Hot Rods.... what a Drag!!

The NSRA Hot Rod Drags always gets a fantastic turn out, with some awesome Cars and usually good weather to.. this year was no exception, the cars that turned up were nothing short of stunning and the weather perfect. So a good time was to be had by all. Read on for my experience of this great event! if ya can be arsed that is ;o)

My real good mate Pudzz has been having engine problems with his sedan so decided now was the time to take it off the road and finally get his souped up engine painted and fitted... which has turned into a full tidy up with all the fenders being repainted and roof cover sorted and so on and so on. Pudzz and me love this event and under no circumstances were we going to miss this one:

I had just found out I had my LPG tank fitted in the wrong way round so was looking forward to its new range which by my calculations would be double its last distance ( I ran out at jct 6/ M6 last time out).

My other good mate Nige who came with me last year with his son Sam, couldn't make it this year as Sam had his first Rugger match on the Sunday, which worked out well so me and Pudzz went in my Truck. We get on fantastic and is never a dull moment with Pudzz, we laughed and had a ball all the way to the Drags... well to the Pub just by the drags that is.. just one drink then off to pitch the tent. I had bunked off work early and having another Saturday off while my Brother and my Wife graft away earning them and me a wage ;o)... We had a nice cool drink at the pub ( I forget what its called) and also booked a carvery for Saturday night.. just to spoil ourselves like ya do.

Rods where driving by as we sat enjoying our drink in the warm sunny lat afternoon.. it was just so relaxing, its like another world.. all your problems and worries just fuk off into the distance it was ace.. and we savored the moment Ahhhhhhh ;o)

AS we arrived and paid at the drags, our mates from sunny Yorkshire turned up and looked cool as!

Here is smiley Bri and his wife Jill in their wild Y (built by the McCormack's). Was to achieve a personal best and hit the 12's this weekend. So he smiled like this all weekend.

Once we pitched camp on a very stony hard ground, we sat and looked around and relaxed taking in the scenery. Ours was the cool bunch called the Originals with all their Hard core cars and those I have met are real nice friendly yet cool Rodder's we were in good company.. then we found out they also let all kinds of other riff raff in as Bob Booth emerged from his afternoon nap in his tent.. and Dusty Laugher and daughter Natalie were also camped next to where we were.. so boded well for a good weekend.
Friday evening was fast approaching so the beer flowed, and soon Bob Booth was leading us easily led country folk astray with his City ways.. and we hit top gear in the beer shed. ;o)

I don't remember everything that happened Friday night, but I do get flashbacks every now and then... some not so good. I remember young Matt Bennett with his shirt off, Dusty with his shirt off and then something possessed me to take mine off and do a Mosh pit with Matt and who ever else wanted some ;o)... I do remember Matt running at me with a crazy look on his face and slamming into then just bouncing off... now that I remember, also being put on my arse by Bob Booth.. and me trying to deck him after that with some sneaky rip punches... ;o) Didnt work by the way and also me putting me on my arse aswell... and the rest I choose to not remember.. so lies the defence!

Oh look it's Saturday Morning already ;o).. time to get my Truck through scruteneering and look at the tackle walking and parked in the pits... if ya know what I mean...

You lot really are car mad.. Nice 36 ;o)

Cool V6 powered 40 ford

Model A one of my must have before I die cars. I then started to try a few arty shots so please indulge me for a few minutes..

Another 36 rests on the floor.

I got my midget friend to take this for me and as it was taken at such a low angle.. all the colour ran out.

Who's gone all arty farty then ;O)

Another sweet A

Well here I am in the fire up road... I didn't even bother cleaning the bugs off my screen. That is what I like about this event no show and bloody shine shyte.. probably not worth a mention.. but I am going to anyway..I got a 15.6 first run but I did miss 3rd gear and went into 5th... back out and into 3rd.. so I knew I could do better. After we messed with the timing and carb settings... I was back out and did a new PB ;o) of 15.02... with some wheel spin and judder on launch. So I do feel it is good for a high to mid 14... next year now before I can try it. I had paid £18 for the Saturday and only got two runs thanks to a few oil downs.. so didn't fancy paying another £18 for Sunday, as beside's we said we would sit and watch the racing on the Sunday after spend Saturday racing.

