Highlights from the European 2001 FIA Finals

By Andrew Marrs

Here is a brief summary of the event to supplement what you may have read on Eurodragster.

Mikael Kågered, doing double duty again at this event in both Top Fuel and Top Methanol Funny Car, had a stunning weekend. Straight off the trailer on Friday, he ran his first four, a 4.977 at 296.22, which stood, all weekend as the low ET and fastest mph. The shine was somewhat taken off when, during eliminations, a fireball engulfed the car apparently due to a fuel pump failure followed by a lifted blower. The lifting blower pulled the throttle cable full on and shrapnel burst both rear tires. The car spun through two complete rotations before coming to rest at the finish line. I was on my way to replace the reflectors taken out by Mikael's car and saw him walking back towards the start line, thankfully completely unhurt. As if to cheer himself back up he jumped into the TMFC and proceeded to break the European record with a 5.799, which could also well be the first 5.7 in Europe, and back it up with a 5.820.

Michael Malmgren broke both ends of the European Pro Stock records, as he did at Alastaro earlier this year. He bettered the ET record three times with a best of 6.940, and the MPH record no less than 6 times with a best of 198.99. Surely, the 200 mph will come next year.

In Competition Bike, Brian Johnson reset both ends of the European records at 6.119 and 229.20, in what was his last race in Europe before retirement. Brian was set on running Europe's first five, though I suspect he's happy with "second best" in this case. He did manage to run 231.96 though was unable to back it up. In a fitting end to a remarkable career, Brian set the ET record while winning the event.

Super Twin Top Fuel saw Anders "Charlie" Karling break both ends of the European records on his way to winning the event, his 6.590 smashing two tenths off his own existing record. A 210.28 mph speed run under the "too quick" rule, backed up a 206.54.

Patrick Wikstrom was unable to back up a 6.323 at 221.45, which would have set new records in Pro Mod.

Full stories are available at www.eurodragster.com.

Cheers!

Andrew Marrs
Draglist Europe
andrew.marrs@bedhos.anglox.nhs.uk