4th June: Ex-pat UK Top Fuel Dragster racer Smax Smith has one message for his fans after last week's FIA Main Event: "You are the best!". "We had dedicated the Main Event to the memory of Dave Elden our top clutch technician who we lost this year, and I feel sure his spirit was around us", says Smax. "I felt a million dollars receiving so much support from the UK fans and racers who all seemed genuinely glad that I made the trip back from Canada to race the weekend. We had a new car and team and we were all so relaxed and happy, and had great fun all weekend - not one argument, not bad for Top Fuel! "Stuart and Rich McDonald, the car owners, had done an impeccable job of preparing the car and each team member knew their job. Apart from owning, building and tuning the car Stuart trained new guy Mark on the bottom end. Rich meanwhile did the clutch and Robin and Tet did the heads with Steve. The other Steve was in charge of headwork and his fabricating skills were mega impressive. Sarah, Ferret, Kirsty and Deborah were doing designated tasks from making tea and butties to hand-making wheel spacers, pedals and brackets. Well done guys - you were awesome. Stu and Rich say a big thanks too! "We had decided to do a 300 foot squirt with our old blower to open up qualifying, and we were so happy that the car was straight, no shake, all cylinders lit and so clean. The second session was a half pass, again perfect, so we then put on our good blower to make up the power. A nice burnout and staging job then bummer - the lights failed! We had to shut off and go back to pits to turn car round in half an hour. We changed the oil, topped up the nitro and reset the clutch, but with four-disc and no clutch cooler we were unsure that things were OK. Back to the track, we burned out and staged with Thomas and the Batmobile but we only went eighty feet and had a horrendous clutch explosion. Luckily I caught the motor and saved it before it over revved and did damage but Thomas and his five-disk clutch clocked an amazing 4.87 "In hindsight we should have sat out that session and gone for the fouth. As it transpired we had a spare clutch but it was not built so we missed the fourth session. It was awful waiting for the outcome as all of Knut's cars were behind our half-pass 6.6 and with top tuner Al Jackson over there we felt sure we would get bumped. However after various woes we ended up qualified seventh - great result. Then came the thrash! All the team did an all-nighter preparing the car and did a great job to make the first round. Big thanks here to Peter Schöfer who helped to repair the clutch fork, cross shaft and one lifter, thanks also to Peter Knight for the loan of his clutch can and to Andy Robinson for tagging the can, all at such short notice but to the line we went!
©Eurodragster.com "The car sounded awesome and clean in the first round. Did the burnout, got reverse OK, backed up then I couldn't get forward. After trying like mad we had to switch off and watch Tommy Möller idle down the track for the win. Towing the car back to the pits all the fans were clapping and cheering for us feeling our disappointment. We were gutted as we were positive we would have run a four, but drag racing is full of what ifs! "Congrats go to Lex who did a fine job all weekend, I was scared for him at one point when his car was way up in the air, as I charged past him I had no idea how it would all end. I helped organise getting the Pod demo car's A-arms and Jon Webster to help Lex get sorted - it was the least I could do as his sponsor MPM Oils came on board at last minute to supply our oil for the weekend. Thanks to Michel van Wilgen and to Eurodragster for the plea! "On the positive side we qualified and went home in one piece, pleased a lot of fans and racers, cemented well with the team and learnt loads. My arm was aching signing autographs and body parts! We need to work on raising money for the finals but hopefully we will be supporting the Bulldog Bash on the weekend of 12th August. That just leaves me to thank the Bulldog gang, especially Dicko and Sarah, for believing in me and sponsoring us for the Main Event, also Ben from 1st Stop Body Shop, the new FastCo UK guy, Antony from G Max Fuels, Ribble Technology, MPM Oil, and Eurodragster. Big thanks to Stu and Rich McDonald for asking me to drive for them, and to all the loyal fans and racers who supported us. I'm sure we are one of the few teams who get along with all the Top Fuel guys and feel like we are all friends. 'Til the next race, stay safe and happy."


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