FIM-E fields head to a hot Hockenheim for the NitrOlympX
The filling in the middle of a frentic triple header over four weeks, the NitrOlympX on the fabled Rico Anthes Quartermile within the spectacular Hockenheimring is always a much anticipated event. The 2024 version, taking place 23rd – 25th August, is no different.
Eight entries in FIM-E Top Fuel Bike are skewed towards the funny bikes, with championship 1 and 2 Rikard Gustafsson (a new PB at 5.731, two wins and a runner-up to his credit this season) and Rene van den Berg representing the nitro burners.
The sextet of funny bikes are seriously quick, all with mid six second tickets or better, including Stuart Crane on his second appearance of the season with the quickest funny outside of the States.
The ten in FIM-E Super Twin Bike are led by Marcus Christiansen, the Dane looking to extend his unbeaten run which extends back to the start of 2022, and second in the points Per Bengtsson making a return to Hockenheim after a 13 year absence with the formidable Beast parallel twin.
A number of teams are joining the FIM-E tour for the first time, including Carsten Hormann, Martin Bühler and Olaf Menzi and they’ll be angling for a spot in the qualified field come race day.
FIM-E Super Street Bike has a stunning 26 bike entry including 9 from Greece making their 2024 tour debut (although a withdrawal or two seems likely). Reigning champion and current points leader Alan Morrison Jnr will be looking to hold off a charge from Dániel Donát Lencsés although there are plenty of heavy hitters who will be looking to make gains of their own.
Saturday afternoon’s bump session will be an intense affair.
An oversubscribed field in FIM-E Pro Stock Bike for the first time in 2024 will provide a qualifying challenge for the assembled 10 riders. Jörg Lymant arrives at his home race in the points lead with two wins and a runner-up finish so far this year and will be hoping that Hockenheim will prove to be less challenging in terms of engine damage than the preceding event in Sweden.
Current champion Bertrand Maurice will also be hoping for similar in what is a very tight championship chase featuring these two.
After a long summer slumber, the FIM-E Junior Dragbike Cup resumes at the NitrOlympX with an Anglo-Dutch field of seven. Winner of the Main Event at Santa Pod, Hollie King will be looking to hold onto the points lead, but the field is usually so close it is difficult to predict a winner ahead of time.
Text and photos: Ivan Sansom & Rose Hughes
Event website is here:
https://www.nitrolympx.de/
Entry lists are here:
Top Fuel Bike https://www.tw-sportsoft.de/NitrolympX_2024_577079/TW_ON_Teilnehmerliste.php?AUSWAHL_WERTUNGSGRUPPEN_ID=14
Super Twin https://www.tw-sportsoft.de/NitrolympX_2024_577079/TW_ON_Teilnehmerliste.php?AUSWAHL_WERTUNGSGRUPPEN_ID=12
Super Street Bike https://www.tw-sportsoft.de/NitrolympX_2024_577079/TW_ON_Teilnehmerliste.php?AUSWAHL_WERTUNGSGRUPPEN_ID=13
Pro Stock Bike https://www.tw-sportsoft.de/NitrolympX_2024_577079/TW_ON_Teilnehmerliste.php?AUSWAHL_WERTUNGSGRUPPEN_ID=16
Junior Drag Bike https://www.tw-sportsoft.de/NitrolympX_2024_577079/TW_ON_Teilnehmerliste.php?AUSWAHL_WERTUNGSGRUPPEN_ID=15
