Manky Monkey Motors

My brother & his wife build & race drag cars under the name Black Pig Racing. It's a hugely competitive -& costly sport. The cars are tuned right to the edge of their limits & when they push too hard things can go wrong very quickly.
They've had their best year ever, racing on the newly re-surfaced Santa Pod track in Bedfordshire & running 8 second quarter miles.
Unfortunately their season came to an abrupt end last weekend when they destroyed their engine. It'll be rebuilt or replaced, but that's them out of the running for this year. And I complain about tinkering with my car!

https://www.facebook.com/1468714201/posts/10212598409743053/

Such a shame . Can't see that engine being rebuilt. He may be a wizard with a tig, but the block has gone. He might be able to re use the rocker covers though.  :(

Great fun,but a total waste of money..my brother helped out with a funny car crew..must have cost the owner over a Million pounds from start to finish? To win a trophy ? Jeez ! Still knowing drag racers I'm sure your brother will be up and running soon..it's a powerful drug for sure :D

The link is not working.

Simple description ,, it let GO ,,,went !!!!!!!BANG !!!!!

Think you have to be on FaceBook to view it Stix.

Bugger

follow them on f/b Andy, see that other day and thought omg.
looks like new engine time.

I don't see much of my big bro, so learn more about their doings through FaceBook than from real life!
His wife, Lesley, is the engine builder. Steve builds the rest of the car. He runs a one man fabrication business, but because they belong to a racing club, he gets lots of race car work.
I'm sure it'll be back out next year :)

The Black Pig always comes back!

So, after "lots of late nights & an empty bank account", the Pig lives again. Team Black Pig will be out racing again at Santa Pod this weekend.
Amazing.

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Well done chaps!

Looks like sensible weather at the Pod too.

amazing work, well done all involved.

I didn't realise he raced a Rail? I had one of them once , nothing like having that big thing between your legs ;D looks great..

I haven't seen my brother for a while, but my Mum chatted to him recently -seems Team Black Pig are finally hanging up their firesuit & helmet for good :(
Yet to be confirmed by actually talking to him, but apparently, having spent 2,000 quid rebuilding the engine to get back out on the track in about a week, the motor blew again on it's first outing.
I'm told Steve & Lesley have now decided to call it a day -the engine's being rebuilt, again, then both the car & their 7 1/2 ton transporter lorry will be up for sale.
They've been racing since Steve & I were teenagers, so it really will be the end of an era, but as Lesley said, they're both nearly 60 & running around the pits, pushing the car to the start line, loading & unloading everything etc is just getting hard work. Steve also had a lucky escape when the engine blew the first time & things got a bit scary, so maybe he's decided to quit while he's ahead -as far as I know, he's survived 40 years of drag racing without injury. For that reason alone, I'm kinda glad he's putting the brakes on. Like me, they both also just want to do other things too while they still can.
So if you fancy trying drag racing & have very deep pockets, (it's not a sport for the faint hearted or light of wallet), I may know the very car for you.

Tis a shame, yet completely understandable.

With the current following of the nostalgia scene in drag racing, hopefully it’ll go to a good home.

Maybe the UKDRN site could be a place to advertise?

Yeah, I'm sure Steve will have it under control -he belongs to the Wild Bunch nostalgia racing club & knows just about everybody in the racing scene. He also builds race cars to order.
He's achieved his best times ever on the newly laid track at Santa Pod this year, so will go out on a high.
Not talked to him yet to confirm it.

End of an era but probably for the best.
The Mondrian paint scheme makes the car really stand out. A great piece of auto art.

There are actually TWO paintjobs.
Steve's racing licence only covers him for certain categories, so they have another driver, Sarah, who has a higher level licence, who races in the faster classes.
So Steve produced 2 sets of aluminium body panels, his in the Mondrian cheques & hers in purple with black lace panels.
The panels are held with Dzus fasteners, so can whip them off & swap them over between races -a lot of people think it's actually 2 different cars! :)

Lesley & Steve & Darryl & Sarah.
Darryl races his own car, called Chemical Reaction, which sports a MMMotors sticker on the side :)

Is it a go faster sticker? Because I want one NOW! Please.. ;D

Yes. Yes, they've definitely been scientifically proven to add extra horse power.

Made a huge difference to my trike and if you put it on the tank, negates all problems with ethanol, or so I've been told. :D

And improves miles per gallon :)

MMM sticker was on the front of this trick Buell drag bike from a few years ago...........

There ya go -added coolness :)

My big brother & sister in law, running at Santa Pod last weekend.
The Pig is back, wearing yet another paintjob.

Wow they get about 100 out of 10 for persistence!

My brother builds & drives the car & his wife builds the engines. I wish I had half their skills.

A race report from my sister in law, Lesley:

2019
After destroying 2 engines at 2 consecutive meetings, the 2018 season ended abruptly for us.
We spent the end of 2018 having lots of heated debates on where we should go next, one of us eventually got their own way and new block and complete internals placed on order, (Christmas Day was a very happy occasion in the Field Craft household). With the engine built over the Christmas period it was decided that the Chassis could do with a spruce up, so was duly repainted, at which point it was decided that new body work was also in order.

The plan was to attend the Festival of Power as the 1st event of the season (due to unexpected circumstances) this was put on hold, making our 1st event The Main Event.

