Mopar Euro
Nationals Santa Pod Raceway
Celebrating
its 21st anniversary, the Mopar Euro Nats has not only come of age, but has
also grown to become the number one car show for muscle car petrol heads across
the UK and Europe. This year’s mouthwatering feast of amazing machinery made
this established show a ‘miss it at your peril’ event with a bumper crowd
reflecting this sentiment. Whether you are a fan of drag racing action or a
rivet counting muscle car anorak, this year’s show came up trumps on both
counts. And with the three days of sunshine and the hot temperatures, both the
track and car corral were roasting hot. The EuroNats has changed slightly every
year and by tweaking the format of the show the organisers have ensured the
event has stayed fresh and vibrant. With the addition of hosting Round 4 of the
Pro Modified European Championship, the event went up a notch in prestige, as
did the track times A full-on three day experience makes for a long weekend of
fun-fuelled frolics, with the traditional Friday night cruise leaving Santa Pod
and heading for the new location at the Billing Mill. A tranquil setting by the
side of a lake made for a terrific backdrop as around 60 muscle cars parked up and
their owners drank in the warm evening sunshine.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary, the
Mopar Euro Nats has not only come of age, but has also grown to become the
number one car show for muscle car petrol heads across the UK and Europe
As
the cruise returned, the musical entertainment cranked up with local band
Tequila Mockingbird and then, later on, covers act supreme Rock of Ages, both
outfits providing blistering sets. Friday would not be the same without the
popular Paul Marston Top Sportsman series kicking off the drag strip
proceedings as a 32-car field thundered down the quarter mile dead on time at
12pm. Santa Pod’s famous drag strip is available for 22 hours’ racing over the
three days giving plenty of track time for amateurs and professionals alike.
Saturday at the EuroNats is a real full-on day, as the track is busy all the
time with the various competitions running and a whole bunch of RWYB cars
flogging down the quarter mile. A special treat this year was a Spitfire from the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight giving a breathtaking display over the show
adding even more excitement to the proceedings. Radio station Nitro FM 96.2
added to the show for this year blasted out cool tunes all weekend; Nick and
Oz, the DJ’s, interplayed with ace commentator Graham Beckwith in the tower
making for some really excellent background vibes. As the track closed, the
musical activities resumed on the Fuelers Bar stage with the headlining act The
Karma Heart delivering two supercharged sets of high energy rock interspersed
with a truly amazing firework spectacular. A sunny Sunday morning greeted
everyone as the show ’n’ shiners poured through the gate heading for the car
corral to spruce up their cars and soak up the laid back atmosphere. A fine
unplugged acoustic performance from two of the Karma Heart band members set the
scene for a delicious slice of muscle car heaven. Martin Savill, owner of RPM
(Rare Performance Motors), came along with a Mopar from the famous Carlos
Monteverde collection, a never before seen in the UK ultra-rare 1970 Hemi four-
speed Road Runner finished in black with a white interior, one of only 44 built.
This car lined up with a ’69 Hemi Road Runner, 71 Hemi Cuda convertible and ’66
Hemi Satellite to pay homage to the Hemi’s 50th anniversary. A truly wonderful,
amazing sight, showing just what the EuroNats is all about.
This car lined up with a ’69 Hemi Road
Runner, 71 Hemi Cuda convertible and ’66 Hemi Satellite to pay homage to the
Hemi’s 50th anniversary
A
highlight of the show has always been the incredible burnout contest, much
copied but never equalled, where contestants have 30 seconds to produce as much
smoke from their rear tyres as possible. This year saw a panel of judges, Bill
Billadeau, Ivor Hawkins, Tony Oksien and special guest of the day Sylvia
Hauser, as adjudicators. A field of eight cars took to the start line and ran
through their presentations, with defending champion, Holland’s ‘Fast Freddie’
from the Six Pack Speed Shop, once again treating the packed crowd to blue and
yellow plumes of smoke from his ’70 Charger as he tried to hold on to his
crown. The scores were added up and Britain’s Peter Baker in the Buick Century
snatched the victory with a fine performance and two exploding tyres.
A field of eight cars took to the start
line and ran through their presentations, with defending champion, Holland’s
‘Fast Freddie’ from the Six Pack Speed Shop
Back
to the car corral and the very fine rockabilly trio the Straight Aces cranked up
a foot stomping set in the sunshine, giving everyone a lift until presentation
time and the end of an extraordinary three days of Mopar mayhem and muscle car
madness. Make sure you don’t miss next year’s event and make a date at Santa
Pod Raceway for Mopar Euro Nats 22, last weekend of July 2015. See you there!
