Racing in the United Kingdom takes a bit longer to kick off than it does down in the states. Here, we just wait until Florida and Texas start getting beautiful weather and spread out from there. Over there, they don’t get that luxury. They have to let all sorts of weather pass by before strips like Santa Pod are remotely close to ready for drag racing action. That means patience, and for Mk1Kieran, a chance to review five years’ worth of action that can be compiled into one video full of thrills, chills and some of the wildest runs that we’ve seen, period. It’s one thing to watch a ’57 Chevy twist it’s driveshaft into a pretzel before unceremoniously spitting it out of the back end like a discarded toothpick, but there is something genuinely horrifying about watching a VW bus go straight vertical before slamming back down to earth like a hammer that took aim at a nail. My back actually cringed watching that particular clip.
The amount of lane-swapping, top-end traction loss and sheer mechanical destruction is attention-grabbing. Watching an axleshaft just drop onto the track is kid’s play. Watching a fourth-gen Camaro slip-and-slide through it’s own coolant is butt-clench worthy. And as for the upper end traction issues? Yeah…I don’t care how brave you are, that’s a puckering moment if I’ve ever seen one. And after this video, I’ve seen more than I cared to.
Point of order, chaps, but the clips at the 3:00, 9:10, 13:15, 14:20, 17:00, 19:08, 19:53 and the closing clip at 20:41 mark are here in Malta, at Hal-Far raceway. I know Kieran comes out here a fair bit 😉