Bedfordshire-based Santa Pod Raceway (www.santapod.com) has been supplied with a customised magnetic solution to secure foam timing blocks to the track.

The flexible rubber magnets — supplied by Sheffield-based Eclipse Magnetics (www.eclipsemagnetics.com) — hold the timing blocks in place and contain neodymium magnetic powder, which is strong enough to withstand the ‘aero wash’ from a car passing close by at high speed but has a sheer point low enough to prevent damage to cars if they hit the obstacle head on.

Santa Pod Raceway (located on an old airfield in Podington) is Europe’s first permanent drag racing venue; it is home to the FIA European Drag Racing Championships.

Neale Saunders at Santa Pod Raceway said: “The magnets fix the foam timing blocks to the track in such a way that they can be quickly released when it is time to pack up the equipment after a race.

"Racing has to stop when it rains, and the foam blocks need to be removed quickly, so that we can dry the track with heated air jets and resume racing.

"The quick-release nature of the magnets allows us to take the blocks away and put them back in a matter of minutes, making the whole process much easier for everyone. When a vehicle crashes, the magnets allow the foam blocks to spring back to accommodate the car so that the exterior of the vehicle is not damaged.”

The foam timing blocks house reflectors, which play a key role in recording the times and speeds of the cars and bikes moving down the quarter-mile strip at speeds over 300mph.

The blocks were previously fixed in position using a strong bonding agent with very little give when there was a collision.