Easter Thunderball 2009 Page 3 of 4
	"I am standing still but the rear tyres are spinning at the equivalent speed of over 150 mph"
I am standing still but the rear tyres are spinning at the equivalent speed of over 150 mph. Nosferatu slowly starts to move forward and I have to try and regulate the throttle to maintain the tyre speed but as the tyres heat and the track surface changes the amount of slip varies, so the revs go up and down. I am now past the start line, then the sixty foot and heading towards the 330 foot beams. Nosferatu starts to go sideways so I have to come off the power and straighten the car up. To reverse it's a pull on the shifter lever, then forward into neutral, operate the reverse lockout and forward into reverse, press the transbrake button and this makes the car go backwards. I focus on the barrier and keep the car straight as I back up. Many teams have a crew member jump out from the side of the track and do the flappy hand signals for the driver to back up straight, trust me its for show and not necessary. There are many reference points the keep the car straight as you back up. Over the start line and Ray pops into view and stops me ten feet behind the staging beams. He opens the door and sets the data logger to 'record', sets the rev counter to 'record' and re-sets the blower boost gauge to zero. A quick handshake and the door slams shut. We watch the start line marshal and wait for the call up. When called, Ray positions himself just before the pre-stage beams and stops me a few inches before them. James has already removed the parachute pins so now it's all down to me. I check my harness is tight, gauges all check out and turn the fuel onto the full setting. The motor rpm dips and starts to hunt. I press the brake pedal, select first gear and make sure the shift solenoid has engaged, then gently release pressure from the brake pedal. Because the engine is hunting the car moves forward in jerks so I have to be careful not to go straight into stage. I pre-stage and this time wait for my competitor to follow me, I go into stage first and moments later the other lane is staged. The lights come down, amber, amber, amber, slight pause and GO… Previous PageNext Page