2007 Eurotuner Tuner Grand Prix - Quarter-Mile Competition

EuroCode arrived late but stunned everybody with 10.87sec run

A crowd of interested onlookers arrived for the first run by the EuroCode S4. As the most powerful car from day one, expectations were high. However, the first launch was ugly, as the car bogged off the line. However, it still hit 11.2 with more to come. But this raised another issue since cars under 11.99sec need a rollcage and EuroCode hadn't fitted one. In fact, they wanted to prove they could win the event with a full interior.

Stasis continued to improve, getting the times down to 13.5sec with different launch techniques. However, the launch control system built into the factory DSG transmission's software didn't seem to be helping much...

Since Torque Factory was now bettered by two other teams, their S4 returned to stake its claim. They put down two runs close to 12 dead, then hit 11.9 and finally got to 11.7 again. "That's about as fast as it'll get," the team told us, as they went away to scratch their heads and ponder the problem.

VF jacked up the rear to help weight transfer and set fastest FWD drag time of 13.31sec

The final car to hit the strip was the VF GTI. It had been the most powerful FWD car on day one and they'd obviously thought about ways of finding traction. The team had welded a pair of stock rear shocks to raise the back of the car. Learning from dragsters, they hoped to avoid weight transfer off the front tires when the car launched. However, the first run produced a 14.3sec with wheelspin for about two-thirds of the track. The team was doggedly determined to overcome the traction problems and successive runs saw the times drop to 13.7, 13.5 and eventually 13.3sec. Yet they felt there was still more to come and continued to run the car all day. Along with the Stasis TT, they ran more often than any other team, by a considerable margin and yet the car didn't even look like breaking.

Meanwhile, EuroCode was struggling to find the speed of its initial run as the air temperature continued to rise. They eventually hit 11.3sec, then finally reached 11 dead before we began to question their insistence on retaining the full interior. After that, they disappeared back to their trailer and stripped out the seats and removed the exhaust. Returning to the track, the S4 ripped to 10.87sec at 131mph and was promptly removed from the track by the officials for not having a cage fitted.

EuroCode took award for Best AWD dyno and drag

That left the door open for 034 to return and take the victory. Try as they might, they just couldn't beat their earlier time, handing the victory to EuroCode.

However, Torque Factory had tried a similar trick, also removing their interior and exhaust. The car immediately ripped to a couple of 11.4sec passes with near perfect launches. However, the team wanted to keep the car healthy for day three, so retired in third place.

With VF setting the fastest FWD time, Fireballed! persisted in their attempt to set a fast time. However, traction was still proving an issue, even with the boost turned right down. The team estimated they were only producing about 330hp by the final run but the incessant wheelspin casued the engine to drop a valve, putting them out of the event.

By 11am, most cars had stopped running, two had broken and the best times had all been set. The VF and Stasis teams continued to run but neither improved on their times, so we sat around until they got bored at 4pm!

This had been the fastest drag competition in etGP history. And just as the dyno event showed how much the competitors had improved since last year, the drag strip highlighted the incredible speed to be had from these cars.