The Summer Nationals was our 3rd MSA meeting of the year, after our success at the Main event we were confident we knew where we were with the track. However the question on everyone’s lips over the weekend was ‘Are you going to run that Zero?’ Of course we would love to run the first 6.0 second run in Europe however it wasn’t just a case of whether the car had the power, it’s whether we could transfer that power to the track and with this being a smaller meeting the track wasn’t quite as good for us as it was at the main event. This showed in our ET’s. However we were very pleased with the consistency and the ability to run a good teen down a sportsman track, which is something that we used to struggle with!

We had three qualifying runs booked on the Saturday, the first being a 6.14 off the trailer; followed by a 6.24 and a 6.17. Apart from running consistently fast and ahead of the pack we also ran our fastest speed of 231 mph.
It was also a proud moment when Graham Ellis and his Plymouth Superbird, built by Andy Robinson Race Cars, ran into the 6.2’s. The Superbird has plenty of power left and is a real testimony to the work Andy, Luke and the rest of the boys at ARRC are capable of. Well done to Graham and the team.  

Before we knew it race day had arrived, we were number one qualifier with a bye run in the first round. The track conditions were very similar to the Saturday and again we ran a great number - 6.13.
This gave us lane choice in the next round where we were against Bert Englefield. Bert and the crew had definitely been running better after they’re accident at the Main Event, and in the first round Bert ran slightly slower than his personal best.
Both cars went to the line but again the power of the Studebaker pulled through with a 6.18 to a 6.69.

So we had reached the final against Graham who had run 6.3’s and 6.2’s throughout the day. It was great to see the two cars race against each other. Big long burnouts were a definite crowd pleaser and as we were one of the biggest classes for the meeting we were the finale of the day. Unfortunately for Graham, the Superbird produced too much power for the track,causing tyre shake. Although the Stude was also on the edge of tireshake Andy was out in front and ran a great 6.15 to take the win.The crew again were thrilled about winning another final and taking home the trophy. However the track time was the most valuable achievement. Out of the last two meetings, 11 out of 14 runs were in the 6.1’s which is outstanding; You could say we were bracket racing in the teens!

Our next mission? Finland. Andy will be leaving with the car soon along with Fellow British racers Graham Ellis (Pro Mod), Dave Wilson (Top Methanol) and Derek Flynn (Top Methanol). The meeting is around three weeks away and although we know the competition is tough, we feel we’ve definitely got the goods to match it!