SPEEDING to success at literally 60 miles per second is becoming second nature for an Uttlesford-based Drag Racing team.

Team Gridlock and their driver Adam Price, of Little Dunmow, have just won a host of awards including the coveted Don Garlits Spirit of Drag Racing Shield, only awarded every five years.

With their car ‘Go Hard or Go Home’ the team is on the up in the drag racing world after being voted best newcomer in 2009 before being handed several trophies after the climax of the 2010 season.

Team spokesman Dexter Price said: “After a second incredible season racing in the wild bunch class drag race series Adam was awarded the Don Garlits Spirit of Drag Racing shield – it is the ultimate and can only be won once every five years.

“The driver and team were also awarded several trophies at the presentation dinner to add to their haul of 16 throughout the season, including the Northern National Championship.”

Gridlock’s season started badly at the Easter Thunderball in April with an engine blowing up on the start line.

However, it was rebuilt overnight so that they could qualify on the Sunday, and although they did not win the team went on from strength to strength and at the last event of the season could have finished anywhere from first to seventh.

With the competition so close, they eventually managed third place overall.

Price said: “At one meeting last year we broke out by one/one thousandth of a second, many times faster than a blink. When a race lasts just a few seconds there is no recovering and that was our race weekend over.

The team also had a successful year off the track.

During 2010 drivers and mechanics took part in television filming for several high-profile shows allowing them to attract important sponsors.

Drag racing is considered one of the worlds loudest and fastest sports and the concept of two cars driving in a straight line for a quarter mile as fast as they can sounds simple but with reaction times down to thousandth of a second, break outs, red lights and other factors it is a far from simple sport.

“With acceleration from 0-60 in a second, no suspension, no comfy seat and just brute power each run is the ultimate adrenalin rush,” said Price.

2011 is quickly approaching and the car, a competition altered Fiat Topolino powered by a 6.7 Litre engine, will be debuted at the Autosport show at the NEC.

Also, last year the car was on show at the Flitch green primary school fete and will be available for local school events when not racing to promote sponsors.