FIM-E Champions Review – Rikard Gustafsson – FIM-E Top Fuel Bike
Sweden’s man in black, Rikard Gustafsson eased to the 2024 FIM-E Top Fuel championship winning three events and runner-up in the remaining two and posting some quick and consistent numbers along the way. While the Falkenberg based RG Engineering team plans for 2025 are slightly up in the air, Gustafsson welcomes a new sponsor on board for the forthcoming season.
Fifth FIM-E Top Fuel Bike championship, your third in a row and a sixth FIM-E title overall adding to the Funny Bike crown from 2011 – how does that make you feel? It makes me feel that we’re doing something right. Still I’m focussing on one race at the time and trying to improve our performance on every run.
You seem to have overcome the engine damage issues that beset the RG Engineering bike in 2023 – this seemed to give you more confidence in the tune-up this year? We are moving forward on the tune-up but see a new challenge to run without hurting any parts and become even more consistent.
What was your season highlight(s)? I think Tierp in August was one of the highlights when we reset our PB to a 5.731s. Also making 2024 a great year were the new track records at Mantorp [3.881s at the 1/8th mile non-championship event] and Hockenheim [5.817s].
Plans for 2025 and beyond? We still don’t know if we will do the Championship next year. Hockenheim decided to change the date for Nitrolympx to one week before the Euro Finals [at Santa Pod]. This is not just breaking the FIA rules [which stipulate 2 weeks between events] but also makes it impossible for us to service the bike and have it ready for the Finals. The weekend before the Finals we run Mosten Race Day [a show event in Denmark that pays some of the bills] and we will be home on Sunday to start prepare for the Finals. Mosten is a great event and next year they have anniversary and the hosting Mosten MC is a precious sponsor of ours. A great thing for 2025 is that we made a deal with Indian Motorcycle Sweden and they will become our new main sponsor. We are very proud to represent Indian Motorcycle Sweden and I think it will be great both for us but also the sport.
Sponsors/People to thank? Indian Motorcycle Sweden, ArtFex, Romnet Data, Datamiljö Nordic, MTC Engineering, Zodiac International, Dalhems, Bentec, Mosten MC, Gert Svith AS, Evenssons Maskinservice, EL Andersson, Björkets Bygg, SS Bärgaren, BE Innovation, Ugglarps Mekaniska, Addemoto, Fbg. Taktäckning, Vargöns Mekaniska, Noddes Åkeri, Aldemek, JM Tech, Darren Brinkman, Korry Hogan and many more to make this possible.
While Gustafsson seems likely to skip a round next year, we wouldn’t bet against him being very much in the championship points mix by season’s end.
Words and photos Ivan Sansom & Rose Hughes
