Life’s a drag for Rossendale duo (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Life’s a drag for Rossendale duo

8:41am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Motor sport By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter

EAST Lancashire duo Dave Evans and Andy Bennett are looking to build on their debut season in the FIA European Drag Racing Championship during 2012.

Evans and Bennett, from the Rossendale area, have been involved in drag racing since 1999 but made their first appearance in the Super Pro ET section of the championship last year.

The pair had previously spent four years developing a 1968 Chevrolet Impala, known as a ‘muscle car’ – an American-made two-door sports coupe.

The car was bought from a contact in California in 2007 for just £300 and travels a quarter of a mile in 8.8 seconds – reaching 125 miles per hour in just over five seconds, greater acceleration than a Formula One car or the fastest road car.

Evans, the 47-year-old driver of the car, is known for starting his runs with a spectacular wheelie and finished 21st out of 40 in last year’s championship.

As one of the support categories for the main series, where cars reach incredible speeds of 325mph on a straight track, his displays are sometimes watched by crowds as large as 25,000 at Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire.

And now the duo are hoping to improve on last year’s performance during 2012.

Their first event of the year is the Easter Thunderball at Santa Pod between April 6 and 9.

“Last year we were fine tuning it because it was a new car,” said Bennett, 43.

“We have been working on it for four years, around 5,000 hours. But if it’s a passion you’re happy to do it.

“We’re not big boozers or smokers, this is what we enjoy doing.

“We’ve always watched drag racing and we first got involved in 1999. We had an American street car and there is a strip in York.

“But once the bug bites you just want to go quicker and quicker.

“It’s an anti-hobby in a way because the quicker it’s over the happier you are.

“The way you go quicker is to increase the power to speed ratio, and this car weighs a lot less.

“It looks like a road car but there’s not much left of it that is like a road car.”

Bennett admits there are dangers involved but says the enjoyment they get out of it is more than worth it.

“It can be dangerous,” he said.

“Dave hit the wall at 80mph last year but he just bounced off it.

“The steering wheel had come away at the start because of the G-force.

“We can’t run if it’s wet because if there’s any water under the tyres you can go sideways, no matter what car you’re driving.

“But there’s danger every day crossing the road.

“Dave really enjoys the driving. For him the attraction is the speed.”