The long hot British summer lasted one day into the European Finals before turning decidedly autumnally cooler coupled with the odd light shower. It did not however, spoil the hard fast racing enjoyed by the large gathering of international crowds; records were re-set and personal bests were added to the history books. It was a disappointing entry once more in Top Methanol Dragster, the class seemingly suffering from differences in opinion on some rules. Sweden’s Jonny Lagg was the only competitor and ran a few solo passes.
The long hot British summer lasted one day into the European Finals before turning decidedly autumnally cooler coupled with the odd light shower. It did not however, spoil the hard fast racing enjoyed by the large gathering of international crowds; records were re-set and personal bests were added to the history books. It was a disappointing entry once more in Top Methanol Dragster, the class seemingly suffering from differences in opinion on some rules. Sweden’s Jonny Lagg was the only competitor and ran a few solo passes.
FIA Top Fuel had an eight car entry and was led by Norway’s Thomas Nataas with a 4.016/298 clocking just ahead of Finland’s Anita Mäkelä on a 4.041/298 ticket, the two Maltese entries did well in collecting fourth and sixth qualifiers, 4.172/292 for Chris Polidano and Duncan Micallef a 4.392/213.
Round one saw Polidano’s luck evaporate as his throttle cable broke after the burnout allowing England’s Chris Andrews an easy 4.631/177 pass to the semis. Finland’s Jari Halinen lost a blower belt at three quarter track slowing him to a losing 6.023/111 as Micallef won with a 4.313/260 despite a flash fire before the stripe. Mäkelä’s luck went away after she was shut off with an oil leak on the burnout giving Denmark’s Stig Neergaard a solo 5.411/185 win. The last pair saw Sweden’s Patrik Pers pedal through some tyre smoke but to no avail as Nataas ran a fireballing 4.290/271 win.
Thomas Nataas was earlier declared the FIA European Top Fuel Champion and his 4.031 with the event top speed of 305.04mph was negated by the red light he left on the tree leaving Chris Andrews to click off with a winning 4.924/153. Stig Neergaard managed a good 4.060/291 to take out the 4.642/204 try from Duncan Micallef.
The final pitted Britain against Denmark, Chris Andrews who entered the tour almost mid way through the season left first in the Lucas Oil/African Oil Products machine chased by Stig Neergaard’s Bodie Smith tuned car, Andrews charged to a 4.220/292 as Neergaard went into smoke then fireballed the motor slowing to a losing 4.967/146.
FIA Top Methanol Funny Car has been an inspiration this year especially for the Swedish Lindberg team as Jonnie Lindberg continued to record some phenomenal numbers en route to winning the FIA European TMFC Championship in his first full year, he also topped the qualifying with a 5.564/256 clocking.
Jonnie Lindberg shook and pedaled on his bye in round one, as brother Johan Lindberg took on Brit, Rob Turner, both getting close to the centre line but it was Turner who notched up the win light with a 6.268/223 win as Johan followed with a 6.999/153 lose. Sweden’s Leif Andréasson seemed to falter on his leave and running a below par 6.503/238 as England’s Gareth Ellis took the win with a 6.196/236. Belgium racer, Danny Bellio no showed after earlier suffering a bent crank
Round two had Turner run a 5.802/241 but it was Jonnie Lindberg’s holeshot and stunning 5.469/262 that took the light. Milam failed to make the round having suffered damage on her last pass, it allowed Ellis to take a solo for the round win, a 6.571/224.
A great day ended after the burnout for Gareth Ellis as he shut off with problems that allowed Jonnie Lindberg’s Pålplinter/Chevrolet backed Monte Carlo to record a new European ET record of 5.426 at 265.11mph for the event win to add to his Championship.
FIA Pro Mod had a seventeen car field that was led by Holland’s Marc Meihuizen on a 5.963/241, the only car in the fives during qualifying. Sweden’s Micke Gullqvist picked up another prestigious FIA European Pro Mod Championship to add to his collection.
The Brits unfortunately suffered a plethora of red lights in round one, Kev Slyfield out to Meihuizen, Graham Ellis gone to Gullqvist, Roger Moore to Bruno Bader and add to that the breakages of Wayne Nicholson to David Vegter, Andy Wright to Mattias Wulcan and losses, Andy Frost to Norbert Kuno, Rick Garrett to Robert Joosten but getting through to the quarter finals was Andy Robinson who trailered Sweden’s Mats Eriksson.
Germany’s Norbert Kuno was shut off with a leak allowing Meihuizen to record a winning 5.940/242, Gullqvist inexplicably slowed to a losing 6.397/225 letting Robert Joosten sashay his way past the champ to take a 6.084/231 win. Robinson joined the other red light Brits as he left too early against Switzerland’s Bruno Bader, a 6.057/231 got the win. Sweden’s Mattias Wulcan who sat number two in the points was taken out by that cussed red light allowing Dutch racer David Vegter a crossed up 9.189/92 win.
