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The latest happenings at the home of UK drag racing, Santa Pod – where on 16 June this year, the UK’s first Street Weekend will get underway at long last Weekend. The heavy favourites under normal circumstances would the Street Eliminator contingent, with the likes of Andy Bond in the iconic ‘Ugly Sister’ Chevy 210 and Sick Week veteran Al
Pics: Julian Hunt
After several abortive attempts to start the event during the pandemic, Street Weekend finally takes off in 2023 – and to say the response has been immense would be an understatement! Truth be told, a final entry of 20 cars would have been considered a success. However, at the time of writing, the number of confirmed entries has already nearly doubled that goal – with dozens more hard at work to get their vehicles ready in time to be part of this historic occasion. The UK’s first official Drag and Drive competition will certainly be one to remember! The concept of Drag and Drive is simple. You set the quickest time you possibly can at one track, submit your timeslip, drive your race car on the road to the next track and repeat. Those among you who’ve
followed the likes of Sick Week or Hot Rod Drag Week in the US will know that it’s far easier said than done – three days of gruelling race and road miles will take their toll on even the toughest racing machines! For year one, the weekend will start off on Friday June 16th at Santa Pod. Competitors will then make the 200-mile trip up north to Melbourne Raceway, just outside of York. On Saturday, competitors will be required to set a time at Melbourne before driving back down to Santa Pod to set another time on Sunday. The overall winner will be the competitor with the lowest combined ET across the three days of racing. The astounding diversity of the entry list is one of the major talking points in the lead up to the first Street
McSweeney already confirming their entries for Street Weekend. The 400-mile round trip is a far cry from the usual 25-mile cruise at a regular Street Eliminator championship round, however. Could this open the door for an upset come June? Outside of the heavy hitters, many competitors are stepping up from RWYB track days or from the ranks of other racing classes simply to experience the unique challenge of a Drag and Drive event for the first time. Thank you to all our supporters so far who have pledged contributions to the prize fund for Street Weekend; the support we’ve had for this first event is truly humbling. With nearly £4000 in prize money already pledged for the first edition, there is no better time to be part of the action than now. Entries for competitors are open until May 26th, with more information on the event and how to enter available at santapod. co.uk/street-weekend.
Andy Bond’s Chevy and Al McSweeney’s Volvo have already signed up for Street Weekend and are sure to be among the favourites. But with 400 road miles to be covered, the Street Eliminators might not have it all their own way after all
8 CUSTOM CAR APRIL 2023
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06/03/2023 14:48
