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If you wanted high drama, record breaking performances, high elation, aggravating disappointment, an international field and some bizarre semi finals before all FIA and UEM European Championships were crowned, Santa Pod Raceway was the place to be. There was some hot racing in all classes including Super Pro ET competitor Brendan Clancy who suffered this dramatic fuel fire in qualifying, he exited safely then put the car back together to get to round two of eliminations. Photo of Brendan Clancy.

Top Fuel was a stunning affair with England’s Andy Carter running a quickest ever 4.613 on Friday then surpassing that on Saturday to gain the European E.T. record of 4.572 with a 320.19mph clocking, the best ever on an all asphalt quarter mile track. Carter went out in round one after contacted the timing blocks at one thousand feet negating his 4.962/236 and giving the win to Sweden’s Micke Kågered. Photo of Andy Carter.

Switzerland’s Urs Erbacher carded a 4.843/298 for third place in Top Fuel behind Finland’s Risto Poutiainen during qualifying, then with his lead in the Championship point race dealt out Finns Jari Halinen then Anita Mäkelä, the closest being in the first round, a 4.859/274 beating the 4.987/244. As Poutiainen went up in instant smoke in round one Erbacher became the FIA European Top Fuel Champion. Erbacher’s H&R/Midland Oil backed machine ran an event winning 4.885/278 to beat Finland’s Janne Ahonen with a losing 4.986/270. Photo of Urs Erbacher.

In Top Methanol Dragster, Germany’s Timo Habermann had the FIA Top Methanol Dragster Championship all but wrapped up on arrival at the Finals; he ended up second qualifier behind Norway’s Fred Hanssen with a 5.355/266 securing the title. One of the bizarre semis followed; Hanssen and England’s Dave Wilson had damage and failed to make the round. England’s Derek Flynn beat Norway’s Paul Ingar Udtian in one then won as Dennis Habermann popped the blower panel on the burnout, Flynn went on to take a 5.351/268 solo for the win and backing up a European speed record of 270.53mph.

The Top Methanol Funny Car Championship was between Denmark’s Dan Larsen and Germany’s Jürgen Nagel with the latter qualifying ahead of Larsen. Larsen took a first round bye then beat a red lighting Danny Bellio from Belgium. Nagel saw off a charge from England’s Stephanie Milam but red lit in round two against a tyre shaking Dezsoe Krivan losing the point race. Dan Larsen beat Krivan in the final giving him the FIA Top Methanol Funny Car Championship, an eased off 6.443/186 as Krivan red lit.

The Pro Stock wars saw the first ever British entry into the FIA class, but he unfortunately broke on the burnout in round one. Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund was not a realistic contender in the point race even though he qualified top with a 6.726/205 ahead of leader Michael Malmgren. It was these two protagonists that made it to the final and it was Michael Malmgren that ended the day as FIA Pro Stock Champion with Jimmy Ålund getting the event win, 6.731/205 to Ålund to Malmgren’s 6.812/204.

Unsurprisingly it was hugely popular visiting American, Melanie Troxel that led the large Pro Mod class despite an earlier motor destruction in the pits, a 6.027/241 got her pole position but luck ran out in the semis as she was shut off with a fluid leak. The point race was equal between Swedes Micke Gullqvist and Johan Lindberg. Gullqvist went out in the quarter finals having gone up in smoke then pedalling it chasing an also pedalling Bruno Bader with Bader getting the nod. Lindberg now the FIA Pro Mod Champion suffered no reverse after the burnout in the semi final leaving Adam Flamholc the win. Flamholc had early run two five second passes but the final was his with a 6.070/233 as Bruno Bader’s shake and pedal try was not enough.

In the Super Twin Bike field Switzerland’s Lorenz Stäuble led the way with a great 6.617/213 just ahead of Sweden’s Per Bengtsson’s 6.620/197. Stäuble’s point rival was Holland’s Job Heezen but his day was ended by Norway’s Hans Olav Olstad who was then beaten by Holland’s Martijn de Haas as he slowed under a huge yellow nitro cloud. It was de Haas that made the final and would have faced Stäuble had he not been shut off on the line with a leak allowing a 7.377/157 from de Haas to take the event win. Lorenz Stäuble wound up the UEM Super Twin Bike Champion.

The Top Fuel Bike class was led by Sweden’s Peter Svensson with a 6.203/216 well ahead of the pack. It turned out to be another one of those strange semi finals as both Norway’s Sverre Dahl and Finland’s Petri Paljakka did not make the pass, Dahl no-showed and a sick motored Paljakka just rolled past the start line. Peter Svensson was desperately hoping to perform some five second passes but just failed with a 6.080/231 in a solo final as Paljakka now the UEM Top Fuel Bike Champion failed to make it past the tree.

Denmark’s Jesper Thiel sat on pole in the Pro Stock Bike class with point leader Ulf Őgge down in seventh place. Őgge though ploughed his way through to the final. The Sweden resident, Ulf Őgge had to chase down his fellow countryman Kalle Lyrén after his holeshot but a 7.175/179 got Őgge the win and the UEM Pro Stock Bike Championship as Lyrén came second for the event r/u with a 7.243/182.

The new this year Funny Bike Cup was a great success with Swede Rikard Gustafsson ahead of the pack on a 6.577/194 the E.T. being a new European class record. Point leader German, Christian Jäger sat in fourth place but lost in the semi final to Gustafsson but securing the Championship. Gustafsson went on to the final to face English rider Steve French who despite a good holeshot was left trailing as Gustafsson thundered to a 6.590/189 beating the 7.332/167.

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