i thought i would see what the car can do without any

boost leaks and i managed to better my personnel best

with only a couple of runs,my best was a 12.50 at 120mph

and the car bogged down and i only done 4 runs,because i

started getting wheel hop and i didnt want to brake the

car so i stopped running the car i really want to give it

another go with some kind of drag/slick tyres

Cracking results!! When are you next down pod??

Also what tyre's you looking for? R888's??

i am looking to run something a little a bit better then r888's

Fantastic time and very fast terminal, well done

I've only ever done one run faster than that (only just - a 12.39) and that was partially stripped and running treated tyres on a treated strip. My terminal was about 117 IIRC, so your 120mph terminal is very impressive.

I reckon with a bit of weight saving and some treated tyres, there's an 11 in that car

I think Westan has done as much weight saving as he can Nigel! The sticky tyres will get him close to 11s... not easy though

Ah yes - I forgot he's totally stripped out as well

However, a 120 terminal shows he's putting out serious bhp - surely its just a matter of getting the launch right - a sub 2 second 60-foot will bring down the ET considerably, so it looks like the use of drag tyres will shave another few tenths off

Brilliant times. Well done!

I'm hoping my terminal may rise a bit on a cooler day.

Just as a matter of interest, I've just checked through all of my old timing slips from Santa Pod and TOTB - I've discovered two facts

1) My fastest ETs all had terminals of "only" 115 mph (three twelve second runs on the same day)

2) I've never been beaten across the line at Santa Pod

I'd say that No2 is more by luck than performance - I once went up against a stupidly quick twin-engined and nitro'd Mini that broke something halfway up the strip and coasted over the line - still, I beat it

Actually - thinking about it, I seem to remember being beaten once, on my Buell, when I went against a proper drag bike. I was too busy trying to keep the front wheel down to worry about what was going on in the other lane.

So - quick re-word - never been beaten at Santa Pod in the Coupe

thanks for the comments just want to say that my 60ft jump was 2.3s and i think i found out why my car was wheel hopping,the bolts on my rear gearbox mount had worked there way loose

next on the list is suspension and light weight seats and steering wheel and some kind of drag tyres and maybe skinnys for the rear and some race fuel and i might be able to get a bit closer to that 11 second pass

How much weight do you think you have lost now West? You've got a lightweight bonnet as well now haven't you?

yeah i have fibre glass bonnet now i like to think it's something around 1200kg realistically but to be honest i aint sure,

At least Leighton might be slightly worried about his record now!

Well they are made to be broken, in fact I'd be very pleased for West if he could. It won't be easy though, still got to find 0.6 of a second but with better tyres and a little bit more oomph it's possible.

I'm hoping to go for one more practice run in November with road tyres and probably no weight saving again. Then over the winter will be getting some sticky tyres and hopefully a race fuel map off you and will try and get some low 12's early next year. Not sure I'll be able to crack the 11's though.

West is converting his car to drag . Every week he finds a new way to shed some weight from the car. This week mods were no gearbox blots and no McDee’s Next time your free call me I know a local place that will weight your front/rear and total weight for £5

How much of an effect does weight have on terminal speed?

Not sure if there is an exact calculation, but terminal speed is an indication of power and power is related to power/weight. So a drop in weight is the same as a power increase which will give a higher terminal speed. With the terminal speeds that West is producing, with the correct launch, traction, conditions etc he is capable of getting into the sub 12's

i wounder if Santa pod will allow an Italian car day???

be nice to see some of the high powered coupes (like westerns) going mental down the strip!!

again, brilliant times western, Well done!!

^ Auto italia had an italian car day a few years ago, which although I enjoyed it thoroughly the turnout wasn't particularly great

Highlights - Flea going up against a quattroporte (which the chap had borrowed from his dad), 2 de tomaso panteras struggling for grip, a countach that sounded amazing (but wasn't particularly fast), Markus winning fastest car of the day.

Lowlights - seeing a ferrari 360 blow its gearbox

i bet that was a cracking day! (except the 360)

i wounder if it could be done again??

Like Nobby says the turnout wasn't great (although for coupes it was a great turnout). I doubt they would do one again as the revenue would have been too low.

They might do. I think the weather put a lot of people off last time, and 1/4 mile runs with rain don't really mix.

weather definately was an issue. Did we not have about 60 coupes on the list that was supposed to turn up? I think it was probably around 30 in the end.

any one think it will be a good idea to arrange one?

Yeah, it would, just the cost of hiring Santa Pod for the day is approx £5000

hmm....thats alot...wellmaybe if we get 50 people...it becomes affordable! lol

It'd be cheaper to all turn up at a tuner day - £75 and unlimited runs, plus you get to see some ridiculously quick pro cars

i think its £60 all in if you pay in advance. Would be good to get a few coupes going to one of these. Get some proper time on the strip.