APRIL SHOWERS
AT SHAKESPEARE'S SEASON OPENER

Chris Johnson's immaculate MG ended up as top qualifier in Super Comp, although this came as scant consolation as the week before had seen the demise of the historic MG/Rover marquee, the last of the major UK motor manufacturers.

The appropriately named Shakespeare County Raceway (situated 10 miles south of the tourist trap that is Stratford-upon-Avon in the heart of the English Midlands) is something of a backwoods facility in comparison to the more storied Santa Pod Raceway, but nonetheless provides a second track for the UK National Championship series.

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Prior to the season opening Power Nationals event, a dispute between the promoter and the Top Methanol Racers Association prevented the running of the second round of their championship, and the meeting also fell victim to rain before the vast majority of finals had been run. Hopefully the underlying issues will soon be resolved and the rain will stay away for the rest of the Ultimate Power Championship Series.

Hanging the wheels high in the Wild Bunch (a mixture of low budget nostalgia altereds and dragsters) was Crazy Chris Hartnell and his period perfect 60's slingshot. The injected small-block carried Hartnell to his first eight second and 150 mph plus timing ticket during the weekend.

On two wheels Steve Carey took the event win in Top Fuel Bike after the usually consistent Steve Woollatt ran in to a whole host of niggles and failed to put in a representative pass. Carey had issues of his own as moving the footpegs might have contributed to an alarming tendancy to hunt the armco in either lane.

The Street Eliminator class saw Colin Lazenby outlast the opposition with his low eight second big block nitrous'ed Chevy. Taxed, tested, and a 25 mile qualifying cruise through the streets of Stratford is all part of the fastest genuine street legal class in the world.