Top Fuel
Top Fuel qualifying did not see the hoped for all 4-second field, but with some new teams and others with new cars, maybe it was a bit optimistic to expect it this early in the season. After two days of qualifying this is how the 10 drivers faired.
# 1 - Thomas Nataas (Norway)
Thomas took the number one spot and made 3 of the 4 qualifying sessions, a 5.29 first run, a 9.97 shutting off with tyre shake and then a superb 4.874 @ 296mph put him on top of the pile.
# 2 - Tommy Moller (Sweden)
Tommy and team soon got a handle on the ex Doug Herbert car. A 5.98 followed by a 5.071 and then a peddling 4.917 at a huge 308 mph, which, if they could back it up in eliminations, would be a new European record. They did have some clutch problems, but with the mix of very experienced Swedish and Danish crew they would have the car ready for the race.
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| Tommy Moller - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
# 3 - Lex Joon (Netherlands)
Lex, in the ex David Baca car, had an eventful two days of qualifying. A first pass of 6.78 was followed by a 10.69, but as the car left the line it started to climb to around 45 degrees and everyone expected it to blow over. Lex got it down again with only the front wheels and A-arms damaged. Fellow Top Fuel driver Jon Webster carried out repairs using the wheels from the Santa Pod show Top Fuel car and some late night fabrication. Sunday saw the car run 5.550 and then a first four for Lex 4.920 @ 281.39mph to take third.
# 4 - Andy Carter (England)
Andy, the 2004 champion and European ET and speed record holder, sat out the first session. Carter ran 6.209 @ 148mph in the second session, suffering some bad tyre shake and pedalling the car twice. His next run was a 5.489 @ 290mph, but the run was withdrawn for a rules infringement. His last qualifier was much nearer the car’s true potential, a 5.004 @ 295mph was good enough for 4th spot. The crew had a late night changing the block as they had some main bearing and crank damage after the run.
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| Andy Carter - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
# 5 - Jon Webster (England)
Jon and team really had the car sorted out after running their first 4 at Easter. They ran in three of the four sessions and went 5.31, 5.77, and a 5.090 at only 254mph which put them in 5th place.
# 6 - Gary Page (England)
Gary only ran once in one of Knut Soderquist’s four cars, this one having one of Knut’s one-piece Carbon Fibre bodies. With his main duties at this race being Joran Persaker's crew chief, it left little time to run his own car. Page’s single run was a very good 5.693 @ 163mph, which would have been much quicker had the motor not let go at around three-quarter track.
# 7 - Smax Smith (Canada/England)
2003 champion Smax was in the McDonald Brothers’ ex Peter Lantz car. The team was on a steep learning curve in their first event with the car. They ran 8.71, 6.64, and a 16.5 with some severe clutch and clutch can damage, which resulted in them missing the last session. Their runs were not spectacular, but were good enough for 7th place and probably more than the team expected in their first event.
# 8 - Micke Kagered (Sweden)
Last year’s runner up had a terrible two days of qualifying. A 10.78 early shut off after tyre shake was followed by more tyre shake and the chutes coming out around the eighth mile. On his third run, Kagered was shut off on the line with a fuel leak. This left one chance, and Micke just made it with another problematic run of only 7.227seconds.
So the top three were in the fours, the next two ran five zeros, and then it was down to last place with a 7.227. The two cars that failed to qualify were both from the Knut Soderquist team.
DNQ - Chris Andrews (England)
Chris just failed to take the last place from teammate Kagered with a 7.389. His only other run was cut short on the burnout when a huge explosion caused by a malfunctioning throttle stop sent the revs soaring. Blower and crank damage kept them in the pits until the last session.
DNQ - Joran Persaker (Sweden)
Joran also had problems and the 4th placed driver in 2004 failed to qualify. A 10.515 @ 64mph first try looked good until the motor let go at the eighth. His second try was an 11.945, again with engine problems. On his final attempt to qualify, the starter failed and Joran was out, a big shock to everyone. However, both Gary Page and Chris Andrews had suffered a lot of parts damage and were unable to rebuild their cars. This put Joran back in as second alternate.
Round One of Top Fuel had some big surprises. The first one was number one qualifier Thomas Nataas losing to last man Micke Kagered with a shut off 10.074 @ 90mph with an .848 sixty-foot time. Micke benefited from Thomas’s problems with a rough sounding 5.824 @ 194mph to win.
The next pair saw another shock as reigning champion Andy Carter had problems on the burnout. Carter could not bring the revs up at all. Unable to fix the problem, the crew just had to hope everything worked on the green. Unfortunately, the tyres lit up and Andy was out as opponent Jon Webster charged into the semi finals with a 5.078 @ 259mph.
Smax Smith was shut off after his burnout and reverse when he was unable to select forward gear. This enabled Tommy Moller to idle down track and into the semi final.
The last race of the first round could have been great, but Joran Persaker rolled through the staging beams. Lex Joon went into the semis with a 4.963 @ 282mph, losing cylinders along the way.
In the first semifinal, and Micke Kagered’s weekend came to an end with a tyre shaking shutoff 6.76. Jon Webster went into the final with another great run of 5.089 @ 264mph, but with flames coming out of the motor for most of the run. Webster also lost the headers on one side.
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| Jon Webster - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
The second semi saw Lex Joon advance to the final with a good .85 sixty-foot time and then a 4.930 @ 288mph getting close to the wall around mid track. Tommy Moller ran an .896 sixty-foot time, but had tyre shake, pedalled, and clicked off to a 5.867 @ 163mph.
