The cry goes up as the headliners face off at big-time boxing nights – “Let’s get ready to rumble!” – yet it’s nothing compared to the tumult that will break out when Jet cars hit Santa Pod Raceway at Easter for the Festival Of Power.
No fewer than eight Jets will take to the track, while another – Hervé Franquin’s Peugeot-bodied show car from France – will light up the adjacent Live Action Arena. It’s the only occasion in Europe when these fire-breathing monsters can be seen competing side-by-side.
Celebrating 30 years as Europe’s ‘Jet Car King’, Martin Hill unleashes three Jet Funny Cars and a 300mph Jet Dragster from his FireForce stable. Roger Goring brings his own Jet Funny, Firestorm, while Julian Webb puts his Split Second Jet Dragster through its paces. Also featured are Lee Dennick and his mini-Jet Funny Car, Reign of Fire, and Perry Watkins’ extraordinary jet-engined VW pickup, Oklahoma Willy.
Matching the Jets for decibels, the nitro-powered European Funny Car Series is relaunched while the Top Fuel Dragsters of Britain’s Liam Jones and Norway’s Maja Udtian will limber up for 2019’s FIA European Championship, which begins at Santa Pod in late May, with a third Top Fuel car expected to test the air too. A little less loud, but no less exuberant, the Pro Modifieds of the MotorsportUK British Drag Racing Championship kick off their season-long, six-race title chase while an array of car and motorcycle classes begin their individual UK championships.
Away from the track, Santa Pod’s renowned diversity of family entertainments includes Monster Trucks and stunt shows in the Live Action Arena, exhibitions, demonstrations and funfair, plus – a novel departure for a dragstrip – non-stop variety in the Variety Marquee, featuring magic, escapology, acrobatics and the Comedy Club 4 Kids. Boxing tournaments? Old-time music hall? They’ve got nothing on Santa Pod.
Visit www.santapod.com for full event information and to book tickets online, or telephone 01234 782828. Kids Go Free – up to three under-16s per paying adult are admitted free of charge – and overnight camping is also free. So too is paddock access – with around 250 teams on the entry list, there is no shortage of pit action to watch at close quarters.
The Festival Of Power takes place over Easter weekend at Santa Pod Raceway, near Wellingborough (NN29 7XA), from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April (not Easter Monday).