Hi all.
So, if you cast your mind back to RRG 2016, you may have remembered a certain Andy Frost being interviewed about his current project.
In fact you may not, everyone seemed to wander off and lots of people didn't know it was on, but I was one of those who hung around and I found it pretty fascinating. It was centred around his quest to regain the 'Worlds fastest road legal drag car' title that used to belong to Red Victor but has since been taken by the Americans (I believe it stands at 5.84).
As someone who isn't completely au fait with the world of drag racing, I had found myself getting more and more interested recently. Youtube channels like 1320 Video and the Hot Rod drag week live feeds I have watched the past two years had fired my interest somewhat.
So I found myself chucking a couple of quid to Andy's crowdfunding campaign and went on my way. Subscribing to the Red Victor facebook page kept me up to date on what was what.
Andy had decided to up sticks and ship the car to Bahrain in search of a track better than Santa Pod. It was at this point HARDCORE of this parish suggested that we should go an watch! The flights weren't mega spendy, neither of us had ever been to Bahrain before, and rather than face going back to work after Christmas we thought "sod it, why not?".
This is how we found ourselves in an unfamiliar country having, well, quite frankly an ace time! After a couple of days of basic tourism, we headed to the strip (part of the F1 circuit complex, in fact right next to the bloomin' F1 track and using the F1 pits!).
After watching a few bits and pieces head up the track, we thought we would push our luck seeing as it was quiet (we arrived for a test and tune session) and see if we could find the RV3 pit garage. Turns out, no luck was needed and we were soon welcomed into the pits by Andy and co and the next thing we knew we were next to the mighty motor itself and chatting with the whole team!
Turns out, the only people having any luck were ourselves. The team were fighting gremlins in the car, and also had had gear and tools stolen from the transport truck on its journey out to the track, as well as having the trucks windscreen broken and radiator damaged in the docks!
Also, the best I understood it, years of fine tuning the car to Santa Pod's surface were working against the RV3 team. The Bahrain strip is so well prepped and so sticky they were basically having to make some fair major changes to make the car behave.
After a whole load of gremlins however, on the first full pass having made the car behave, it ran a PB of 6.31 @ 236mph
Bad luck continued however after a fault with the tree meant a later (faster according to the data logs) run wasn't recorded!
Andy is dead chuffed to have a PB on basically the first decent pass he made toward to the end of the meeting and they whole team are looking forward to making the tweaks necessary to bring that number down. Seeing how turned down the car is currently I have no doubt that if it all holds together they will make a 5.xx for sure.
We asked Andy if he was prepared to go 'all out' once he got into the 5s and without hesitation he came back with a 'definitely'
Bear in mind this car is a pair of tyres and mirrors away from being a fully UK road legal car. Its been through the full IVA test and is Q-plated accordingly.
Bahrain circuit youtube channel with live feeds from the drag racing...
This is the channel to subscribe to if you want to follow at future events.
This was a full race meet, so there were lots of other interesting motors around the place, we even got invited to check out E Kanoo's garage (the Team that RV3 were a guest of and who were helping them out every step of the way).
Shane T, master tuner, doing some wall art
Another racer must have been desperate for a lump! This was delivered scrapyard fresh on the back of a low loader.
LOVED the paintjob on this Camaro
RV3 having a Team meeting one night in the pits
Mental S2000 spat flames and ran 8s IIRC
Annoying, despite having left sunny England, weather was still a problem! Mist rolled in due to the high humidity and sometimes shut down the track by condensing on it.
Beast
Running through some checks on the map
Andy's son being told to "not get any ideas"! haha
Purposeful Camaro
Another radCamaro Firebird
Toyota needed a bigger turbo
200SX. Exhausts aren't allowed to be longer than your arm apparently.
That Toyota again, 1JZ I think...
R32 looking mean
Bonus truck content
In E Kanoo's garage. "Don't worry we'll just Dzus it back on!"
Lexus RC (I didn't know these existed until this meet!) with a twin turbo hemi. Eeeeep. FAST.
How fast?
THAT fast.
JZ powered 86
Team racing vans were also pretty rad. Q80 were a team from over from Kuwait (get it?). This surprise van was just cool.
Random Porsche
Even randomer super low Hyundai Veloster
Sweet Datsun
Bikes were racing too, some of these were proper scary to watch. A wibble in a car was bad, in one of these? Terrifying.
Burnout time...
...aaaand too fast for me! Check out the tyre creasing though (yes I know all dragsters do that)
Angry Camaros were a theme
More E Kanoo goodness
That awesome livery again
E Kanoo again
Loved this bikes paintjob
See what I mean about exhausts?
Moody fox body.
RV3 resting
Chaps keeping an eye on the live feed (fed into every pit)
E Kanoo garage again I think. Wheels wider than their diameter are where its at.
Another shot of one of the 2 JZ powered 86s
The full garage
Oh did I mention E Kanoo had a GTR as well? Apparently one of the fastest on the planet, although its starting to explode things now
Careful now...
Empty F1 grandstand
Cheeky
POWAH!
Loving the mad details on some of these
Clean Camaro
Supercharger swing
No boom boom!
Monte Carlo
FWD dragsters were also fairly plentiful. Made all the funnier by having to run the 'fronts' on the back
Loved the bonnet exit exhausts
This guy didn't get the exhaust length memo...
Hiding....
Sweet turbo CRX!
But yeah, basically it was awesome. I highly recommend others do random car related shenanigans on a whim. You never know what might happen! Will get some videos up soon also
So, if you cast your mind back to RRG 2016, you may have remembered a certain Andy Frost being interviewed about his current project.
