball April 2 - 5

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Wild Bunch ResultsEaster Thunderball2nd - 5th April Real Steel Series Round 1. MSA Points Challenge 1.

The Easter Thunderball was the first event of the WB season. It was Real Steel Series Round 1 and MSA Challenge Round 1, and there was a field of 8 Wild Bunch cars competing: 4 Altereds, 2 Slingshots, a Rear-engine dragster and a Radical

Wild Bunch Points
Pos	WB	Driver/Team	Car	Points
1	4	Dave Rowlands	Destinys Angel	9
2	40	Darren Law	The Wicked Lady	7
3	2	Chris Hartnell	Backdraft	5
4	1	Dogs Bollocks Racing	RamRaider	4
5	11	Dave Williams	Green With Envy	2
-	99	Adz Price	Go Hard or Go Home	2
7	35	Dick Sharp	Dorset Horn	1
-	205	Jimmy Hibberd	Boston Brawler	1

MSA Points
Pos	WB	Driver/Team	Car	Points
1	4	Dave Rowlands	Destinys Angel	560
2	40	Darren Law	The Wicked Lady	370
3	1	Dogs Bollocks Racing	RamRaider	250
4	2	Chris Hartnell	Backdraft	240
5	11	Dave Williams	Green With Envy	220
6	99	Adz Price	Go Hard or Go Home	110
7	205	Jimmy Hibberd	Boston Brawler	30
8	35	Dick Sharp	Dorset Horn	20

Spot Prizes
	WB	Team/Driver	Car	Detail
Closest To Dial-In	4	Dave Rowlands	Destinys Angel	0.052 off
Best Reaction	4	Dave Rowlands	Destinys Angel	0.007
Best Appearing Team	11	D & L Racing	Green With Envy
#1 Qualifier	11	Dave Williams	Green With Envy	0.029 off
Best Appearing Car	2	Chris Hartnell	Backdraft

