Santa Pod Raceway
Encyclopedia
Santa Pod Raceway, in Northamptonshire
, England, opened at Easter in 1966, is Europe's first permanent drag racing
venue. It was built on a disused World War II
American air base, RAF Podington
, once used by the 92nd Bomber Group. It is now the home of European drag racing and has grown substantially over its 40-year existence. It hosts both the first and last round of the FIA and FIM
/UEM
European Drag Racing Championship, along with the British National Drag Racing Championships.
It is leased and operated by Trakbak Racing which is based in London. Santa Pod regularly takes its promotional units to major events in motor sport and contributes much to the local community.
Santa Pod is the venue in which the current world drag racing record, a time of 3.58 seconds at 386.26 mph (621.61 km/h) was set by Sammy Miller in his Vanishing Point Funny car
in July 1984 (a quicker 1/4 mile time of 3.225 seconds was set by Kitty O'Neil
, but not on a drag racing surface). Another record has also been set at Santa Pod, the world's fastest jet car
(notably Santa Pod's "resident") Fireforce 3 piloted by Martin Hill broke the record in Easter 2005 with a terminal speed of 670.10 mph (900.89 km/h). Several other European drag racing records have been set along with records unsurpassed outside the USA.
In May 2010 Top Fuel
dragster driver Urs Erbacher set a class speed record with a terminal speed of 314.87 mph reached in less than 5 seconds. At the same race meeting Eric Teboul set a time of 5.23 seconds at 249 mph on his Hydrogen Peroxide Rocket Bike, which he further improved to 5.19 seconds at the European championships in September 2010 .
Santa Pod remains the fastest all-asphalt dragstrip in the world since most North American tracks are partially or entirely concrete in construction.
, Bedfordshire
near the Northamptonshire
border, Santa Pod Raceway has earned the reputation as the home of European drag racing
and is one of the most famous drag racing tracks in the world. Santa Pod features the most powerful car and bike engines in Europe, yet surprisingly little is known about the sport, which has a large and dedicated following around the world.
The early days of drag racing took place in California on the west coast of the United States. Hot Rodders had been participating in speed runs on the dry lakes organised by the Southern California Timing Association prior to World War Two. However, it is generally accepted that drag racing began following the end of the war as GI's came home to the USA looking for some excitement. With little money and much ingenuity, many invested in modifying their cars, stripping them down to build a hot rod
for more speed and acceleration. This led to street racing taking place between two cars at stoplights, from intersection to intersection, as portrayed in many exploitation movies of 1950s. Often clandestine races would take place outside of town, with racers shutting off rural highways and racing over a measured quarter mile, which lead to conflict with the police. Wally Parks
, founder of the NHRA, played a major part in establishing drag racing as a legitimate motor sport at sanctioned tracks. As the sport grew a speed equipment industry grew up with it, with companies like Edelbrock
and that of Dean Moon
burgeoning in California, leading to the establishment of SEMA
in 1963. For reasons of safety and business the sport needed to operate within the law.
The UK already had a long history of racing in a straight line, going right back to the Bexhill Speed Trials of May 1902, the Blackpool Speed Trials of October 1904 and the Brighton Speed Trials
of July 1905. When interest in drag racing grew among the British motor sporting fraternity in the late nineteen fifties and early sixties it was able to draw on established practice in sprinting, hillclimbing and record-breaking. Drag racing was also able to attract racers on a very low budget who had no background in other forms of racing. Denis Jenkinson
did much to promote drag racing in the pages of Motor Sport magazine. Sydney Allard
, a former hillclimb champion, and considered by many to be the father of British drag racing, built the Allard dragster in 23 weeks between January and June 1961 at Adlards Garage, Clapham, in London. The car featured a 354 cubic inch Chrysler motor with front-mounted 6-71 GMC blower. Some speed equipment for the car was imported from Dean Moon in California.