Number one qualifier Marc Meihuizen did not make the semi final and it allowed fellow countryman, Robert Joosten the 6.283/232 win. A real close race occurred between Bruno Bader and David Vegter and it was Bader that chased Vegter down, a 6.044/233 beat the 6.061/233 lose.
The final had Bruno Bader in his Gotham City ’63 Vette take an early lead and just holding onto it as his 6.056/230 beat the Pro Dutch Chevy Camaro of Robert Joosten’s close 6.191/231.
FIA Pro Stock and Jimmy Ålund led the small all Swedish field of runners with a 6.537/210, just a tad off his new ET record set a couple of weeks prior to this event. He wrapped up the FIA European Pro Stock Championship with a substantial lead. There was a surprise though as number two in the point chase, Thomas Lindström was taken out in round one by Michael Malmgren, 6.669/207 win to a 6.636/208, won on a holeshot. Ålund easily took out his opponent, Magnus Petersson whose game 6.874/198 was not quite enough for the winning 6.577/210.
The final saw the KW Parts.com Camaro of Jimmy Ålund leave first chased by the Oakley backed Pontiac GTO of Michael Malmgren, it was another consistent 6.582/210 from Ålund that got the light as Malmgren came second with a 6.680/207.
Funny Car ran its own European Series this year and the winner of the event went to Sweden’s Leif Helander who has notched up three victories out of four to end the series. Helander saw off a red lighting Jason Phelps from England in round one then faced another Brit, Gordon Smith in the final, Smith had earlier soloed as fellow countryman, Kevin Kent had broken. The final saw Helander deliver a 5.392/285 quarter-mile win as Smith went up in smoke.
FIM Super Twin Bike had Norway’s Ronny Aasen riding the Pels family machine from Holland sit on pole with a 6.599/169 and it was Aasen that clinched the FIM European Super Twin Bike championship.
Aasen got through round one but at the cost of parts that ruled him out of further action. Finland’s Vesa Lipponen meanwhile made his way to the final with wins over Czech Republic rider, Roman Sixta, 7.381/186 to a losing 9.113/175 then a solo 7.448/158 when Aasen no-showed. It would be an all Finnish final as Samu Kemppainen saw off a red lighting Christian Jäger in one then another victim to the cherry, Dutch rider Martyn de Haas in round two.
There was little doubt that Samu Kemppainen held the better hand and a 6.769/206 win proved the point in the final as Vesa Lipponen followed with a losing 7.241/193.
FIM Top Fuel Bike was again led by Britain’s Ian King on his first five on home turf, a 5.964/232, King then went on to get by Holland’s Rene van den Berg’s 6.547/216 with a from behind charge of 6.255/181, a bye round in two put King into another final. Ian King was pronounced the FIM European Top Fuel Bike Champion. Meeting King for the money run was the new rider from Greece, Filippos Papafilippou who raced his Funny Bike to better numbers all weekend, a solo 6.947/160 in round one then a major upset as he beat a troubled Rikard Gustafsson from Sweden, 6.934/196 to a losing 7.013/185.
The trophy run was a pretty much done deal as Ian King on his Gulf Oil/Puma charged after the better leaving Papafilippou and a 6.213/200 got the win light as Papafilippou slowed to a losing 10.036/79.
FIM Pro Stock Bike was sensational as Sweden’s Elvira Karlsson just got quicker and quicker starting with a 7.029/186 top qualifier beating the usual big guns into second and below places. Second qualifier went to Finland’s Fredrik Fredlund with a 7.077/185 and ending up the FIM European Pro Stock Bike Champion.
Fredlund made his way past Britain’s Martin Bishop in round one with a 7.038/187 win to a losing 7.394/179, then in the semis a 7.047/184 beat Dutch rider Gert Jan Laseur’s 7.595/143 try. Meanwhile, Elvira Karlsson got the better of Jerry Collier, 7.011/187 to a 7.934/158 then a 7.091/180 beat fellow Swede Kalle Lyrén’s 7.245/181.
It all came good for Elvira Karlsson in the final on her Suzuki TL 1000R as she overcame the better leave by Fredrik Fredlund’s paf/Viking Line backed Suzuki GSXR, then the crowd erupted as the score boards lit up in her lane with the win a first ever six by a European on European soil – a 6.998 at 185mph that beat the champs 7.050/185 try.
FIM Super Street Bike had England’s Steve Venables on pole with a 7.227/200 to lead the strong eighteen bike field. It was however, Garry Bowe that secured the FIM European Super Street Bike Championship. The hard fought way through the eliminations saw Bowe go out in the semis to Venables who would meet his teammate and outgoing champ Graham Balchin for the run off. Steve Venables went first followed later by Graham Balchin and Venables held on to the lead taking the event win with a 7.253/197 as Balchin runner-upped with a 7.317/197.
Copyright: September 2013.