FIA/UEM EURO FINALS - ENGLAND
Wed, 2009-09-23 07:20
European Finals
Santa Pod Raceway, England.
10-13th September 2009.
Tony Betts was one of the few hapless participants that ended up with a damaged race car during what was probably one of the best race events seen in Europe. Fine weather gave racers stunning times and packed the spectator areas. Betts got crossed up after a small wheelie then banged the wall hard in his nostalgia AA/FA. German Pro Mod driver Ingo Rolla lost control and rear ended Dutch racer David Vegter during qualifying all emerged without injury.
Tenmark’s Top Fuel driver Stig Neergaard was laying third in the point chase entering the Euro Finals and was keen to improve but in the first round of eliminations a rear wheel parted company sending Neergaard into several spins and ending his chances – he suffered a slight arm injury.
England’s Andy Carter had wrapped up the FIA European Top Fuel Championship in Hockenheim, Germany and would have enjoyed keeping his tally of event wins to match but despite a holeshot in the second round slowed with tyre smoke only to have Sweden’s Jöran Persåker do similar then realising Carter had slowed stabbed the throttle at least twice for a smoky pedalled win, 7.854/149 to a losing 8.659/94.
England’s Jon Webster in only his second FIA Top Fuel outing this year made some big impressions with a 4.825/293 third qualifier over the quarter mile then a 5.450/221 cylinder loosing win over an up in smoke Risto Poutiainen in round one. A 4.902/294 beat a tyre shaking Micke Kågered in two. A winning tyre shake and off power 6.981/117 got Webster the event win as Persåker once again tried to out-pedal his up in smoke car.
Germany’s Timo Habermann deservedly took the FIA Top Methanol Dragster Championship on entering the race then went on to defeat England’s Rob Turner in round one before succumbing to event winner, outgoing Champion and fellow German Peter Schöfer in two, Habermann’s somnolent leave and 5.380/260 was not enough as Schöfer took the win with a 5.420/264.
Peter Schöfer was the defending FIA Top Methanol Dragster Champion but lost to fellow countryman Timo Habermann on that score but did manage to save face with a great event win. A holeshot 5.553/260 beat a slick blowing Norwegian Fred Hanssen in one, a 5.420/264 on a better leave beat the new champ Timo Habermann in the semi and a stunning 5.360/264 beat the injected nitro car of Sweden’s Krister Johansson in the final who lost with a 5.366/266.
The only non Swede in the FIA Pro Stock pack was Finland’s Richard Sundblom who ended up taking the event win with defeats over Tommy Leindahl, 6.737/203 to a losing 6.982/199 then a 6.696/206 got the better of the 6.770/203 from Michael Callin. For the final Richard Sundblom caught and passed a troubled Champion Jimmy Ålund with a 6.733/205.
Just after he had printed his 6.09 T shirts from his record pace in Hockenheim, Sweden’s FIA Pro Modified racer Mats Eriksson came to Santa Pod and promptly set a first ever in Europe 5.988 at 241.59mph both now European records. Eriksson had to fight every round in the tight point chase. He dealt out Henri Joosten in one, Graham Ellis in two, Roger Johansson in three before coming up against fellow countryman and championship contender Micke Gullqvist on the money run. A better leave along with a 6.028/238 got Mats Eriksson the win and the Championship.
Norway’s Thomas Nataas led the small field of Funny Cars with a 5.136/268 but it was England’s John Spuffard who took the event win. Not yet an FIA class but knocking on the four-second-three-hundred mph door Spuffard took a win over Gordon Smith before a 5.109/295 got him the title as Nataas kissed the wall on a wild 5.756/171 charge.
Sweden’s Per Bengtsson rides what must be the loudest UEM Super Twin Bike ever and he took it to win the Championship in round one beating last years champ Svein Olav Rolfstad. In round two a 6.565/208 beat Norway’s Trond Hoiberget’s 7.588/171 and the slowing 6.936/155 was beaten in the final by Job Heezen.
England’s Ian King took a second UEM Top Fuel Bike Championship title on entering the event but he had to play second fiddle to Sweden’s Peter Svensson who ran the first five in UEM qualifying. Ian King the number two qualifier with a 6.121/222 got past Finland’s Kai Selkämaa in one but no showed in the semi ending his weekend.
The UEM Top Fuel Bike world was set alight this weekend as Sweden’s Peter Svensson ran an off the trailer 5.917/236 to sit on pole, subsequent wins over a broken Gary Jones and a 6.071/215 over Steve Woollatt put Svensson in the final and produced new European records of 5.978 and 232.34mph. A 6.089/224 caught and passed Norway’s Sverre Dahl on the trophy pass and took the event win.
The UEM Pro Stock Bike Championship ended up in the hands of Swedish rider Ulf Ögge who led qualifying with a 7.139/182. Ögge ran his Buell to wins against Ray Debben in round one then took out the defending champion Fredrik Fredlund in two before being beaten in the final by fellow Swede Anders Abrahamsson with a 7.172/184 to a losing 7.195/185.
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