The final had most of the home fans supporting Jon Webster, but he was another to suffer tyre shake after a .953 sixty foot. Webster could not repeat his consistency of the first two rounds and shut off to a 15.065 @ 127mph. Lex Joon went .894 to sixty feet and took the win in 5.410 seconds @ 219mph. Flames poured from the car from around 300 feet on, but Lex was not stopping for anything! Fortunately, he stopped the car safely after the finish line.
So Lex takes the early points lead. Will he be able to keep it after the next round in Finland?
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| Lex Joon - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
Top Methanol (Alcohol) Dragster
Dave Wilson was the number one qualifier with a 5.448 @ 252mph and as usual, Rob Turner and Germany’s Peter Schofer were very close with 5.5s. They were joined by Krister Johansson, who finally got the only injected nitro car in Europe to perform. Krister qualified 4th with a 5.537 @ 244mph.
In the final, Dave Wilson took the win with a new European ET record 5.422 @ 248mph over Rob Turner’s 5.604 @ 249mph.
Top Methanol (Alcohol) Funny Car
Eleven cars battled it out to get into the field and the big surprise was when last year’s second in the championship Ulf Leanders failed to qualify. Urs Erbacher from Switzerland was number one with a 5.696 @ 249mph and Britain’s Trevor Capewell was at number five with a new best ever for a British TMFC driver at 6.005 seconds.
Erbacher took the first semi on a bye when his opponent was shut down. Urs went 7.177 @ 131mph. Dan Larson took his place in the final with a win over Leif Andreasson, 5.852 @ 235mph to a losing 6.048 @ 234mph.
The final was very close and saw Urs Erbacher take the win with a 5.725 @ 252mph, with also was a new European speed record. Denmark’s Dan Larson just lost out with a 5.783 @ 244mph.
Pro Stock
Pro Stock qualifying was close with three cars in the sixes. Top of the pile was 2004 Champion Jimmy Alund with a 6.913 @ 199mph. Second was Magnus Hansson in the ex Greg Anderson Grand Am with a 6.913. It was a very good start to the season with the new car. Unfortunately, in the race Hansson lost in the first round to Ulf Jonsson, who then red lit in the semis to Jackie Hansen. Alund won the other semi on a bye. The final was lost on the start line when Jimmy Alund red lit his chances away, negating his 7.071 @ 195mph and handing the win to Denmark’s Jackie Hansen who ran 7.050 @ 195mph.
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| Magnus Hansson - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
Pro Modified
After four qualifying sessions, Sweden’s Mats Erickson in a blown Ford Crown Victoria sat on top of the 16-car field with a 6.339 @ 225mph. Bert Englefield in a blown ‘38 Ford Coupe had a very hairy ride on one qualifier. The car was on two wheels and heading headfirst into the barrier, but somehow Bert managed to prevent contact.
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| Bert Englefield - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
The first finalist was Patrick Wikstrom in a blown Camaro who beat Peter Wacker 6.30 @ 225mph to a 6.878 @ 196mph in round one. He then took out Andy Robinson’s blown Studebaker with a 6.566 @ 219mph to Andy’s out of shape 8.053 @ 135mph. Burnout king Freddy Fagerstrom was his next victim in the semi finals as Wikstrom ran 6.255 @ 227mph -- the first 6.2 run in European Pro Mod – which beat the Chevy Pickup’s 6.689 @ 209mph.
Roger Johansson in a nitrous Ford Mustang made his way to the final via a first round 6.549 @ 179mph win over Rolf Ammann, whose blown Chevy Coupe trailed at 6.878 @ 196mph. Haken Fallstrom lost out next. Both cars had tyre shake and both pedalled, but Johansson took the win 6.874 @ 195mph to Fallstrom’s 8.278. In the semi, Roger beat the blown Chevy Bel Air of Danny Cockerill, 6.493 @193 to a losing 6.69 @ 211mph.
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| Rolf Ammann - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
Patrick Wikstrom had a lot of work to do before the final, replacing a piston and liner. In the race, he hit tyre shake after leaving first and had to shut off to a 7.932 @ 135mph, allowing Roger Johansson to take the win with a 6.598 @ 208mph. Pro Mod featured great qualifying and great racing, probably the best actual racing of the event.
UEM Bike Classes
A very much back on form Ian King won Top Fuel Bike with a 6.383 @ 206mph to a losing 6.597 @ 212mph from Steve Woollatt.
Pro Stock Bike was another all-British final with Martin Bishop winning with a 7.673 @ 168mph to a losing 7.82 @ 189mph from Richard Gipp.
Super Twins was an easy win for Svien Olav Rolfstad at 6.924 @ 202mph when opponent Jochchim Riemer broke just of the line.
Nitro Funny Car
Two British fuel floppers match raced over the weekend. John Spuffard took the series and the final race with a 5.769 @ 220mph early shutoff when he started to lose cylinders. Gordon Smith was shut off after his burnout.
Although the FIA / UEM classes were the headline classes, Sportsman racing was just as exciting. Super Gas nearly had a US win. Although originally from the UK, Tony Morris now lives in Florida and took time out from racing in the USA to runner up in Super Gas. We also had Jet Cars, wheelie cars, motorcycle stunts, an air display and even a fly past by World War Two Spitfire, Hurricane, and Lancaster bomber aircraft.
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| Tony Morris - Photo By Gary Cottingham, DragsterWorld.com |
The Main Event was an awesome show. With thirteen countries represented, the only truly international drag racing tour in the world now moves on to Finland for round two.
