A-Fuel Team Sweden extend Partnership with Niterra EMEA GmbH (NGK Ignition Parts & NTK Vehicle Electronics)

A-Fuel Team Sweden, Bryntesson Motorsport, and Jonny Lagg Racing are extending their collaboration agreement with the ignition specialist NGK. The team’s Top Methanol dragsters will continue to fire on all cylinders using their world-renowned spark plugs throughout the 2025 season.

“Without good spark plugs, we’d literally be smoked, so it feels great to continue the long-standing partnership we’ve had with Niterra for many years,” said Tony Bryntesson. “Ignition is something we constantly work on, before and after every run. Finding the optimal combustion is crucial, and it’s the spark plugs’ job to ignite the highly explosive nitromethane fuel in the cylinder.”

There’s hardly a tougher stress test for a spark plug than being inside a nitro-fueled V8 engine producing 5,000 horsepower. During a Top Methanol dragster run—lasting just over five seconds—the spark plug must withstand extreme temperatures and cylinder pressure while handling 44 amps and 50,000 volts per spark plug to ignite the nitromethane.

“How much power is delivered to the rear wheels at different phases of the run largely depends on how we’ve tuned the ignition system,” said Jonny Lagg. “Many factors come into play, such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, and track grip. To extract the optimal power from the engine, we have to fine-tune the ignition system and clutch.”

From May 23-25, the team will be at the legendary Santa Pod Raceway for the European Championship season opener. A-Fuel Team Sweden, with reigning European champion Jonny Lagg and 2024 runner-up Tony Bryntesson, will be there with their dragsters, ready to fight for the 2025 Top Methanol title.

Text and photos: Joakim Tärnström