2015 Santa Pod Main Event Results and Photos

June 6, 2015 by Bill Pratt

The Main Event 2015

FIA/UEM European Drag Racing Championship
Round 1, 22 – 25 May 2015
Santa Pod Raceway – England
Words & Photos by Dick Parnham

With rain delays only on the Sunday morning, the clear weather enabled an action-packed bank holiday weekend of record-breaking performances.

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

Qualifying

1. Anita Makela 3.960 sec, 301 mph
2. Stig Neergaard 4.049 sec, 293 mph
3. Duncan Micallef 4.095 sec, 262 mph
4. Liam Jones 4.114 sec, 291 mph
5. Jari Halinen 4.132 sec, 295 mph
6. Mikael Kagered 4.137 sec, 244 mph
7. Birgitte Bremnes 4.232 sec, 246 mph
8. Tethys 4.936 sec, 154 mph

The positive start saw Top Fuel the Top Qualifier Anita Makela in her new Top Fuel dragster with advice from US racer Dom Lagana setting top qualifier in the 3-second zone in 3.960 sec.

The First Round saw Anita confidently take out Thetys in 3.912 sec/ 295 mph to a slower 6.673sec /76 mph after Tethys burst plate let go.

Jari Halinen ran 4.119sec / 298mph which beat Liam Jones who went up in smoke on 10.740 sec / 63 mph

Next was Micke Kagared who set a personal best in 4.024 sec / 280 mph to take out Ducan Micallef who suffered severe tyre shape and after smoking the tyres skillfully recovered control to just clip the side wall with the rear slick.

Final pairing saw the welcome addition to the Top Fuel ranks of Birgitte Bremnes who we saw at the Festival of Speed and Stid Neergaard.

Both put in side by side hard runs but Neergaard’s hole shot advantage was maintained to take the win in 4.082 sec /290 mph over 4.149 sec / 276 mph.

The Semis saw Anita Makela at her best in recovering over Jari Halinen’s hole shot advantage to take the win and set a new European Top Fuel ET record in 3.922 sec / 305 mph over Jari on 4.139 sec /298 mph.

Stig Neergaard was consistent with his hard performance to take out Micke Kagared who lost a blower belt in 4.279 sec /199 mph over the slower 4.400 sec / 192 mph.

The Final was down to Anita Makela in a solo 3.989 sec / 300 mph after Stig Neergaard shut off with an oil leak.

Anita Makela

Stig Neergaard

Duncan Micallef

Liam Jones

Jari Halinen

Mikael Kagered

Birgitte Bremnes

Tethys

TOP METHANOL DRAGSTER

Qualifying

1. Timo Habermann 5.332 sec, 262 mph
2. Dave Wilson 5.391 sec, 261 mph
3. Dennis Habermann 5.461 sec, 264 mph
4. Jonny Lagg 5,486 sec, 249 mph
5. Stefan Gunnarsson 6.167 sec, 202 mph

This was a great field of cars with Dave Wilson again putting his car up for sale.

The Semis were to see one of the closest runs between the two Habermann brothers when Dennis took the win to the finals in 5.352 sec/268 mph with the help of leaving the line 0.0696 secs ahead of Timo’s quicker 5.331 sec / 264 mph.

Eventually, Dave Wilson took the win on a bye run at 5.455 sec, 262 mph after Dennis Habermann fell foul to the staging lights.

Dave Wilson

TOP METHANOL FUNNY CAR

Qualifying

1. Leif Andreasson 5.698 sec, 246 mph
2. Stephanie Milam 5.910 sec, 232 mph
3. Jurgen Nagel 5.963 sec, 227 mph

In the final Leif Andreasson took the win in 5.701 sec /246 mph after Steph Milam failed to show, Danny Bellio took the victory over Rob Turner in 5.912 sec, 234 mph.

Leif Andreasson