EVENT HIGHLIGHTS - VEIDEC FESTIVAL/SWEDEN
Thu, 2010-08-05 14:20
The third round of the FIA and fourth in the UEM European Drag Racing Championship series suffered a shortened event in Sweden as rain washed out the main Sportsman qualifying day, foreshortened the Friday and wiped out the eliminations on Sunday. Huge crowds and a mammoth entry of racers were left high but not dry as Europe’s heat-wave ended.
Healthy fields of cars and bikes from all across Europe managed to get in just three qualifiers out of four then had to return home wet and frustrated. It proved expensive for a few racers with Super Twin Bike racer, Roel Koedam from Holland suffering a large engine explosion.
It finally all came together for Finland’s Top Fuel team of Anita Mäkelä having bought a large arsenal of parts from the Prudhomme camp over the winter and a top qualifier over the one thousand feet time of 4.059/262, over a tenth in front of nearest rival, England’s Andy Carter with a 4.182/281.
No great changes in Top Methanol Dragster as Germany’s Timo Habermann, the winner in Finland notched up the pole with a 5.445/249 just ahead of fellow countryman Peter Schöfer on a 5.449/258.
A better entry in Sweden in the Top Methanol Funny Car class from the two in Finland and it was led by Denmark’s Dan Larsen in his Dodge Stratus having shaken off some of his earlier mechanical woes a 5.910/242 put him ahead of the other five.
The huge thirty vehicle class of Pro Modified was led by Sweden’s Urban Johansson in his Corvette having finally found his form again after a year or so in the wilderness. The 6.080/233 was the only car in the 6.0s and the only class to run a first round before the storm set in, Johansson ran a 6.064/235 beating Lars Olsson’s Firebird.
Pro Stock saw the return of Jimmy Ålund and his number one car fresh from racing in the US, a 6.779/204 put him where he is normally accustomed. Fellow Swede Jan Palmqvist stepped in to gain second place with a 6.885/201 out of the eleven runners.
The two wheelers put on a great show in this their fourth European event and in Super Twin Bike Sweden’s Per Bengtsson led the pack of nineteen bikes, an eighth-mile clocking of 4.462/166 was enough to seal pole position. Photo of Per Bengtsson.
The Top Fuel Bike class had a better entry than in the last two events with an eight bike eliminator taking shape before the heavens opened. Peter Svensson from Sweden led the pack with a 4.074/187 well ahead of the remainder.
The Top Fuel Bike class had a better entry than in the last two events with an eight bike eliminator taking shape before the heavens opened. Peter Svensson from Sweden led the pack with a 4.074/187 well ahead of the remainder.
Pro Stock Bike had a great fifteen bikes competing and was led by Sweden’s Anders Abrahamsson, his Suzuki clinching the 7.242/183 number one spot just ahead of Finland’s Fredrik Fredlund on a 7.292/181. Abrahamsson’s 7.2424 became a new track record.
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