Sverre Dahl, Samu Kemppainen, Robert Karlsson and Richard Stubbins shine at rain-plagued Tierp Internationals

Published 2015-06-12 | By Remco Scheelings

Super Street Bike

You can’t beat Mother Nature and that was once again proved at the Tierp Internationals at Tierp Arena. After an almost perfect Friday, and a rain shortened Saturday, bad weather was back on race day, and with only one elimination round in Super Street Bike completed, heavy showers made an early end to the opening round of the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship. That was a shame, as after great ETs in qualifying, with Sverre Dahl, Samu Kemppainen, Robert Karlsson and Richard Stubbins leading their categories, and an extremely close field in Pro Stock Motorcycle, everybody was looking forward to an action packed elimination day at Tierp Arena.

Tierp Arena was host to the opening round of the 2015 EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship. There were two qualifying runs and great weather conditions on Friday at the Tierp Internationals, but Saturday had to be rescheduled to only one qualifying session, as it rained almost all day. There were even worse conditions on race day, when heavy showers forced the race director to cancel the event with only one eliminations round in Super Street Bike completed.

Robert Karlsson

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Qualifying

One thing we know after round one is that Pro Stock Motorcycle will be close and exciting this season. Anders Larsson was the leader after the first run, and although the experienced Pro Stock Motorcycle rider improved to 7.07 seconds in qualifying two, that was not enough to stay in the number one position. In his first Pro Stock Motorcycle race Robert Karlsson surprised with a stunning 7.04 seconds, to take over the number one position.

Kalle Lyrén

Kalle Lyrén had to change an engine after the first run, but stormed to 7.09 seconds in qualifying two and was the third rider in the 7.0-second zone. After his personal best at the Main Event (7.15), Kenneth Holmberg reset his PB again at Tierp and with 7.135 seconds the Swecomposite rider was fourth and not far from the leaders.

Anders Larsson

Timo Savolainen was happy with 7.33 seconds, which can’t be said about Elvira Karlsson (7.48). Handling problems were the reason she couldn’t come close to her ‘normal’ ETs and it was not until the third and last run that Elvira could change position with 17-year-old sister Ellsa. Thomas Olsen had problems on Friday, could only make one run on Saturday, and was eight.

Samu Kemppainen

Super Twin Motorcycle

Qualifying

Samu Kemppainen was in a class of his own in Super Twin Motorcycle qualifying. The reigning FIM European Champion’s next goal is the EDRS title, there is no doubt about that. The Finn’s second run was a stunning, quarter mile front wheel in the air, 6.50 seconds. The third run was 6.58 seconds, and no one could even come close that one.

Hans Olav Olstad

Reigning EDRS champion Hans Olav Olstad was the second rider to break into the 6-second zone with 6.97 seconds. After ignition problems on Friday, Ismo Mäenpää was back on Saturday, and needed only one run (7.43) to take over the number three position from Vidar Ravnsborg.

Ismo Mäenpää

Svein Olav Rolfstad, Per Bengtsson, Trond Jostein Høiberget (now with a Rolfstad engine) and Greger Johansson had all kind of technical or traction problems, and couldn’t come close to their normal performance. Anna-Lena Asplund was in ninth and the first non-qualifier in the eleven bike field.

Sverre Dahl

Top Fuel Motorcycle

Qualifying

Top Fuel Motorcycle was not the biggest field, but the show in qualifying was great. What to think about a stunning 6.13 seconds for Sverre Dahl. The Norwegian is coming closer and closer to the, for Top Fuel Motorcycle, magic 6.00-second barrier.

Peter Andersson-Ström

But Dahl was not the only happy Top Fuel Motorcycle rider. With 6.38 seconds Peter Andersson-Ström made big steps and was not that far behind.

Jan Sturla Hegre

Jan Sturla Hegre was number one qualifier after qualifying one, but fell back to third position with his 7.01 seconds from the second run.

Richard Stubbins

Super Street Bike

Qualifying

British Super Street Bike competition is the toughest in Europe, and the two British competitors proved that in qualifying. Richard Stubbins, two weeks ago winner of the Main Event at Santa Pod, stormed to a stunning 7.167 seconds.

Alex Hope

Alex Hope improved to 7.39 seconds, more than enough to claim second position. In his third run, a major improvement for Björn Friström (7.41 seconds) handed the reigning EDRS champion the number three position (from fifth), and so Friday’s numbers three and four, Anders Blanck and Nils-Ola Andersson, dropped back one place.

Björn Friström

Eliminations

As already mentioned, Super Street Bike was the only class to complete a round of eliminations, early on Sunday morning, and there were no major upsets in that first round. Although slowing down near the finish line, number one qualifier Stubbins defeated Niclas Johansson and number two qualifier Hope was too fast for Pelle Lakmaker. Also number three and four qualifiers, Friström and Blanck, survived the first round, where Friström stepped up again, and with 7.40 seconds had the best ET of all in that first round.

Mogens Lund

Mogens Lund surprised number five qualifier Andersson and after a wheelie that slowed him down, Leif Larsson saw Dag Wagenius take the win light. Svein Ove Braendhagen needed a better reaction time against Kimmo Pulakka to advance to the quarter finals.

Championship

In the championship after round one, Sverre Dahl is the leader in Top Fuel Motorcycle, Samu Kemppainen in Super Twin Motorcycle, Anders Larsson in Pro Stock Motorcycle and Richard Stubbins in Super Street Bike

Top Fuel Motorcycle

Low ET: Sverre Dahl, 6.130 seconds

Top speed: Sverre Dahl, 371.64 km/h

Super Twin Motorcycle

Low ET: Samu Kemppainen, 6,502 seconds

Top speed: Samu Kemppainen, 347.94 km/h

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Low ET: Robert Karlsson, 7.049 seconds

Top speed: Anders Larsson, 305.95 km/h

Super Street Bike

Low ET: Richard Stubbins, 7.167 seconds

Top speed: Alex Hope, 317.27 km/h