This was the fifth time the Wild Bunch had competed at the Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod as a class. The Wild Bunch welcomed back some regulars: Ed, Chris, Dave R, Dave W, Dick, Darren and Adz, and a newcomer, Jimmy. Three of the teams were in their first MSA event with the Wild Bunch (Dave W, Adz and Jimmy). All of the teams were hoping for good weather for the start of the season! Qualifying Friday This was a qualifying day and there were scheduled to be 3 qualifiers. The day turned out to be cloudy and wet, and though the track crew worked hard to try and dry the track, the rain persisted. About 20 minutes of racing took place for one class that day, which was a tribute to the efforts and determination of the track crew. Saturday There were scheduled to be 3 qualifiers on Saturday but there was a damp start again. The track crew worked hard and got qualifying under way around 10am. We then had a bit of a wait for our first qualifier, but got called to the pairings lanes around 1:15pm, running around 1:45pm. We then waited for our second qualifier and were just about to be called when drizzle stopped play. Sunday There were scheduled to be 3 more qualifiers on Sunday, so we hoped to be running early, and get these rounds in, as the weather forecast had promised to be better. However, the day started off wet first thing again and though the track crew again worked exceptionally hard, the track was not open til 11am. The Wild Bunch finally got our second qualifier at around 10 to 3! And after this round, all 8 cars had now qualified. We waited around after this round, and were called around 6:30pm, and ran our third qualifier at about 7:15pm, just as it was starting to get dusky.
WB 1	saw Ed Yates taking the first turn of the year in the “RamRaider” slingshot for Team Dog's B's, who had won every Series we run last season! The car sported a nice new set of rear boots for this season. Ed dialled in at their usual 9.33 for the first qualifier, and ran not too far off the pace with a 9.500 at 141.15 mph. The team then raised the Dial to 9.45 for the second qualifier, and Ed broke out with a stronger 9.411 at 140.36 mph. Again, the Dial-in was lowered to 9.33, and Ed posted a 9.494 at 140.35 mph in the third qualifier, and qualified in 4th place overall with this run.
WB 2	‘Crazy’ Chris Hartnell had done an off-season rebuild of the “Backdraft” slingshot motor after damage sustained when the timing chain let go at last year's ‘National Finals’. This included new rings, bearings, valves, timing chain and a stud girdle, and the team hoped the car would run well from the start of the season. For this year, Chris is running with the cockpit canopy, built to commemorate last season's 40th Anniversary of the car, and now newly painted in red metalflake by daughter Jade's fiancé Jay. The team dialled in at 8.98 for the first qualifier, so as not to break out. Chris ran a promising 9.196 at 143.38 mph in this round. The team raised the Dial for the second qualifier to 9.10, and Chris recorded a 9.408 at 142.53 mph, slightly backing off from a squirrely launch. They kept this Dial for the third qualifier, and Chris got closer, with a 9.323 at 143.38 mph. Chris finished in 5th place overall in qualifying, and was pulling some great wheelies, including a double in the third qualifier.
WB 4	Dave Rowlands was now in his third year of MSA racing with the “Destiny's Angel” altered. He had not had much maintenance to do over the off-season, with this very consistent car. He started off with a Dial-in of 9.70, and ran a 9.823 at 138.64 mph for his first qualifier, to go straight into first place after this round. He kept the Dial for the next run, and recorded a 9.931 at 137.69 mph in the second qualifier. The team refined the Dial-in to 9.80 for the third qualifier, but Dave lost fire after the burnout, and could not make the run. He qualified in a solid 3rd place, and had quickly sorted the problem which occurred after the last burnout.
WB 11	saw Dave Williams in his first ever MSA event, with his “Green with Envy” altered. Dave gained his licence at the end of last season, so was looking forward to his debut in MSA competition. He had a new multicoloured racesuit, and airbrushed helmet to complement the colour scheme of the altered, and it really did stand out! He dialled in at 11.65 for starters, and ran a solid 11.805 at 112.78 mph in the first qualifier. Linda opted to keep the Dial-in for the next two qualifiers, and Dave posted a breakout 11.601 at 115.37 mph in the second round, and a great 11.679 at 116.26 mph in the third qualifier to take the Top Spot on his very first attempt! The team were pleased to start their campaign with these consistent runs.
WB 35	Dick Sharp was back out in the “Dorset Horn” (Mark 007) after a rebuild of the old faithful Pontiac motor, which had thrown a rod and holed the block, at last season's ‘Nostalgia Nationals’. It was great to see them all, and the car was looking fantastic as always, and sounded great in the pits, on warmup! Dick and the team dialled in at 10.50 for the first qualifier, and ran a steady pass of 11.351 at 117.61 mph. They kept the Dial-in for the second qualifier, and Dick brokeout with a strong 10.410 at 128.05 mph, very near the current car's best numbers. The team and fellow racers were all cheering the run, when there was a problem in the shutdown area, as the throttle had stuck open. Dick tried several things to remedy the situation, but running out of track, had to brake harder, and the lovely altered ended up rolling on to its side, luckily with much of the speed scrubbed off. Thankfully, Dick was completely fine, and managed to get out under his own steam through the roof hatch. We are all grateful that the safety equipment did its job so well, as always! Sadly, the bodywork sustained damage down one side, as did some tin work, and the plexiglass windows and screen were all broken, and the top wings bent. Such a huge shame, after the many hours of hard work the team had spent on the body during the build of this version of the ‘Horn’. Initially, the chassis looks in very good condition, so hopefully this proves to be the case. Dick shut the motor off early, so hopefully this will have prevented damage. Dick had qualified in 7th place overall, but sadly would not be able to take part in eliminations. We all hope that the damage is not extensive, and that the team can repair or rebuild, and be back out real soon. All very best wishes to them!!
WB 40	Darren Law and team were running early this year after making some off-season gearing changes in the axle, and an engine freshen up in “The Wicked Lady” rear-engined dragster. Well, they started right where they left off, and just kept improving! Darren posted a Dial-in of 9.21 for the first qualifier, and promptly broke out with a 9.164 at 144.31 mph! The team lowered the Dial for the next qualifier, to a 9.15, and Darren broke out again, with a new Personal Best E.T. of 9.075 at 142.03 mph! The team lowered the Dial-in for the third qualifier, to a 9.00 even, and though it would have been nice to break out once again, Darren stayed the right side, recording another new Personal Best E.T., and speed, of 9.034 at 146.17 mph, to qualify in 2nd place! A great set of runs!
