> 2009 Summer Nationals - GB Racing - 'The Escape from Reality' drag racing team

Summer Nationals 2009 - GB Racing

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It was a long time coming but we finally made our first event of the season, a combination of family health issues and issues at work prevented  the G&B Racing Ford from taking its usual place in the pits !!!!

Scrutineering went without problems so we returned back to the pits to clean the car up as it still had last year’s grime on it from the National Finals !!!!    Bob fired up the barbie, we cracked a tinnie, chilled and soaked up the atmosphere and the warm summer evening......We were back !!!

Qualifying was good with the 1st run being a “get re-aquainted” 9.6 just to put a number on the board which hopefully we could work with.

Run number 2.........we dialled 9.6 & ran a 9.61 which was good enough for 2nd at that point.

Run number 3 saw no improvement as we ran a 9.65 on a 9.61, eventually qualifying 4th, what a great way to return back to the action.      Another chilled out evening in the warmth of the summer evening followed.

Sunday ,  Eliminations Day

As we warmed up the car prior to our 1st round race, the early morning mist cleared to reveal beautiful blue skies with a strange glowing orb in the distance.....

Rd 1.  In a match- up of the yellow flamed altered we took the win light over Phil Toppin in a double break-out race, running 9.56 on a 9.61. A 3/10ths holeshot aided our run as I was hard on the brakes at the finish line trying not to break-out  !!!!!!!!!

Rd 2 saw us up against Carla Pittau in her always tough Camaro, this race was decided early though as Carla left too early & handed us the win light. We dialled a 9.55 & ran an all out 9.53 as I saw the red light start.

Rd 3, Chris Hodgkins was waiting for us in his ultra consistent Chevy powered dragster. He handed us the win light with his foul start but after almost a year off, we’ll take the win light any way we can !!!  We ran an all-out 9.48 on our 9.53 but once again I had seen the cherry in his lane.  It was good to get the win light as last time we ran against Chris he took the win by mere 1/1000ths !!!

Semi-Final  time & we were against Drag Race Driving School Instructor Mick Howling in the PMR Vega. It was my turn to light the BIG RED bulb this time as I tried to play catch-up. My -0.02 light handed Mick the win & sent us packing............ oh yes, nearly forgot we ran 9.52 on a .48 dial, Mick ran 10.70 on a 10.70, which would have been tough to get round with anything less than a perfect light !!!!!     Mick went on to runner-up which was his best finish to date.

We had a ball at this event......almost a year away from the strip, qualifying 4th, semi-finals, a series of.02 -.05 reactions, (until I went red), meeting up with old (!) friends, sunshine & piss-taking,

IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!