SPORT
ABOVE: The Super Pro-ET dragster of NG Motorsports starts off on another exhilarating 8-second race under the expert guidance of Nick Good (below)
Nick Good’s life in the (very) fast lane... Blink and you’ll miss them – but that’s all part of the appeal of drag-racing. Charlotte Thorneycroft meets the successful local team of NG Motorsports...
I
magine touching your foot against the accelerator and reaching speeds of 150mph in just four seconds. Well, it’s second nature for Nick Good of the West Norfolk based drag racing team NG Motorsport and his Super Pro-ET Dragster. Drag racing is the world’s fastest and most powerful motorsport, providing an adrenaline rush for both spectators and competitors alike. Actually, Nick’s love of drag racing started in the stands, as he regularly attended meets to watch his favourites race. Wanting to become more involved, he started to crew for one of the teams, which enabled him to learn more about how these highly-technical vehicles operate and achieve the breathtaking speeds they’re capable of. 60
After five years ‘crewing’ Nick decided he wanted to be in the driving seat of his own car and soon NG Motorsport was formed. Essentially, the idea of drag racing is a simple one – two cars race along a ¼ mile track (called ‘the strip’) and the first to the finish line wins. As you might imagine, things are a bit more complex than that. The painstaking preparation, precise calculations and advanced engineering required to achieve success involves some of the most technical processes in motorsport. The NG Motorsport team includes Bob Walker, Pete Cridge, Simon Rowland, Hester Penney, Rick Cooke, and Mike and Will Penney – all of whom have their own jobs within the crew to ensure safe and successful runs.
The sport has come a long way in the last 20 years, which Nick puts down to the introduction of computer technology. “Precision is everything in drag racing,” says Nick, “with times counted by thousandths of seconds and the slightest error having disastrous knock-on effects. Today, on-board data recorders measure pressures and functions like exhaust temperatures throughout the race. Once downloaded to a computer, we can see exactly what’s happening inside the engine and make any adjustments if necessary. Not only does it help us see where improvements can be made, but it helps us solve issues before they become very expensive problems.” Before the race, the dragster is filled with fuel (methanol, which burns slower than KLmagazine March 2011