An excited Tommy Grimes heading for Europe

For the first time in his twenty years of racing, Tommy Grimes will make his debut on the European drag racing scene as he arrives at the Tierp Arena track for this weekend’s Scandinavian Internationals. Grimes is best known for riding the late Ray Price´s drag bikes during a ten year period with a lot of victories under his belt. Now he will enter the Super Twin Motorcycle category in the EDRS Pro Nordic Motorcycle Championship on Per Bengtsson’s famous parallel twin ‘The Beast’.

“I´m really excited”,  said Tommy, after receiving the phone call from Per Bengtsson a couple of weeks ago. “The phone has been absolutely crazy since the news came out, and I´m flattered that so many keep an eye on my career. My last race was in February at the NHRA Carquest Auto Parts Nationals in Phoenix, Arizona, where I rode one of Mike Bahnmaier’s bikes. After that race I almost given up the thought about racing at a top level again. But now, when Per has giving me this opportunity, my blood has really started to pump again! I must say that it`s a real honor to be able to ride someone else’s bike. My wife told me the other day that you must have made a hell of an impression to get a phone call all the way from Sweden! And I will do my very best to make the Beast team proud”, said Tommy.

Grimes will arrive at Arlanda airport on Wednesday and after a quick Stockholm tour, he will join the team at the track the very next day.

The Scandinavian Internationals has a record breaking entry with 363 attending teams from 13 different countries. The Super Twin Motorcycle class has 14 entrants fighting for an eight bike ladder.

You can follow the race on www.eurodragster.com, who will bring you a first class live event coverage. The EDRS Pro Nordic MC motorcycle classes are also available at Dragracing Europe (www.dragracingeurope.eu), where Remco Scheelings will publish daily reports from the track.

For more information about The Beast Dragbike team, please visit www.bentec.net and the FB page  The Beast Dragbike.

Text: PR; Photos: Remco Scheelings and Tom McCarthy (photo Tommy Grimes)