In fact you may not, everyone seemed to wander off and lots of people didn't know it was on, but I was one of those who hung around and I found it pretty fascinating. It was centred around his quest to regain the 'Worlds fastest road legal drag car' title that used to belong to Red Victor but has since been taken by the Americans (I believe it stands at 5.84).
As someone who isn't completely au fait with the world of drag racing, I had found myself getting more and more interested recently. Youtube channels like 1320 Video and the Hot Rod drag week live feeds I have watched the past two years had fired my interest somewhat.
So I found myself chucking a couple of quid to Andy's crowdfunding campaign and went on my way. Subscribing to the Red Victor facebook page kept me up to date on what was what.
Andy had decided to up sticks and ship the car to Bahrain in search of a track better than Santa Pod. It was at this point HARDCORE of this parish suggested that we should go an watch! The flights weren't mega spendy, neither of us had ever been to Bahrain before, and rather than face going back to work after Christmas we thought "sod it, why not?".
This is how we found ourselves in an unfamiliar country having, well, quite frankly an ace time! After a couple of days of basic tourism, we headed to the strip (part of the F1 circuit complex, in fact right next to the bloomin' F1 track and using the F1 pits!).
After watching a few bits and pieces head up the track, we thought we would push our luck seeing as it was quiet (we arrived for a test and tune session) and see if we could find the RV3 pit garage. Turns out, no luck was needed and we were soon welcomed into the pits by Andy and co and the next thing we knew we were next to the mighty motor itself and chatting with the whole team!
Turns out, the only people having any luck were ourselves. The team were fighting gremlins in the car, and also had had gear and tools stolen from the transport truck on its journey out to the track, as well as having the trucks windscreen broken and radiator damaged in the docks!
Also, the best I understood it, years of fine tuning the car to Santa Pod's surface were working against the RV3 team. The Bahrain strip is so well prepped and so sticky they were basically having to make some fair major changes to make the car behave.
After a whole load of gremlins however, on the first full pass having made the car behave, it ran a PB of 6.31 @ 236mph
Bad luck continued however after a fault with the tree meant a later (faster according to the data logs) run wasn't recorded!
Andy is dead chuffed to have a PB on basically the first decent pass he made toward to the end of the meeting and they whole team are looking forward to making the tweaks necessary to bring that number down. Seeing how turned down the car is currently I have no doubt that if it all holds together they will make a 5.xx for sure.
We asked Andy if he was prepared to go 'all out' once he got into the 5s and without hesitation he came back with a 'definitely'
Bear in mind this car is a pair of tyres and mirrors away from being a fully UK road legal car. Its been through the full IVA test and is Q-plated accordingly.
Bahrain circuit youtube channel with live feeds from the drag racing...
This is the channel to subscribe to if you want to follow at future events.
This was a full race meet, so there were lots of other interesting motors around the place, we even got invited to check out E Kanoo's garage (the Team that RV3 were a guest of and who were helping them out every step of the way).
Shane T, master tuner, doing some wall art
Another racer must have been desperate for a lump! This was delivered scrapyard fresh on the back of a low loader.
LOVED the paintjob on this Camaro
RV3 having a Team meeting one night in the pits
Mental S2000 spat flames and ran 8s IIRC
Annoying, despite having left sunny England, weather was still a problem! Mist rolled in due to the high humidity and sometimes shut down the track by condensing on it.
Beast
Running through some checks on the map
Andy's son being told to "not get any ideas"! haha
Purposeful Camaro
Another rad
Toyota needed a bigger turbo
200SX. Exhausts aren't allowed to be longer than your arm apparently.
That Toyota again, 1JZ I think...
R32 looking mean
Bonus truck content
In E Kanoo's garage. "Don't worry we'll just Dzus it back on!"
Lexus RC (I didn't know these existed until this meet!) with a twin turbo hemi. Eeeeep. FAST.
How fast?
THAT fast.
JZ powered 86
Team racing vans were also pretty rad. Q80 were a team from over from Kuwait (get it?). This surprise van was just cool.
Random Porsche
Even randomer super low Hyundai Veloster
Sweet Datsun
Bikes were racing too, some of these were proper scary to watch. A wibble in a car was bad, in one of these? Terrifying.
Burnout time...
...aaaand too fast for me! Check out the tyre creasing though (yes I know all dragsters do that)
Angry Camaros were a theme
More E Kanoo goodness
That awesome livery again
E Kanoo again
Loved this bikes paintjob
See what I mean about exhausts?
Moody fox body.
RV3 resting
Chaps keeping an eye on the live feed (fed into every pit)
E Kanoo garage again I think. Wheels wider than their diameter are where its at.
Another shot of one of the 2 JZ powered 86s
The full garage
Oh did I mention E Kanoo had a GTR as well? Apparently one of the fastest on the planet, although its starting to explode things now
Careful now...
Empty F1 grandstand
Cheeky
POWAH!
Loving the mad details on some of these
Clean Camaro
Supercharger swing
No boom boom!
Monte Carlo
FWD dragsters were also fairly plentiful. Made all the funnier by having to run the 'fronts' on the back
Loved the bonnet exit exhausts
This guy didn't get the exhaust length memo...
Hiding....
Sweet turbo CRX!
But yeah, basically it was awesome. I highly recommend others do random car related shenanigans on a whim. You never know what might happen! Will get some videos up soon also
... here is hoping for more success in the desert.
