Rod Harrison (Ivan Sansom photo)

Tim Garlick (Ivan Sansom photo)

In the big blown stuff, the inspired decision to match race Rod Harrison (stepping up from Super Pro ET and getting atuned for a first season in the FIA Top Methanol Dragster ranks) and Tim Garlick in the Apache NFC produced a drive from behind 5.925/229.01 win light for the rail over Garlick’s quicker leaving 6.121/230.50 by substantially less than a car length.

Nick Milburn (Ivan Sansom photo)

Elsewhere, two-wheeled action was significantly curtailed by conditions, with all qualifying in the bike classes terminated by vicious crosswinds after Nick Milburn came off his ACU Top Fuel bike in the process of resetting his PB with a 6.84 at only 157.38 mph, the slow speed being a consequence of Milburn sliding on his back whilst the bike was on its side taking out the finish line block. (Ivan Sansom photo)

Fortunately, Steve Woollatt had aborted his own qualifying shot alongside Milburn and the veteran was able to steer around the separated bike and rider with the former remarkably picked up only a dislocated shoulder for his efforts; unfortunately, the same cannot be said of one of the most storied fuel bikes in history (first brought over to the UK by the late Brian Johnson in the early 1980s) although we hope that at least something is salvageable.