(NDRC Meeting at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, early-mid 1970s) That meeting had quite an lasting effect on me - I can remember the noise that the cars made and the sheer craziness of the drag bikers. One chap got into a huge tankslapper half way down the strip, shot off to the left and went straight through the middle of one of the many gorse bushes that lined the runways. He then managed to get it together again and got back on the strip just before the top end lights. Amazing. Jim Roberts, UK

my 1974 vauxhall viva (dont laugh yet!) was a rung wat yer brunger, as it was vauxhalls answer to the rs2000 escort (i.e. mk2) and had been de-badged - the 2300 vx4/90 engine/transmission/axle moved it along at a good pace (only 130bhp) but i remember nearly having more than one yank over on the quarter mile! and me and my mate used to blag tickets for meetings off the stones fan club secretary, one dick dyke (real name honestly.) LsHiatt, UK

Did you know that Pete Allen, an ex-Santa Pod competitor, has been living in Australia for many years? He's referred to locally as "Pommie Pete" (of course) and is still active in the sport. He campaigns a very quick top fuel bike....... Mal Hawkins, Australia

On the sixth day god invented Drag Racing. On the seventh day god invented the HEMI and put the Chevys asunder. Not my words but written on Ollie Burns chicken shed wall 1976 were Pc 1O and Pc 100 lived Clive Banks, UK

When Owen Haywood had a halfshaft fail in houndog (the funny) and hit the barrier he was admitted to Northampton General overnight for observation, waking in the night (dazed) he stumbled over some guy in traction who went up like a puppet on a string - or so the story goes........my mate Dick Dyke used to run the Stones fan club (real name!) LsHiatt, UK

HEY GUYS,  IM WRITING FROM THE US WHERE NOSTALGIA FULERS ARE MAKING A HUGE RESURGENCE.  I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING BUD BARNES AND BOB GLADSTONE OF THE NOW MICHIGANDER (ULTRA SONIC). I HAVE ONE PHOTO OF THE CAR WHEN IT RACED AT SANTA POD IN 66. I AM PLEASED TO TELL YOU THE CAR IS STILL ALIVE AND KICKIN, A LOT OF THE EVENTS WE GO TO WON'T LET THEM RACE BECAUSE OF IT BEING A PERFECT TIME PIECE WITH NO UPDATES TO CHASSIS. THE CAR HAS BEEN RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL STATUS AND LOOKS AWSOME. IF YOU HAVE ANY PHOTOS OF IT COULD YOU POST THEM PHIL RYDER USA

I recall Allan Herridge preparing to do a Flame-out (as opposed to a burn-out), blipping the throttle to realise he was in reverse which put his arse over the flames. Can't remember when though but it was the Asphalt Alligator. LsHiatt, UK

Very pleased with your e-mail and offer of a link. I have re-scanned the Pat Cuss body shells for you to copy and use as you wish. I was the photographer and took the photo's after hitch hiking from Malmesbury to Westbury to find Pat and see what he did. He was so surprised he took me with him to a custom car show on the south coast somewhere with his Rat Catcher. I also turned up on Roland Pratt's doorstep which also resulted in photo's and a journey to the Pod in Roland's left hand drive VW Beetle. On the way home he drove with his knees whilst trying to remove exploding funny car clutch fragments from his eye! Dave Forward, UK

Wow, what a fasinating site you have at Trakbytes. I am a big door slammer fan, and like many others reflected on the loss of Dave Grady during the minutes silence at Santa Pod on Sunday. I read the tribute from Darren West, and it bought back all those memories of my first Drag Racing experience at Melbourne and the High Spirits Ford. Whilst scanning the 'Years' sections, I came across 1985/6 reference to the Doorslammer Nationals. I remember these well, being a doorslammer fan of many years. I think it was called Gary's International Doorslammer Meeting !I too believe 1985 was the first year, and I went in 1986 (my memory for dates is not that good I am afraid) with a massive field of cars from all over Europe. Qualifying was held during the day, with eliminations taking place at night. Memories - there was a 'clip' for everyone who went (or badge, with a pin for attaching to your shirt/jacket etc). - I wonder if anyone still has it ? A porsche turbo powered 'dune buggy' that wheelied in all gears !!! A big white Impala that had a horrendous misfire that shot flames out of the headers, but still ran in the 9's A Volvo Estate with a huge engine through the Bonnet ! The winner was our very own Dave Pollen, driving the yellow Pollen Count (Mk1 Consul/Zodiac). He raced in the final against Per Christian Skinne (Skinne Brothers - Norway) in a Black Chevy Nova (or Chevy II). Skinne went on to run the Pro Stock Trans-Am and now builds engines for a living (or at least he did). Skinne lowered the car the following year, and came to Samta Pod with it in yellow, and ran in the 8's. Skinne should have won, as he had been in the 9.5's all day, but lost traction at half track as it was very damp by late October evening, allowong Pollen to fly past. The crowd was enormous, with everyone shouting for the cars from there respective countries. I can honestly say that I have not experienced another event like it. Ian Highfield, UK