We duly set off on the Wednesday to allow us to participate in the Thursday test day.
1st run and with no idea what to expect, we had a conservative 9.20@145.32 followed by a 2nd run of 9.03@144.88 not too bad. With several qualifiers on Friday we called it a day. After warming up in the pits we were ready for a full day’s qualifying, however the car had other ideas, after towing down for the 1st run of the day, it refused to start. A couple of hours of investigation resulted in a starting motor failure. With the promise of a new one being delivered to the track 1st thing Saturday morning it was game over for the day. After missing 5 qualifying runs on Friday we were really up against it, but managed both qualifying runs on Saturday with the 1st one being an 8.54@154.69 (where did that come from?) followed by a 9.02@144.77. Sunday was spent watching the big boys. With the weather not looking brilliant on Monday morning and a lack of qualifying runs we decided to call it a day, after all there is always the next meet.

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The latest race report from my sister in law Lesley of Team Pig:

Summer Nationals - 21st – 23rd June 2019

So, after the ups and downs of the Main Event and a couple of 9.00 runs, Thursday saw us heading back up to the Pod with the hopes of a full test day on Friday.
Day 1 - The 1st run and with the car seriously pulling to the right Steve decided to lift with a 9.82 @ 143.5, 2nd run 8.95 @155.81 looking good for competition, then we come to the 3rd run 9.65 @142.53, consistency has never been our strong point.

Day 2 – 1st run of qualifying 8.79 @ 158.48, a little on the quick side but not a bad run, 2nd run ready to fire up in the pairing lanes and nothing. A few checks back in the pits revealed that the fuel pump had failed, a quick sprint over to Thatadoo Racing and we’re back in business. A final run for the day and the end of qualifying last 8.812 @ 158.49, still a little quick but not far off.
Day 3 – Race day and we had high hopes of being close to the dial in. Unfortunately, a storming launch from Steve and we knew it was game over, there was no way he was going to back off.

So, what was the outcome?

8.364 @ 163.07 on a SBC, supermarket petrol and a single carburettor, to say we are ecstatic is an understatement. It’s safe to say we no longer have unfinished business with a SBC.

Massive thanks to Chris & Nicole for crewing & support, Shags continuous support, The Brown’s for the fuel pump and test day tow and all the staff at the Pod.

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Dragstalgia - 12th – 14th July 2019

Just over 2 weeks later and still on a high and it’s time to head back to the track for one of the busiest meetings of the year. A change of body panels and with the Champagne purchased and cooling in the fridge to celebrate the previous achievement, it suddenly struck me that there was no obligatory trophy as Steve usually makes them (didn’t seem quite right to ask him to make his own). A quick think and a bit of improvisation and one was cobbled together.

A qualifying run late Friday saw a run of 8.608@157.43mph.
Saturday saw 2 more qualifying runs of 8.404@157.44 and 8.934@155.82.
The 3rd run on Saturday was the 1st round of competition, we dialled in at 8.50 and hoped for the best. An even slower than normal reaction from Steve made it a heads up race, the bad news was he broke out, the good news was he won, with an 8.344@159.06mph. 😁
Not a bad achievement on a single carb and supermarket petrol against a car running an injected system on methanol.

So, did the crew leap up and down on the start line hugely excited by a new PB?  Unfortunately, not as it didn’t quite register at the time. 😜
As for the trophy and champagne, that was duly presented although now superseded.

Crewman Chris, driver/car builder Steve, (my older brother), & engine builder Lesley, (my sister in law).

Mopars  - 3rd & 4th August 2019

This was a new event for us and combined with torching the heads at Dragstalgia, we weren’t sure what to expect. Friday was spent setting up and chilling out with friends. Saturday morning and we decided about 11.00am to sign on and go testing. We filled out the signing on form and then walked down to the signing on office, on arrival all 4 pairing lanes was solid with cars and nothing moving, being an open R.W.Y.B it was manic. A quick discussion and the form promptly got screwed up and thrown in the bin, a decision had been made that it was far too busy, and we would spend the weekend spectating and chilling. By late Saturday afternoon the decision had been reversed and we decided to race Sunday without any qualifying sessions.
Not knowing what the car might do, a dial in of 8.75 was given. 1st round and with our opponent on a 4.0+ start, Steven appeared to have nodded off on the start line with a reaction of 0.773 but finishing on an 8.658, 2nd run saw an 8.531, 3rd run 8.447 and the final run 8.869. Which overall gave us a 4th place finish trophy and a trophy for Best Burn Out.

So good weekend after all?
Right up to the point we tried loading the car, with the car on the tail lift/ramps and 3 foot off the ground the ram decided to explode from its box. With no way of dealing with it, a quick sprint over to the Brown’s Nostalgia Super Stock pit for assistance was called for. After a bit of an inspection the heavy mob was called and with the assistance of the Brown’s and Watkins combined the car was manually lifted onto the truck. Tail lift secured with ratchet straps, roller shutter door not quite closed and everything else put wherever it would fit, proved to be a bit of a fraught drive home. 5 days later tail lift is fixed, car is loaded, and we are ready to go again.

A massive thanks to team Thatadoo and the Watkins.

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Last year's livery.

This year's. All painted by Steve.

Few changes 👍😎

In the never ending quest for more speed.

Well I see he is sat higher in the seat in one pic?

Maybe just different helmet?
I'll see him over the weekend -haven't seen him for about 6 months.