Susanne Callin and the Slick Tricks team enjoyed a strong outing, with their Top Fuel Dragster consistently running in the three-second range, although the elusive 300mph mark remained out of reach.
Collin Millar, meanwhile, continued adapting to his new Top Fuel machinery, completing a series of licensing passes after stepping up from his 7-second Outlaw Anglia Ford Pop, ‘The Flyin Fyfer’.
A similar story unfolded in Funny Car, where John Spuffard returned to the cockpit after a 10-year hiatus. Despite the time away, it was clear he had lost none of his touch, confidently handling the 10,000hp Dodge Hellcat Funny Car prepared by Showtime Racing while completing his required licensing runs.
Fireforce and Firestorm provided yet more noise, heat, and adrenaline pumping action, running over all 3 days. Jet Dragsters, Fireforce 5 and The Spiderman Jet Car lined up side by side, followed by the equally brutal Jet Funny Cars, Fireforce 3, and Firestorm. Oklahoma Willy also put on a good show, putting in a pass at 10.3s, 157mph, impressive numbers for a VW Campervan that still has the original engine fitted. Strong headwinds seemed to benefit these teams, acting as a form of forced induction for the already powerful jet engines.
📸 Ben Feetham 🎥 Jasper Cherry
Equally astounding was the steam rocket bike, 'Force Of Nature', ridden by Graham Sykes. Not only does it run solely on steam, but it does so whilst out performing Top Fuel Dragsters in acceleration off the line. On Saturday he ran a 5.5s 1/4 mile at 192mph, breaching the 1/8th mile beam in just 3.2s, at a speed of 209. Whilst he doesn't have the capacity to be under power down the whole strip, he still puts in astonishing numbers.
Kevin Chapman in the Thermoreg Funny Car, the Oklahoma Willy Jet Bus, Fireforce 3, Graham Sykes' Force Of Nature Steam Bike, John Spuffard in the Showtime Machine and Fireforce 5 - Ben Feetham
Track action ran relatively smoothly overall, with only minor interruptions. Rain on Friday morning caused early delays, while occasional fluid spills added brief stoppages across the weekend.
Weather conditions became a more significant factor as the event progressed. Strong headwinds on Saturday challenged even the most experienced teams, before shifting to a difficult crosswind on Sunday.
As a result, all bike classes were reduced to the 1/8 mile, with index adjustments applied—8.50 moving to 5.45, and 9.50 to 6.05.
In the bracket categories, Pro ET and Super Pro ET once again attracted strong fields, with 48 and 28 entries respectively. Thomas Watkins claimed the Pro ET victory in his ‘Doris’ Dodge Charger, while the Super Pro ET final—along with Junior Dragster and Street Eliminator—was postponed following an incident in the Super Gas final. Thankfully, the driver involved escaped unharmed.
The Carl Cox Motorsport Junior categories continued to impress, showcasing a healthy mix of emerging talent. Maggie Smallman secured victory in Junior Drag Bike with a near-perfect 8.492 run on an 8.49 dial-in.
Just a few examples of the Junior Talent on show at Santa Pod - Ben Feetham
That same level of precision was evident in Sportsman ET, where Dan Holloway guided his ‘No Fox Given’ Ford Mustang to a 12.076 finish against a 12.01 index.
Despite the challenges, the weekend highlighted the full spectrum of drag racing—from raw Top Fuel power to the fine margins of bracket racing precision.
Vartiety is always the spice of life at Santa Pod - from road going Mustangs (Dan Holloway's winning 'No Fox Given' car, shown top middle), to 200mph Bentleys and drag bikes - Ben Feetham
