FIM-E NitrOlympX ends with Smith, Christiansen, Mechaell, Lymant and Willcox on the top step
The NitrOlympX came to a close today for the five contested FIM-E categories. Some spectacular runs, track records and some personal bests along the way, and not a little controversy/confusion.
The biggest question mark came in the final of FIM-E Top Fuel Bike, but before getting to that, Rikard Gustafsson reset the Rico Anthes Quartermile track record with a fine 5.817/252 to defeat Stuart Crane in the opening round of eliminations. A bit more sun on the track prevented a repeat of those numbers, but a 6.014 at the semi-final stage was enough to defeat Mike Olie who had made the final four thanks to a wayward and block collection run from Kari Rautanen. Lower half of the ladder had Eric Richard pulling out a literally sparkling 6.464 to defeat Rene van den Berg’s 6.639 in the opening stanza while Mark Smith defeated Thomas Pettersson at the same stage with a 6.820. The semi-final went Smith’s way with a 6.718 over Richard’s slowing 6.9. Now the final was a curious and controversial affair with flickering stage beams on both sides and only Smith leaving the line (on which he was instantly up in smoke) with the win being awarded to the Drapers Tools/Warpspeed Funny Bike after review for his first event win at FIM-E level.
FIM-E Super Twin was a seemingly more straight forward affair with Marcus Christiansen coming out on top (and continuing the Speedy’s Racing ever expanding run of victories) over Chris van Nimmen in the final, the former rumbling to a 6.321 and the latter going up in smoke. However, the earlier rounds delivered some astonishing PBs, not least for van Nimmen who ripped off a 6.656 in the opener (the wheels on the bars deciding they didn’t like this kind of performance and departed somewhere along the piece) and then produced a 6.720 to defeat Per Bengtsson with a substantial holeshot a 6.685 lose out. Bengtsson used the opening round to knock a clear tenth of his personal best with the Beast with a 6.211 at only 202mph suggesting a 6.1 is just around the corner for the Swedish veteran.
The FIM-E Super Street Bike eliminator was a spectacular affair as befitting the quickest field in history and we’re doing it scant justice by picking out a handful of highlights here. The final came down to Jake Mechaell (victorious with a 6.894) and Kristian Jasz (6.902 lose out) with the former completing a clean sweep of the Team Brothers outfit having defeated Daniel Donat Lencses at the quarter final stage with a class low ET for the weekend of 6.805 (Lencses having set the event speed mark at 225.63 mph), using a 6.932 to account for Margot Schmidt at the semi-final stage (Margot having PB’d and moved herself into the quickest woman in class history with a 6.856 in the previous round). Alan Morrison Jnr made it to the semis before being knocked out by Jasz and extend his lead in the points with one event remaining.
FIM-E Pro Stock Bike was almost a clean sweep for points leader Jorg Lymant with the German Buell equipped rider cruising to the event win and defeating Dimitris Petridis in the final on a 7.182 to a 7.439 match up. Points chaser Bertrand Maurice set low ET in the opening round of eliminations with a 7.169, but a suspicious sound (which proved to be a harbinger of rather bad news motor wise) on the start up for the semis prevented a contest against Petridis.
The FIM-E Junior Drag Bikes delivered their usual close fought eliminator with Richard Willcox emerging victorious over a breakout from Hollie King. The former taking his second FIM-E event win and the latter keeping herself very much in contention for the 2024 series title, although as previous years have proved, anything can happen come the European Finals in a little under two weeks at Santa Pod Raceway.
Words and photos Ivan Sansom & Rose Hughes
