– Irwin Mills
Published : Wednesday, May 15, 2024 10:06 p.m [IST]
The East of England is set to host a major international sporting event over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. The Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway will mark the start of the 2024 FIA/FIM European Drag Racing Championship. This event will feature more than 250 competitors from 17 countries and is expected to attract around 20,000 spectators.
The event will see cars racing at speeds of up to 300mph, with participants ranging from children as young as eight to experienced adult drivers. Notably, drag racing has long embraced gender-blind competition, with almost equal participation of both boys and girls in the junior divisions and women in the senior ranks.
Top competitors include Sweden's Susanne Callin and Switzerland's Jndia Erbacher, who will lead the Top Fuel Dragster show at 300 mph. In addition, Funny Cars fuel will also be part of the spectacle. Nineteen Pro Mods will compete to qualify for Monday's 16-car elimination field, along with the Top Methanol cars and Scandinavian Pro Stockers.
On two wheels, Top Fuel Bikes and Nitro Super-Twins will compete for early wins in the pursuit of the FIM-Europe title, alongside Super Street and Pro Stock Bikes. Below European Championship level, a full program of UK Sportsman Championship courses will keep the action on track intense.
When not on the track, the racers will be in the pits working on their machines. Spectators will have free unlimited paddock access, allowing them a close-up view of all the action. Away from the track, there will be stunt driving and horse riding displays, along with a variety of family activities including a circus.
Carl Cox's debut
A notable recent entry in the Sportsman Competition Eliminator category is Carl Cox, the renowned DJ and electronic music pioneer. Cox's Carl Cox Motorsport organization includes Isle of Man TT motorcycle hero Michael Dunlop on its roster. Cox himself is an established drag racer in Australia.
Cox's vehicle for this event is a Plymouth Barracuda bodied machine equipped with a ProCharger. This device is legal in America but not yet in Europe, hence Cox's presence in the Comp. The Barracuda is expected to significantly outperform its rivals, although Comp's handicap launch system aims to even out power disparities.
Event details
The 2024 Main Event will take place from Friday 24 to Monday 27 May at Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough NN29 7XA. Full information about the event is available at
The official Santa Pod websiteand tickets can be purchased online or by calling 01234 782828. Advance booking is required as there will be no tickets on the gate.
Historical frame
Santa Pod Raceway opened in 1966 as the first permanent drag racing venue in Europe. Located in a former World War II airfield, it hosts more than 70 events annually from February to November. The venue hosts major spectator events such as two rounds of the FIA/FIM European Drag Racing Championship and the famous mid-summer Volkswagen festival, Bug Jam.
For more information and higher resolution images please contact the Santa Pod Raceway Press Office on (01234) 782828 or by email at
[email protected].