Drag racing took off in the UK during the 1960s when, as in the USA, many of the old disused airstrips around the country were pressed into service. They were often rough and unsuitable for the increasing speeds. Allard was instrumental in bringing Dante Duce, accompanied by Dean Moon, and Mickey Thompson
to England in 1963 to demonstrate their dragsters. Duce appeared at Silverstone on September 10 (press demonstration); with Thompson joining in at the Brighton Speed Trials
on September 14; Church Lawford, near Rugby, on September 21 and Debden, Essex, September 22, 1963. Sydney Allard was awarded the SEMA trophy for his performances at the races. He followed this with the International Drag Festivals held in England in 1964 and 1965, featuring US dragsters and drivers. The 1964 Drag Festival was held at the following venues: Blackbushe Airport
, nr Camberley, Surrey, (twice: Sat 19 Sep, Sun 4 Oct), which was still an operational airport; RAF Chelveston
, Northants, (Sun Sep 20); RAF Woodvale
, nr Southport, Lancashire (Sat 26 Sep); RAF Church Fenton
, nr Tadcaster, Yorkshire, (Sun 27 Sep); RAF Kemble
, nr Cirencester, Gloucestershire, (Sat 3 Oct). The Second International Drag Festival was held at Blackbushe Airport, Sat/Sun 25/26 September 1965, and RAF Woodvale, Sun 3 October 1965. That there was keen interest in drag racing was beyond doubt as hundreds turned up at Blackbushe Airport on September 25, 1966, to see a non-existent race.
Meanwhile the search was on for a permanent home. Podington airfield, near the villages of Hinwick
and Podington
, was formerly a wartime airbase used by the USAAF during the Second World War
. In 1966 permission was obtained to use the airfield as a drag racing complex, the ¾ of a mile main runway being used as the drag strip. The track was named Santa Pod after the Santa Ana strip in America, combined with the name of the local village of Podington. Since then the name Santa Pod has become synonymous with the sport of drag racing in Europe. Today the raceway hosts events throughout the year including the FIA European Drag Racing Championships and the 'Run What You Brung' (RWYB) events where anyone with a valid driving licence can have a go and put their own vehicles and skills to the test. This also serves as a "grass roots" recruitment ground, as many who start by running their road vehicle on the track for bragging rights often progress to the next level and become competitors in National Events after obtaining a licence from the official sanctioning body MSA. The sportsman classes, also very popular with fans, are enriched by this inflow of new racers who fall in love with the sport after a fun weekend in their every day vehicles.
.
John Bonham
from Led Zeppelin
, drove a drag racer at Santa Pod, during his sequence of the film The Song Remains The Same
.
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, England, opened at Easter in 1966, is Europe's first permanent drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
venue. It was built on a disused World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
American air base, RAF Podington
RAF Podington
RAF Podington is a former World War II United States Army Air Force base in England. It is located six miles south-east of Wellingborough, in Bedfordshire.-Overview:...
, once used by the 92nd Bomber Group. It is now the home of European drag racing and has grown substantially over its 40-year existence. It hosts both the first and last round of the FIA and FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
/UEM
Union Européenne de Motocyclisme
The Union Européenne de Motocyclisme or European Motorcycle Union is the FIM affiliated federation responsible for Motorcycle sport within Europe.-History:...
European Drag Racing Championship, along with the British National Drag Racing Championships.
It is leased and operated by Trakbak Racing which is based in London. Santa Pod regularly takes its promotional units to major events in motor sport and contributes much to the local community.
Santa Pod is the venue in which the current world drag racing record, a time of 3.58 seconds at 386.26 mph (621.61 km/h) was set by Sammy Miller in his Vanishing Point Funny car
Funny Car
Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...
in July 1984 (a quicker 1/4 mile time of 3.225 seconds was set by Kitty O'Neil
Kitty O'Neil
Kitty O'Neil is a former stuntwoman and racer noted for a handful of exceptional accomplishments, despite becoming deaf when she was four months old.She became a stunt woman because she was married to a stunt man....
, but not on a drag racing surface). Another record has also been set at Santa Pod, the world's fastest jet car
Jet dragster
A jet car is a car propelled by a jet engine. A Jet Dragster is a jet powered car used for drag racing.-Land speed record:Jet powered cars are commonly used for land speed record attempts, after a rule change that permitted them in 1964....
(notably Santa Pod's "resident") Fireforce 3 piloted by Martin Hill broke the record in Easter 2005 with a terminal speed of 670.10 mph (900.89 km/h). Several other European drag racing records have been set along with records unsurpassed outside the USA.
In May 2010 Top Fuel
Top Fuel
Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...
dragster driver Urs Erbacher set a class speed record with a terminal speed of 314.87 mph reached in less than 5 seconds. At the same race meeting Eric Teboul set a time of 5.23 seconds at 249 mph on his Hydrogen Peroxide Rocket Bike, which he further improved to 5.19 seconds at the European championships in September 2010 .
Santa Pod remains the fastest all-asphalt dragstrip in the world since most North American tracks are partially or entirely concrete in construction.
