Flame and Thunder attracted over 21,000 fans to Britains number 1 drag racing facility to get their last whiff of nitro of 2007. Santa Pod put on a great all round show to close the season with not only the Top Fuel Dragsters of Rune Fjeld and the ATI Showtime Funny Car of Bob Jarrett and John Spuffard but Demostration runs from the Nostalgia Fuel Altereds, Jet Funny Cars, and the Record Breaking Rocket Bike of Frenchman Eric Teboul. Of course there was also a great variety of sportsman racers including some of the latest Import/Jap machinery which we don't often get to see at European events. Off the track there were shows of amazing car control by our good friend Terry Grant with his Legend and TVR, and the Monster Trucks provided some car crushing action in the Santa Pod Arena.

It was Barrys first time in the car which was driven in this year's FIA Championship by Janne Ahonen, but he felt at home right away. "The car felt like it was going to be real quick" said Barry "...but on both runs we encountered huge tyre shake". Needless to say barry still did his best to drive through the shake and put on a show for the crowd, lighting up the track with huge header flames licking above the wing! Barry and the team are really hoping to carry the momentum from Flame and Thunder through to the new year where we hope to secure funding to run the FIA Championship in 2008.

 


 
     
Barry Sheavills started his drag racing career over 30 years ago in street legal car, progressing swiftly onto his first purpose built race car, a Jaguar powered Austin Ruby. This was the first in Barry’s line of race cars to be christened with the name “Stagecoach”.

He then moved on to Super Gas and later Top Alcohol (now Top Methanol Dragster), where he achieved multiple championship wins. Barry was the first driver to win the British MSA Top Alcohol Championship three times and achieved the first 5 second Top Alcohol Dragster run in Britain.

In 1997 Barry made the move up to Top Fuel Dragster and won the FIA Rookie of the Year award. He won his first FIA Top Fuel Championship in 1998 and was the first British Top Fuel driver to cover the quarter mile in less than 5 seconds. Barry was also the first European racer to achieve a terminal speed on the quarter mile of more than 300 mph, at the FIA Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway in 2002 in an amazing race alongside fellow Brit Andy Carter, which reset the record books as the first side-by-side 4 second run and the first side-by-side 300mph run in Europe.

In September 2002 Barry was lucky to escape virtually uninjured after his 7000 hp dragster was destroyed in a 280mph accident at Santa Pod. However, this incident in no way affected his drive and Barry is pleased to be back in “his office” once again.

Barry topped the FIA all-time points table For nearly 9 years, his points total only recently being overcome by arch-nemesis Andy Carter. Barry can't wait to be back in FIA competition and is determined to wrestle back his all-time number 1 position.


  
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