WB 99	Adz Price was running at his first ever MSA event, having gained his licence the previous weekend at a Test Day at Santa Pod, with the new build of the “Go Hard or Go Home!!!” altered. Well, the team had to move heaven and earth to get to the event, as they had sustained both gearbox and engine damage on the previous Sunday! Undaunted, they had the engine and box rebuilt, and made it to the pits by early Thursday evening! A feat in itself! They fired the car on the Friday, and it sounded okay, with a little tuning needed. Adz dialled in at 11.70 for the first qualifier, and though the burnout was strong, the car had to be shut down before the run. The team then fired the car up in the pits Saturday, and, after sounding lumpy, they discovered valve and pushrod damage! Still undaunted, they decided that Adz and Ken would make the round trip home to Essex for spare parts, whichever they could lay their hands on! They were back mid evening and Dex and the gang set about rebuilding. They did this with one side with hydraulic lifters and steel rollers and the other side with solid lifters and ally rockers, just to try to get back out to qualify. On the 2nd round of qualifying Sunday they dialled in at 11.70, and Adz ran a cautious 14.698 at 83.96 mph, to qualify in 8th place overall and make the show! Their first objective achieved! The whole team were thrilled!
WB 205	was newcomer Jimmy Hibberd running with the “Boston Brawler” Gasser-style Radical, which he has owned for around 15 years. This was Jimmy's first event with the Wild Bunch and his first time out with the car for about 2 years. He and partner Ellie had gone to ‘Wheels Day’ on the Good Friday, where they won the ‘Best in show’ award for a car they had built. They arrived at the track on the Friday night and got set up and ready for qualifying. Jimmy dialled in at 10.01 for the first qualifier, and the car ran well straight off the trailer, posting an easy 10.307 at 117.73 mph. The team lowered the Dial-in to 9.90 for the second qualifier, hoping to improve, but there was a problem with the transmission and Jimmy slowed to an 18.577 at 45mph. He made some adjustments for the 3rd round and again dialled in at 9.90, but the transmission woes returned and he slowed to a 16.196 at 68mph. Jimmy still qualified in 6th place overall and it was great to have them running with us!
Race Day Monday Monday dawned cloudy again, but the track dried quicker than before, as there was quite a strong wind, and racing started about 9:15am. We were scheduled to be 12th on the running order, so hoped for the Quarterfinals around late morning. There were some incidents, and a round of the Pro Classes, so we were called to the pairings lanes around 12:45. All 8 Wild Bunch cars had qualified for eliminations. Our first round did not take place until 1:20pm, so a bit of a wait! Quarter-Finals The first run saw Darren with a solo, as he had been due to face Jimmy, who had to sit race day out with transmission problems. Darren dialled in at 9.00 even, and ran a 9.121 at 139.75 mph pass to advance to the Semi-finals. The first race of the round saw Ed matched with Adz, for Team Gridlock's first round of competition. Ed dialled in at 9.44 and Dex chose a 12.25 for Birthday boy Adz. Unfortunately, “Go Hard or Go Home!!!” bogged off the line, and recorded a 30 second pass at 82 mph, including the stall, leaving Ed to take the win with a gentle 9.862 at 110.45 mph. Nevertheless, all of Team Gridlock were ecstatic to have made it that far, to compete in the Quarterfinals, and are determined to rebuild the engine by the next event. Fair play! Next up was Dave Rowlands, also on a solo, as his opponent should have been Dick. Dave dialled in at 9.70 and, showing he meant business, ran a good 9.756 at 141.51 mph. The other pairing of the round saw Crazy Chris against #1 Qualifier Dave Williams. Chris and the team dialled in at 9.25, whilst Dave and Linda opted for an 11.65. Chris had nearly half a second Reaction time advantage on the start, and though Dave was closer to Dial with an 11.787 at 113.92 mph, Chris took the win with a 9.531 at 141.18 mph to move on to the Semi-finals. Dave and Linda, and crew assistant Karen Richardson, were really pleased to be awarded the “Best Appearing Team” Spot Prize by the commentators. Semi-finals After the quarter-finals, there was a bit of wait, and the Semi-finals took place at around 5pm. This time there were no Byes, and it was great to see a full complement of 4 Semifinalists, in what turned out to be two really good races. Chris and Dave Rowlands were matched up first, and Chris raised his Dial to 9.30, whilst Dave kept the 9.70. Dave had a good reaction, with an .080 light, and was ultimately closer to Dial-in with a 9.809 at 131.43 mph, to Chris’ 9.422 at 141.58 mph, to progress to the final, his third ‘Easter Thunderball’ final in a row. Chris was chuffed, as he had pulled some great wheelies during the weekend, and “Backdraft” was awarded the “Best Appearing Car” Spot Prize by the commentators for those, and for the appearance with the red metalflake canopy. In the other Semi, Ed kept his 9.44 Dial, and Darren maintained his 9.00 Dial. Ed cut a better light (!) with a .084 to Darren's .106, but Darren ran closer to Dial to take the win, with a 9.117 at 144.30 mph to Ed's 9.623 at 134.50 mph. There was just .044 in it at the top end, so a real close one! Chris finished in 3rd place, by virtue of being closer to Dial-in without breaking out, compared to Ed who finished in 4th place. Final The final took place around quarter to 7, so still in daylight this year! The two teams kept their previous Dial-ins, Dave with the 9.70, and Darren with the 9.00. Darren had trouble holding the dragster in stage, and rolled through, so did not record a time, leaving Dave to win his first ever Final round race, with a “Closest to Dial-in” for the day, of 9.752 at 138.25 mph. And his Reaction time had been excellent, with the Bunch's “Best Reaction” of .007! Right on the ball! Dave and the team were absolutely over the moon to earn their first Final round victory! Many congratulations, Dave! Well done to all the teams on their well-turned out racecars and some great performances! All in all, another good event, where the weather turned out better than predicted. To get three qualifiers, and all eliminations in was once again a huge tribute to the dedication and determination of the track crew, as all racing was completed by around 7:30pm that Monday night. Huge thanks to them all for their hard work! And thanks to everyone at Santa Pod for another warm welcome! We are now looking forward to the second Real Steel Series and MSA Challenge rounds of 2010, and the first APIRA Series round, at the “Springspeed Nationals” at Shakey on the Bank Holiday event on May 1st – 3rd. It should be another great event! We’re hoping for an even bigger field!