The history of UK drag racing and Santa Pod
Tucked away in the village of PodingtonPodington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
near the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
border, Santa Pod Raceway has earned the reputation as the home of European drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
and is one of the most famous drag racing tracks in the world. Santa Pod features the most powerful car and bike engines in Europe, yet surprisingly little is known about the sport, which has a large and dedicated following around the world.
The early days of drag racing took place in California on the west coast of the United States. Hot Rodders had been participating in speed runs on the dry lakes organised by the Southern California Timing Association prior to World War Two. However, it is generally accepted that drag racing began following the end of the war as GI's came home to the USA looking for some excitement. With little money and much ingenuity, many invested in modifying their cars, stripping them down to build a hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
for more speed and acceleration. This led to street racing taking place between two cars at stoplights, from intersection to intersection, as portrayed in many exploitation movies of 1950s. Often clandestine races would take place outside of town, with racers shutting off rural highways and racing over a measured quarter mile, which lead to conflict with the police. Wally Parks
Wally Parks
Wallace Gordon Parks was instrumental in establishing drag racing as a legitimate amateur and professional motorsport. He was the Founder, President, and the Chairman of the Board of the National Hot Rod Association, better known as NHRA...
, founder of the NHRA, played a major part in establishing drag racing as a legitimate motor sport at sanctioned tracks. As the sport grew a speed equipment industry grew up with it, with companies like Edelbrock
Edelbrock
Edelbrock, LLC is a specialty performance automotive and motorcycle aftermarket parts manufacturer based in Torrance, California. The company has five locations, including four in Torrance: its headquarters, a distribution center and museum, the Russell division , and the exhaust plant...
and that of Dean Moon
Dean Moon
Dean Moon , raised since childhood in the Norwalk area of southern California, he was an avid "car guy" and mechanic heavily involved in dry lakes racing and speed equipment with a keen sense for business...
burgeoning in California, leading to the establishment of SEMA
SEMA
Specialty Equipment Market Association of the automobile aftermarket was formed in 1963 by Roy Richter, Ed Iskenderian, Willie Garner, Bob Hedman, John Bartlett, Phil Weiand, Jr., Al Segal, Dean Moon, and Vic Edelbrock, Jr...
in 1963. For reasons of safety and business the sport needed to operate within the law.
The UK already had a long history of racing in a straight line, going right back to the Bexhill Speed Trials of May 1902, the Blackpool Speed Trials of October 1904 and the Brighton Speed Trials
Brighton Speed Trials
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held July 19–22, 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace...
of July 1905. When interest in drag racing grew among the British motor sporting fraternity in the late nineteen fifties and early sixties it was able to draw on established practice in sprinting, hillclimbing and record-breaking. Drag racing was also able to attract racers on a very low budget who had no background in other forms of racing. Denis Jenkinson
Denis Jenkinson
Denis Sargent Jenkinson , Jenks or DSJ as he was known in the pages of Motor Sport, was a journalist deeply involved in motorsports...
did much to promote drag racing in the pages of Motor Sport magazine. Sydney Allard
Sydney Allard
Sydney Herbert Allard was the founder of the Allard car company and a successful racing motorist. He was remarkable in that he achieved sporting success in cars of his own manufacture....
, a former hillclimb champion, and considered by many to be the father of British drag racing, built the Allard dragster in 23 weeks between January and June 1961 at Adlards Garage, Clapham, in London. The car featured a 354 cubic inch Chrysler motor with front-mounted 6-71 GMC blower. Some speed equipment for the car was imported from Dean Moon in California.
Drag racing took off in the UK during the 1960s when, as in the USA, many of the old disused airstrips around the country were pressed into service. They were often rough and unsuitable for the increasing speeds. Allard was instrumental in bringing Dante Duce, accompanied by Dean Moon, and Mickey Thompson
Mickey Thompson
Marion Lee "Mickey" Thompson was an American off-road racing legend. He won many championships as a racer, and later formed sanctioning bodies SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group . He also raced in dragsters and land speed record automobiles.Thompson was born in Alhambra,...
to England in 1963 to demonstrate their dragsters. Duce appeared at Silverstone on September 10 (press demonstration); with Thompson joining in at the Brighton Speed Trials
Brighton Speed Trials
The Brighton Speed Trials, in full The Brighton National Speed Trials, is commonly held to be the oldest running motor race. The first race was held July 19–22, 1905 after Sir Harry Preston persuaded Brighton town council to tarmac the surface of the road adjacent to the beach between the Palace...
on September 14; Church Lawford, near Rugby, on September 21 and Debden, Essex, September 22, 1963. Sydney Allard was awarded the SEMA trophy for his performances at the races. He followed this with the International Drag Festivals held in England in 1964 and 1965, featuring US dragsters and drivers. The 1964 Drag Festival was held at the following venues: Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport
Blackbushe Airport , in the civil parish of Yateley in the north-east corner of the English county of Hampshire, comprises an airfield, much reduced in size since its heyday, a British Car Auctions site, a kart track owned by Camberley Kart Club, and a small business park...
