NGK PUTS A SPARK IN TOP FUEL DRAG RACING

NGK Spark Plugs is celebrating after its sponsored drag-racing team won the last event of the 2011 season in record time.

The team – sponsored by NGK – notched up five personal best times at the last meeting and in doing so became the first British Top Methanol funny Car to run in under six seconds.

The team’s car, nicknamed ‘Monte’ is powered by a Chrysler Hemi supercharged, fuel injected engine that delivers 3500bhp and produces a 0-100mph time of just 0.98 seconds.

Driver and owner Rob Tuner said winning the last event was “a perfect dream.”

We only raced at two events previous to the finals as we didn’t have enough money to go to Sweden and Finland, earlier in the year. All we hoped for at the finals was to try and run quicker than we had ever run before, and prayed that we would break into the ‘five second club’.”

The team reached its holy grail, putting in a best time of 5.80 seconds.

The car is tuned by Rob’s brother Steve, a self-employed automotive technician. Steve said: “After finishing last season on a high we are looking forward to competing in all rounds of the championship starting next May and will be working on the car over the winter months.”

The team thanked NGK for its support in 2011, and said it was looking forward to promoting the brand more in 2012.