STREET Eliminator drag racer Andy Frost chalked up another for the American marque Chevrolet in a best of three shoot-out - at Strat-ford's Shakespeare County Raceway last weekend.

Frost, who hails from Penn in the Black Country, and owns the world's quickest and fastest Vauxhall Victor VX4/90, competed against Cheltenham's Ian Hook to determine which American manufacture, Ford or Chevrolet would be 'King of the Drag Strip' at the War-wickshire venue's UK Modified Nationals.

Competing in a segment of the show known as the 'Hour of Power', the first race went to Hook's all black '34 Ford 'hot rod' with a race winning elapsed time of 9.30 seconds at 149mph to Frost's 9.51/157.

The win, however, came at the expense of severe engine meltdown!

"Our first race has revealed a failed fuel line and blocked jets in the motor's nitrous system," Hook revealed afterwards. "We now have three melted pistons, an engine full of molten aluminium, and a late night for the 'Fat Boys' crew."

While the rest of the show site was a buzz in party mode, Hook's crew worked hard through Saturday night, and had the engine back together by midday Sunday.

Meanwhile, Frost was also having similar problems with his fuel and nitrous system.

A quick change of carburettor jets on the 540ci (9000cc) Chevrolet engine revealed a much better starting line reaction in Sunday's non-competitive practice run as the Penn Auto's all-steal bodied Vaux-hall crossed the finishing stripe a quarter of a mile away in 9.39 to Hook's 10.43.

Going into the final round, Hook's 477ci Ford Coupe, and with the aid of a small shot of nitrous gas injected into the V8 engine, wasn't quite good enough to prevent a Chevrolet win as Frost hammered out a race winning 9.1.

Back in the pits, Hook, together with the rest of the 'Fat Boys' mechanics, were still smiling and no wonder! The engine was still in one piece.

The honour to be quickest and fastest Supercharged Outlaw dragster of the event also fell to another Black Country racer Roy Wilding.

His eight-litre blown Hemi V8 carded 8.45 at 172mph for the front motored dragster rail.

Roger Goring's Jet powered Funny Car put in a number of fire breathing passes much to the delight of the crowd but the weekends severe heat conditions was taking its toll on the 5000hp F85 Strike Fighter jet engine leaving Roger and the rest of the 'Firestorm' crew to make several mid six-second runs at 230mph.