Some beautiful looking Rods were doing their thing.. on both days. How good is this.

Well it was soon time for me and Pudzz to go and get us snap, namely a full house carvery at the local pub. As usual Pudzz had the spot in an uproar as people all around us (Rodder's) were being served their al a carte food and we had to wait nearly an hour for the carvery to get readied.... But man was it worth waiting for our plates and bellies were full and all for £7;50.... never before as awesome been the most appropriate description of a meal..

Back at camp suitably fed and wattered we hit the sauce but with a somewhat jaded feeling and lack luster than we had the night before the wild streak had been exorcised from us and we were ready for a calmer night tonight and so was everyone else we sensed..

I took my camera out on the Sat night to try and capture the feel of it. We almost missed the bloody cackle fest again as we did last year.. as we sat and relaxed with a can or three... if Pete and San Whiteside hadn't walked past us and say aren't you going to watch the Cackle fest we would of missed it for sure..

Series 1 Chevy pickup just shouted take a snap of me as it sat under the starry sky..

The cackle fest was Ok. but there were loads of frigging photographers in the prime positions blocking totally any view there was of the cars.. lighting up the sky. I am not sure what credentials you need to be thought of as press but many I am sure don't even do any thing like my write ups.. so wonder why I have never been allowed prime access to take some action shots??? One thing I do remember that I thought was the wildest and coolest thing of the cackle fest was Andy Hadfields blast down the fire up road in the dark in his mad T.. and as only Andy would do it was a quick blast not a mamby pamby half arsed blip it was almost a fukin Run as he would down the strip and I couldn't get my Camera set up for a video.. quick enough.. bugger but trust me it was wild and everyone gave out a loud cheer of approval. Yeah Andy is the new Al O' Conner... for sure, only in a T not a Pop.

This was as close as I was allowed, we got stopped from going closer for some better shots or even a glimpse of the Cars.. I cant see all these guys were press meself like.. but hey ho! It's probably who you know, not what you know.

After about 40 shots and constant repositioning I got this one through the paparazzi. of Andy with header flames and shift light lighting up his kipper. You can see how blurry it is just how far away I was..

The Cackle fest was a great way to kick start the evening. So I clicked a few shots off of the people in the Disco/beer barn, the place was buzzing inside and out.

I think there must of been a Rodeo on somewhere as there were lots of Cowboys hanging round the bar area.. they scared me.. so I went out side ;o) Oh fuk just got another flash back.. the cowboy in the middle I had hold off by the beard last night... hanging on and shaking it I said ...drunkenly " I gotta get me one of these" "hic"...

Well the band on Friday night from what I remember were absolutely fantastic, they played some great tunes all with a rock flavor and rocked the house.... so it was a great disappointment when Me, Bob and Pudzz went over to listen to the Saturday night band and they sounded like fekking Chas and Dave... "rabbit, rabbit, jabba jabba bunny bunny" The lead singer did me bloody nut in.. I thought any minute he's going to be dividing the marquee into two halves and seeing who would sing the loudest... absolute tripe to my ears.. and eyes... But hey the place was packed and the Be Bopper guys and galls seemed to be enjoying it so who am I to diss that... good luck to em.. Me and Pudzz where hoping they would be a good Rockabilly band.. but no.. absolute shyte sing along crapola.. I could not stop and listen for more than 2 songs... so maybe they got better.

So we went back to the disco (more shyte music) but we sat outside so it wasn't so intrusive ;o) and got pissed and generally talked crap and took the piss out of each other. Bri and his mates from Yorkshire joined us and a jolly good time was had by all... I wish I could remember some of the funny stuff that was being said... but my memory is shot.. so I can t.. ;o)

Sunday