The opening round of the 2023 ACU Championships was to be the Festival of Power event. But due to the bad weather (rain) leading up to the Easter weekend. Santa Pod made a decision to change the event to Springspeed Nationals (Sportsmans event), because the fields around the track were very wet and muddy and not suitable for camping. The Festival of Power will now take place on the May Day Bank holiday weekend. As for this event there were many personal bests, due to the good weather over the three day event.
Top Fuel Bike.
Reigning ACU Champion Neil Midgley has a new exhaust system which should give more horsepower. Midgley was on top of the pile with a 6.216-184.32. Steve Woollatt was in the number one spot after the first day 6.280-214.96. Rene Van Den Berg was next 6.739-217.00. Al Smith had new magnetos and the team were tuning the motor and ran a best of 8.214-108.83.
First semi-final and Midgley got out the gate first, but had traction issue at mid-track. Smith powered pass and then drifted to the centre line taking out the timing block at the finish line. Smith was disqualified after his best run of the weekend 6.709. In the other semi Woollatt ran 6.080-232.59 personal best speed. Berg had a breather pipe come loose and oil sprayed out just off the start line and ran 6.848-201.57. Midgley led from start to finish in the final 6.313-177.85 against Woollatt who slowed at mid-track 7.007-136.
Funny Bike.
Lorcan Parnell has alter the angle of the forks over the winter to help cure the handling problem of last season and qualified with a 6.949-198.99. Dutchman Mike Olie has self built a new bike and it is now Kawasaki powered and has electronic fuel injection (big learning curve). Olie did some testing before this event and ran career personal best figures during qualifying 7.044-194.70. Dave Peters had oil leak on test day, but ran 7.364-171.09 for third spot. Roger Moore has changed the fuel delivery and ran two personal best 7.42 and 7.376 and speeds of 185 and 183. Jordan Kenway has moved from Comp Bike to Funny Bike and had a new motor built, damaged a conrod and piston on the first test pass in the burnout box.
Maarten Zijlstra has bought ex Neil Midgley championship winning bike chassis. But had a lot of problems over the weekend (electrical/fuel) and did not qualify.
Semi-finals and Parnell put a holeshot over Moore, but slowed at ¾ track 8.750. Moore took the win 7.514-174.40, but cracked the cases and was out of the show. Olie started his burnout but the motor cut out and would not start, leaving Peters a solo to the final. Peters wanted data, but had a troubled run on a solo in the final 9.750.
Comp Bike.
Mark Dainty has moved from Super Street Bike to Comp Bike with a new frame by JKE, carbon fibre body, using Methanol and a single throttle turbo. Dainty had some handling issues, but qualified number one 7..163-185.06. Sean Mills weekend did not start good. Control box failed and Sean had to go back home (Friday) for a spare box and on Saturday ran 7.280 at a personal best speed 200.77. Graham Dance was in third spot 7.324-197.26, but broke the crankshaft and was out of the show. Danny Cockerill ran 8.16 in 8.50 bike and changed to Comp Bike and just edged Paul Hambridge 7.3352 to 7.3358. Hambridge ran his first 200mph with a 200.64. Sigmaro Profas returned to the track after five years and ran personal best figures of 7.529-193.02. In seventh position was Reigning ACU Champion Chris Neary 7.611-190.61 was having handling issues at mid-track had a different rear slick. John McLean Sr ran a personal best 7.639 at 176.44. Andrew Christophi has moved from 8.50 bike to Comp Bike and modified the frame of his bike, swing arm and suspension and was finding a clutch setting resulting a personal best figures 7.868-179.24, but split the plenum and was out of competition. Mick Winyard had his spare motor 7.937-179.98. Another rider to change classes was Garry Bowe, with a longer wheelbase Bowe ran 8.166-182 but damaged the transmission (stripping the teeth off the gear) and was out of the show. Newcomer Jasmine Cordelle is riding the ex Mark Smith Pro Stocker and ran 8.288-159.62. Len Paget broke a chain in Q3 8.658-147.60. Anna Sasiak ran personal best 8.770-162.27 on her new bike. Aswin Le Noble broke a crankshaft in the opening qualifier and ran 9.024-147.18 with the spare motor. Adam Burns is another newcomer and tried to get his licence, but had gear shift issues and then the motor played up 10.684.
There was high attrition after qualifying leaving bye runs for McLean who won the high altitude award with a huge wheelie at the 60ft. There were p/bs for Dainty 7.093 and Anna S 8.658. Cockerill beat Paget. Hambridge won a close race against Cordelle 8.238 to 8.326. Le Noble ran his best of the weekend 8.736 against Mills who had the rear sprocket break at 100ft mark. Another close race saw Neary fishtailing at mid-track beat Winyard 7.759 to 8.032. Dainty had another bye when McLean was a no show and ran another p/b 7.071-198.87. Anna S had a bye. Hambridge powered around Cockerill 7.389-193.05 to 7.415-171.74. Le Noble red lit against Neary. First semi-final and Hambridge put a holeshot (rt133 to 213) on Dainty at mid-track Dainty started to drift to the centre line and the turbo touched the ground and Dainty parted company with the bike. He was ok. Anna S broke off the Start line against Neary in the other semi. Hambridge led from start to finish in the final 7.312-197.26 to a slowing Neary 9.816-115.
Super Street Bike.
Reigning ACU Champion Steve Venables became the first UK rider to run 6.6secs at over 225mph. Qualifying in number one spot 6.661-225.90. Alan Morrison Jr also ran personal best figures 6.767-223.30 during qualifying. Daniel Lencses is running a stock frame and had to change motors during qualifying and a best of ran 6.812-224.37. Jake Mechaell was fourth 6.835-216.85. Ross Morrison was next running his first six-second pass with personal best figures of 6.988- 212.89. Newcomer Alan Morrison bought Steve Howe bike and ran a p/b 7.682-185.13. Margot Schmidt has had a lot of work done by Lencses New turbo, Methanol fuel pump and a DME swing arm. They had to change motor after test day and then was looking for a baseline in qualifying and got down to a best 9.646-114.
Venables had a bye run in round one. Ross Morrison put a holeshot (rt099 to 149) on Mechaell, but could not get five gear and Mechaell had a big mid-track wheelie at 330ft mark and managed to beat Morrison 7.039 to 7.176. Morrison Jr eased past Schmidt who ran her best of the weekend 8.291-153.74. Lencses ran his quickest 6.718-226.76. Mechaell could not get sixth gear against Venables in the first semi-final losing 6.982 to Venables winning 6.908. Best race of the day and Morrison Jr put a huge holeshot (066 to 408) over Lencses and held on to a holeshot win 6.836-216 to Lencses quicker but losing 6.766-222.31. Only Morrison Jr came to the start line in the final. Venables reported low oil pressure and was a no show. Morrison Jr eased at 1/8 mile 9.084.
Report by Steven Moxley