OLD SKOOL FORD DRAG CHALLENGE
The pressure was on for the final round of this year’s classic Ford-friendly race-series, with everything to play for at Santa Pod.
Santa Pod hosts the final 2016 round of the old Ford-friendly quarter-mile championship.
With a plethora of bonus points available and all still to play for, the final round of the Old Skool Ford Drag Challenge 2016 took place at Santa Pod on an autumnal RWYB night event over the weekend of October 22-23. Some 21 of the hardiest competitors turned out including current leader Glenn Jefferson in his Zetec-powered Mk1 Escort. All he needed was a win at this round to guarantee him the title, but on his second run of the day he broke a halfshaft and with a slower than average 14- second pass on his first run his title hopes depended upon how well second placed man, Steve Jennerway was to run amid the placings of the next 10 or so entrants.
Fresh off the plane from his holiday in the good ol’ US of A, Essex man Steve had loaded up his Mk2 Escort to make the journey to Santa Pod knowing that the contest between him and Glenn was tighter than the Clinton/Trump race for supremacy. With news of Glenn’s breakage, Steve put in a stonking run and aided by a strong tail-wind achieved a time of 12.50 seconds and a first place trophy for his efforts for this round, but was it enough to steal that title from under the nose of Glenn?
Fighting for third place overall were 2016 newcomers, Jake Wray in his Pinto’d grey Anglia and Lewis Munson in his Zetec’d purple Mk1 Escort and with just five points between the two, these lads were tussling on the track for that trophy. With a superb 13.06 Personal Best from the 143 bhp Anglia and a 13.94 from the Escort the placings for these two could not be closer.
Subaru-powered Mk1 Fiesta man, Chris Todd, was still struggling with his transmission and after trying a second gear launch, blew his gearbox to bits but not before achieving a time of 10.01 at this round. Paul Margetts with his Cossiepowered Mk1 Escort also ended this year with having achieved a 10-second pass but a thrown con-rod means a costly rebuild for him over the winter. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and so we look to the December trophy ceremony where we find out if Glenn’s one and only run at Round 7 was enough to clinch the title or if Steve’s mammoth efforts were enough to put him in first place. And, were newcomers Jake or Lewis able to gain enough points to put either of them in third place? We shall see!
Round 7: Santa Pod Raceway, October 22-23