Ripspeed USC 2007 Report

Ripspeed USC is over and what an absolute scorcher it was! Summer came just in time for the most packed weekend on the modified car fan’s calendar, and the sun shone on some of the most awesome cars and most beautiful people in the UK for three whole days.

As usual, the event kicked off on Friday with the focus well and truly on the Run What Ya Brung. This is the day to get on the track if you want to avoid the queues and set the pace for the track competition. Throughout the whole weekend we saw an incredible variety of motors on the dragstrip, from the latest German supercars through to home-brewed modified monsters, and a whole load of weird and wonderful motors in-between. Cars streamed steadily through the gate from 8am on Friday, and didn’t stop until Saturday lunchtime. This was the biggest USC yet, and the biggest event at Santa Pod so far this year! Ripspeed USC is truly the biggest date on the drag racing and modified car calendar in Europe!

The dragstrip is where you can find action at pretty much any time at Ripspeed USC, and the Run What Ya Brung was packed with over 1,500 cars over the three days, all vying for the top spot in their respective classes, but it wasn’t until Sunday that these guys came out on top:

Class A - FWD All Motor (no turbo/nitrous etc)                       A1208  - Alberto Solera - 13.6451sec @ 105.39mph Peugeot 205 GTi Massive entries in this class meant it was the most competitive of all, but the Pug-1-Off crew topped the class with their crazy 205.

Class B - FWD 1 Power Adder (e.g. turbo or nitrous) B570 - Jonathan Gibson - 12.203sec @ 121.97mph Honda Integra Turbo Jonathan’s Integra is blisteringly quick! Expect to see him in the HKS Drag Series at JapShow Finale.

Class C - FWD 2 Power Adders (e.g. turbo & nitrous) C1049 - Steve Roberts - 12.1532sec @ 118.83mph Vauxhall Corsa Turbo with Nitrous Steve’s crazy little Corsa was absolutely flying, guzzling fuel and nitrous through a big turbo to top the class.

Class D - RWD/4WD All Motor (no turbo/nitrous etc) D503 - Robert Huff - 12.329sec @ 114.69mph Chevrolet Corvette 7ltr Robert Huff is a former BTCC driver now competing in the World Touring Car Championships. He’s also a massive fan of USC and brought along his private Chevy to top the competitive class D!

Class E - RWD /4WD 1 Power Adder (e.g. turbo or nitrous) E865 - Richard Chilton - 10.7569sec @ 127.25mph Porsche 911 with Chevy V8 and Nitrous Richard’s 911 was launching off the line like a true drag car, and given a boost with a sniff of laughing gas.

Class F - RWD/4WD 2 Power Adders (e.g. turbo & nitrous) F936 - Grant Parker - 10.4941sec @ 138.05mph VW Golf with 4WD, Turbo and Nitrous Grant’s insane MK1 Golf was an engineering marvel, and a worthy winner of the toughest class of all.

Class X - Non Road Legal X582 – Becci Lloyd – 9.45sec @ 133mph Honda Fireblade Turbo Go Kart Becci is back! And her crazy bike-powered go-kart powered her into the 9’s with her arse just an inch off the ground. I’d say she has balls, but that isn’t really what I mean!

View all the RWYB times on the 2007 RWYB Times Page.

Photographs of most cars that ran on the track at Ripspeed USC can be purchased from www.blackettphotography.com.

Off track, there was more stuff to do and see than at any other car show out there: Whether you wanted to perv at pole dancers, or get some serious shopping done for your car, there was something for everyone. Comedy in the bar and a music line-up headed by Radio 1’s FABIO in the evening took the entertainment to the next level and everyone danced themselves sore when the music went on until late-o-clock.

The famous Mr & Miss USC competition was as brilliant as ever, with the enduring image being of topless girls bouncing around on space-hoppers… where was I? Oh yes, the USC report…

The rubber burning antics weren’t just restricted to the dragstrip, and the drift track was busy throughout Saturday and Sunday with opposite-lock action. Over in the Live Action Arena, the burnout competition created clouds of rank smelling smoke and two new rubber-burning heroes: Jason Maddocks and Mark Whittaker!

Terry Grant also performed his stunt shows in the Live Action arena, giving it his everything until he finally collapsed in an exhausted heap on Sunday afternoon!

The handling track was open for four sessions during the weekend, and just as we promised it was devilishly hard for anyone who didn’t have a nippy little motor. Matthew Grant topped the table in his Mini after all was accounted for on Sunday with a time of 54.25 secs. View all the times on the Handling Circuit page.

The Live Action arena also hosted the Flame Out Competition, which once again was won by the crazy Craig Dean and his flaming hot Sierra. Craig has now dominated this competition for three years, so look out for injected and non-injected classes at USC 2008 to even things up.

The Show & Shine competition took place on Sunday morning, and we had a massive turnout of over 130 quality cars. The lucky owners of not only great show cars, but also the coveted trophies are on the Ripspeed USC Show & Shine 2007 Winners page.

We hope you all had a great time at Ripspeed USC 2007, and if you didn’t make it along, what on earth were you doing that seemed more important?!

Special Mentions go out to this lot:

• Leon Green for running an 8 second pass in his JPS Motorsport Supra. We can’t wait to see this car in action again later in the year.
• The Guy in the red and white Ford Focus who entered the RWYB, flame out competition, and show & shine competition. For all we know, you entered Mr USC too, so TOP WORK for such commitment to the USC cause. Shame you didn’t win anything! Sorry dude! Great looking car BTW!
• Modified Rapture were the top club of the show, keeping their pitch tidy and putting on a great display all weekend.
• The winner of Mr USC was Wesley Ryan Pearce who had the strength and knowledge to take the title. Whilst the Miss USC crown went to Lianne Scott who had the overwhelming support of the audience. The winner of Miss Promo was Larissa Summers a Kicker Chik.

View more photos from Ripspeed USC 2007 on the Photo Gallery pages.