The fourth in the FIA and FIM European Drag Racing Championship Series at Germany’s famous Hockenheimring became the hottest race in town – literally as Germany recorded its highest temperatures on record - a roasting 44 degrees Celsius for the 30th year drag racing anniversary. The track this year, after weeks of preparation led by England’s Santa Pod Raceway’s crack team was good after two years of suffering Formula One insisting all rubber was removed for their event prior to the drag race. Worries of this year’s track conditions made the Pro Stock class withdraw and not bother to show up but the track, despite the exhausting heat provided the necessary traction and provided some great racing for the many of partisan race fans. Only three qualifiers were run in the Pro classes as a massive Sportsman oil down put paid to a Friday’s second session and then Sunday’s two first elimination rounds in Top Fuel put the event a little over the local curfew at the day’s end.
FIA Top Fuel had Sweden’s Micke Kågered notch up his second event win of the year and his 4.227/267 ended up as top qualifier. The Bahco Tools/Midland Oil/ Bilsport backed car ran a bye in round one then beat Malta’s Duncan Micallef with a 4.182/271 to a losing 4.549/274. The final ended with Micke Kågered catching and passing Urs Erbacher’s slightly better leave winning with figures of 4.178/283 to Erbacher’s losing 4.508/194.FIA Top Fuel saw Switzerland’s Urs Erbacher runner-up in only his second race of the year. The Victory Motorcycles/Midland Oil fueller was on the bottom of the pile with a 4.656/219 in qualifying but managed to dismiss Denmark’s Stig Neergaard who suffered an oil line breaking crossed up pass in round one, then England’s Liam Jones in a close second round battle, 4.391/254.FIA Top Fuel recipient of the OMG award went to Finland’s Anita Mäkelä who unfortunately suffered her second round one loss in a row when a rod let go enveloping the rear of the car in a start line fireball.FIA Top Methanol Dragster runner-up was older brother of Dennis, Timo Habermann who qualified top with a 5.383/264 before facing his sibling. The Swagelok/Hoefler Fenster/Fuchs/ Autokrandienst Habermann backed car ran a 5.440/260 to come second.FIA Top Methanol Funny Car winner was Sweden’s Leif Andréasson in his DISAB Vacuum Technology backed Dodge Stratus who ran a 5.921242 to take pole position then face Germany’s Jürgen Nagel in the final, a 5.892/243 to the win.FIA Top Methanol Funny Car saw Germany’s Jürgen Nagel take the runner-up place as he shook badly slowing to a 7.681/152.FIA Pro Mod had fourteen machines that were led by Sweden’s Mats Eriksson on a 6.152/235 closely followed by fellow countryman Micke Gullqvist and it was Gullqvist’s Stavdal/Pampas Marina sponsored Camaro that managed to bludgeon his way to the final. The blue Camaro had a round one bye then defeated Frenchman, Jean Dulamon then Switzerland’s Bruno Bader before coming up against Mats Eriksson. A better light by Eriksson was chased down and beaten with a 6.033/239 to take the event win.FIA Pro Mod runner up went to The Main Event, England winner, Sweden’s Mats Eriksson in his still battle very scarred Migatronic/Valvoline backed Crown Victoria, he took out Germany’s Norbert Schneider in round one, a bye in two before seeing off the awesome turbo power of Finland’s Tero Laukkanen in the semi. A better reaction time in the final failed to get the win light as Gullqvist went past leaving Eriksson with a losing 6.139/231.FIM Top Fuel Bike was once again led by England’s Ian King on the Gulf/Grand Prix Originals Puma on a 6.143/201 clocking. King went on to dismiss Czech Otto Knebl after a round one bye then face Sweden’s premier Funny Bike rider Rikard Gustafsson. A better leave by Gustafsson was soon chased down by the fuel bike and a 6.372/203 rang up another deserved win for King.FIM Top Fuel Bike saw Sweden’s Rikard Gustafsson take runner up place after beating Frenchman Antoine Coupiac in round one then Greek rider Filippos Papafilippou in two 7.821/119 to a great winning 6.572/208 before being beaten by King in the final, 6.372/203 to a losing 6.700/188.FIM Super Twin Bike was an all Netherland’s Martijn de Hass weekend, he led qualifying with a 6.841/199 then a solo round one as Czech rider Roman Sixta lost fire on the line, an easy bye took de Haas to the final where he came up against fellow countryman, Job Heezen, a 6.756/203 won, making it a successful weekend for Martijn de Haas.FIM Super Twin Bike runner up title went to Netherland’s Job Heezen on his Drag Specialties HD machine. Heezen took out Czech rider Petr Ceska in round one then Norway’s Ronny Aasen in two. The final saw de Haas win as Job Heezen suffered a bang and a parts loss at half track.FIM Pro Stock Bike saw an almost full field of sixteen – just one less and leading the field was Netherland’s rider Gert-Jan Laseur on an ’08 Buell with a 7.152/183. Laseur went on to take a round one bye then dismiss Frenchman Bertrand Maurice, Germany’s Karl-Heinz Weikum before coming up against Finland’s Fredrik Fredlund in the trophy run. A slower leave by Laseur coupled with a 7.148/183 managed to clinch the win as Fredland came second with a 7.193/298 on his Suzuki.FIM Super Street Bike is fast becoming a Richard Stubbins affair after a win at England’s The Main Event and a top qualifier before the rain in Sweden and now notching up the NitrOlypmX win. He started third in the qualifying on a 7.311/194 behind fellow Brits Pete Field 7.289/198 and top of the pile, Garry Bowe on a 7.210/197 pass. Stubbins made his way to the final by way of wins over Germany’s Knut Möller in one and Thomas Granica in two before winning on a holeshot against Pete Field in the semi, 7.216/192 to a losing 7.186/201. Garry Bowe would be the runner-up, he beat Austria’s Peter Adorjan, England’s Mark Wells, Sweden’s Leif Larsson before running a losing 7.409/188 as Richard Stubbins took the light with a 7.164/200.
OTHER WINNERS
Competition Eliminator win - Robin Sattler.
Super Comp win – André Müller.
Super Gas win – Jon Giles.
Super Pro ET win – Eric Angeloni.
Pro ET win – Philip Daud.
Junior Dragster win – Lucas Dubourget.
Funny Bike win – Stefan Hagenstein.
Super Twin Top Gas win – Frederic Schack.