, nr Camberley, Surrey, (twice: Sat 19 Sep, Sun 4 Oct), which was still an operational airport; RAF Chelveston
RAF Chelveston
RAF Station Chelveston was a military airfield located on the south side of the A45, 5 miles east of Wellingborough, near the village of Chelveston in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom....
, Northants, (Sun Sep 20); RAF Woodvale
RAF Woodvale
RAF Woodvale is a Royal Air Force Station located south of Southport, Merseyside in a small town called Formby. Although constructed as an all-weather night fighter airfield for the defence of Liverpool, it did not open until 7 December 1941...
, nr Southport, Lancashire (Sat 26 Sep); RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton
RAF Church Fenton is a Royal Air Force airfield at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire, England.- History :Plans for a new airfield adjacent to the village of Church Fenton were announced in June 1935, it was subject to protest from the local population particularly concerning the waste of valuable...
, nr Tadcaster, Yorkshire, (Sun 27 Sep); RAF Kemble
RAF Kemble
RAF Kemble was a Royal Air Force airfield that was linked from 1966 with the Red Arrows, the RAF Aerobatic display team; which operated Gnat and laterly Hawk trainers from there...
, nr Cirencester, Gloucestershire, (Sat 3 Oct). The Second International Drag Festival was held at Blackbushe Airport, Sat/Sun 25/26 September 1965, and RAF Woodvale, Sun 3 October 1965. That there was keen interest in drag racing was beyond doubt as hundreds turned up at Blackbushe Airport on September 25, 1966, to see a non-existent race.
Meanwhile the search was on for a permanent home. Podington airfield, near the villages of Hinwick
Hinwick
Hinwick is a hamlet in northwest Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom; it is around nine miles north west of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire which is also the postal county. The hamlet is in the parish of Podington, which is sometimes called "Podington and...
and Podington
Podington
Podington is a village and civil parish in northwest Bedfordshire in England, United Kingdom. The village is within the electoral ward of Harrold in the Borough of Bedford. Podington lies around northwest of Bedford and is about east of the county border with Northamptonshire...
, was formerly a wartime airbase used by the USAAF during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1966 permission was obtained to use the airfield as a drag racing complex, the ¾ of a mile main runway being used as the drag strip. The track was named Santa Pod after the Santa Ana strip in America, combined with the name of the local village of Podington. Since then the name Santa Pod has become synonymous with the sport of drag racing in Europe. Today the raceway hosts events throughout the year including the FIA European Drag Racing Championships and the 'Run What You Brung' (RWYB) events where anyone with a valid driving licence can have a go and put their own vehicles and skills to the test. This also serves as a "grass roots" recruitment ground, as many who start by running their road vehicle on the track for bragging rights often progress to the next level and become competitors in National Events after obtaining a licence from the official sanctioning body MSA. The sportsman classes, also very popular with fans, are enriched by this inflow of new racers who fall in love with the sport after a fun weekend in their every day vehicles.
Notable events
47-year-old Briton Perry Watkins achieved some celebrity status in September, 2010 when his racing vehicle, decorated as a formal dining table complete with tablecloth, chairs, place settings, food and various vessels and dubbed "The Fast Food" performed 2 runs at Santa Pod, topping out at 130 mph and achieving an average speed of 113.8 mph. He hopes this achievement, which bested a 92-mph sofa setting the world record in 2007, is officially recognized by Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
.
John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
from Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, drove a drag racer at Santa Pod, during his sequence of the film The Song Remains The Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
.
External links
- Official Santa Pod website
- Site offering live coverage of Drag Racing events at Santa Pod and other venues
- Santa Pod's Governing Body for European Drag Racing
- Photos and video shot at Santa Pod by Brian Fawcus
- Street Eliminator
- The Pro ET Class
- The Sportsman ET Class
- Super Modified Racers Association
- The Volkswagen Drag Racing Club (VWDRC)
- Big Bang VW Show
- Ultimate Sreet Car (USC) official site
- Bug Jam VW Show