2010 NITROLYMPX HIGHLIGTS - HOCKENHEIMRING, GERMANY
Thu, 2010-08-19 14:30
The penultimate round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championships had the largest entry of competitors in the events twenty-five years of drag racing, the event however, was run under warm, humid conditions that turned into a cool and rain effected finals day with just the last few rounds of eliminations in most professional classes on Sunday to go whilst others had many rounds un-run. At the end of day prize presentation winner’s trophies and prize money were given to the number one qualifier in each class.
The popular Saturday night show contained anything from Funny Car and Top Fuel launches to fire-eaters. England’s Andy Carter the defending Champion is at last picking up where the team left off last year.
Top Fuel saw Finland’s Anita Mäkelä lead the pack unseating Risto Poutiainen’s 5.307/223 with a 4.852/276 in round one only to be unseated by England’s and defending TF Champion, Andy Carter with a fine 4.851/277 before regaining pole in the last session with a 4.800/299 over the full quarter mile and producing the quickest field in European history. Anita’s husband Tommi Haapanen took a ride in the fueller in the night show.
Top Methanol Dragster was initially led by German Timo Habermann with a 5.410/261until it was bettered by Norway’s Fred Hanssen with a great 5.381/266 in the second qualifier. Only the first round was able to be completed before the rain. Fred Hanssen took his blown car to the win over the A/Fueller of England’s Derek Flynn, 5.378/264 to the losing 5.575/262.
Timo Habermann dealt out the 5.567/252 from Norway’s Paul Ingar Udtian with a 5.440/257 in round one of TMD and looks to have the Championship pretty much tied up.
Top Methanol Funny Car only the final was left un-run in this class with the two finalists being Dan Larsen who qualified on pole and German Jürgen Nagel. Nagel made his way through the pack with a win over Belgium’s Danny Bellio, 5.945/241 to the 6.215/184 lose then a troubled start produced a lowly 23.19 time as opponent Jarmo Kuutniemi charged ahead, got loose and disqualified himself by hitting the centerline reflectors. Larsen, meanwhile had a round one bye, then, ran a 6.033/232 to defeat the 8.655/105 close to the wall try from Switzerland’s Dezsoe Krivan making a return to racing.
Pro Modified had twenty-two cars vying for position and it was US visitor Melanie Troxel who not surprisingly stole the show from the start, a 6.183/239 well over a tenth ahead of nearest rival and teammate Sweden’s Micke Gullqvist. Troxel driving the Roger Burgess R2B2 Camaro improved with each round, a 6.099/240, a 6.052/241 and a final shot of 6.045/241. The final was the only round left un-run between Troxel and Gullqvist; with the US visitor running a round one bye before dispatched Sweden’s Roger Johansson in his nitrous Mustang, 6.082/240 to a 6.509/199 before slaying the 6.363/234 from Sweden’s Urban Johansson with a 6.007/241. Gullqvist saw off Germany’s Norbert Kuno, 6.113/234 win to a 6.378/226; a 6.128/234 took out the tyre shaking 8.636/94 from Swede Johan Lindberg’s Firebird. The semi pairing was with fellow Swede Mats Eriksson, Europe’s only five second runner, even the holeshot from Eriksson’s Ford Crown Victoria along with an all over his lane 6.087/235 was not enough as Gullqvist stormed past with a 6.042/236 in his ’57 Bel Air.
Pro Stock saw Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund clinch top spot with a fine 6.757/204 bettering that in the third stanza with a 6.747/204 almost a tenth better than the rest of the eight-car field. This was another class that managed to get all the way to the final that was then victim to the rain. Ålund saw off German Harald Sturhan in his Mercedes, a 6.780/203 win to a 7.459/192 in round one but then went out himself as he got crossed up leaving Jan Palmqvist a sweet 6.874/202 win and putting Palmqvist’s Pontiac GTO into the money run. On the other side of the ladder was Sweden’s Michael Malmgren who made his way past Jonas Engdahl then a great light from Michael Callin coupled with a 6.895/190 was not quite good enough as Malmgren pushed his Pontiac GTO to a 6.836/203 win to enter the un-run final.
Competition was led by Sweden’s Per-Erik Lindgren in his Chevy ’32 Bantam with an 8.617 before the rain put paid to any eliminations could be run.
Super Comp had the dragster of Marina Andersson take pole with an 8.902 but once again there was no progress in eliminations courtesy of the weather.
Super Gas was led by Werner Zudrell in his ’69 Barracuda with a 9.905 and he managed a solo through round one then a win in round two before rain stopped play.
Super Pro ET saw the British built VW Corrado now owned by Germany’s Norbert Schneider take an 8.644 for top qualifier and that was as far as it got before the rain.
Pro ET was led by Eduard Hildebrand’s ’67 Nova and a win in round one then another in two got him to the un-run quarter finals.
Another Saturday night show guest driver was that of England’s Bob Glassup in his BBFA Nostalgia Altered who gave the Christmas Tree a close shave on the burnout.
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