Hey while you where chatting with Mr Priddle I heard him talking about the Tommorrow's World experiment he did in either 84 or 85, I remember seeing it on tv and on the cover (of the Radio Times) Priddle was going through a Garlits like experimentation stage at the time, as can be seen also in a recent pic Jon Spoard posted in the eighties pics section which shows one of the few experimental wing configurations priddle was trying around that time, he seemed especially keen on mounting the wing in front of the rear wheels. As far as the TW experiment went the car ran wing less with just the rear body enclosure, on leaving the line hard in the left line the car turned immediately hard right almost hitting the barrier!.....the obvious conclusion being that a wing was necessary, although the bodywork was a good idea. Jim Head has been experimenting recently with a similar rear bodywork idea that has a Pro Mod style deck wing for his top fueler! Darren West, UK

just read your mr revell piece, i was there when medicine man stood upright (oh my god!) as to mr priddle, i'm sure he said (in connection with top fuel only) "rear is queer" and who were the all female team who purchased mr six? i was there when houndog funny car hit the armco at the top end and i was a contributor to al o'connors rebuild fund after hitting the xmas tree. as you can see, i havent grown up much in the last 25 years. bye 4 now SHiatt, UK

Very interested in your update on Sydney Allard. Did you know that Sydney's son, Alan, campaigned two cars in '65 and '66? One was an Allard "Dragon" slingshot and the other a Ford Anglia (the one with the funny back window, not the 1948 body). Both cars were painted in the works metallic blue, and both were powered by blown 4-cyl. Ford Cortina engines. I can't be 100% sure but I recall that it may have been the same engine that was simply swapped from car to car between heats. The cars were very quick. As David Kipling correctly writes the "Dragon" was a kit car sold by Allard's at the time. You could buy a basic kit consisting of the chassis, wheels and bodywork or, at extra cost, you could also get the engine supplied. Two other "Dragons" competed regularly at SPR throughout '67 and '68. One was A. Ing's D/D2 pictured in Jon Spoard's website, and the other was a white one but I can't remember the driver. Alan Allard also introduced a spectacular looking blown V-8 Reliant Scimitar-based altered in '69. I can't remember the name of it but, like all Allard cars, it was very well engineered and extremely quick. I remember seeing Alan get out of the car after one particular run when the 'chute failed to open. Needless to say his face was devoid of colour! Mal Hawkins, Australia

Do you remember the yellow Corvette Stingray 'Frighten Chicken' of  Swede Gunne Back, which would race against Gary Goggin's Corvette in the early 70's? It used to leave the line with the front (almost) in the air, and the front wheels hanging down like a 2CV cornering at speed! Both these Corvettes had manual transmissions, and to my mind there was nothing better than the sight and sound of a big block Chevy powering its way through a manual box. Gary never could catch the Frighted Chicken, although it was close on a couple of occasions. Nick Brooks UK

Another hot street car around at the same time ('71-'72) was a tiny TVR Tuscan with a 350 Chevy - not sure of the driver - was it Brian Johnson? Tony Gane, one of Priddles team had a similar car with the original 289 Ford engine which he sold to pay for a new motor for the team's top fueler after a blow-up. Nick Brooks UK

Ed Shaver got himself in a bit of trouble I remember reading in the Northampton Chronicle and Echo (he lived in Wooton just outside Northampton). When he joined the Hot Wheels team he had the Whistler Reliant Scimitar funny car and the AMX at his house. His neighboughs complained about the noise of the cars when he fired them up on his drive, they ended up writing to the paper. I often drove past his place and his head was usually inside one or other of the cars the week before a meeting. I was saddened to read that he died earlier on this year. Nick Brooks UK

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