Micke Kågered Nitro King of the Ring

Published 2015-08-14 | By Remco Scheelings

Micke Kågered

The Hockenheimring must be Micke Kågered’s favourite racetrack. For the second consecutive year Kågered was the winner in Top Fuel, and the way the reigning champion did it was even more impressive: number one qualifier, fastest in all elimination rounds and low ET and top speed of the event! With his victory the Bahco Express driver extended his lead in the championship and took maximum advantage of the first round exit of his closest rivals Anita Mäkelä and Stig Neergaard.

The 30^th NitrOlympX was the fourth round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. The Hockenheim organization and Santa Pod track crew did a tremendous job by bringing the Rico Anthes Quartermile back to the level it once had.

Urs Erbacher

This in combination with the always special atmosphere of the Hockenheimring and Motodrome, and the tens of thousands of enthusiastic spectators, made it that the NitrOlympX is really back! The only reason ETs were less spectacular, was the intense heat. In qualifying temperatures exceeded 39 degrees and in eliminations it was only a few degrees ‘cooler’.

Micke Kågered

Qualifying

Qualifying for the 30^th NitrOlympX was run over three sessions, as the second run on Friday had to be cancelled after a massive, at least 400 meter long oil down in one of the other classes, and there was not enough time left to bring the track back in racing condition. With the 4.227 seconds from his second run, Micke Kågered jumped from the seventh and last qualifying position to the top of the field. Although four drivers came close, the Alastaro winner stayed in the number one position.

Stig Neergaard

Stig Neergaard was second with 4.253 seconds, but only 0.003 seconds short of the Dane was Liam Jones, while another 0.002 seconds separated Anita Mäkelä from the British driver. Duncan Micallef was fifth, while Friday leader Jari Halinen couldn’t improve on his time and ended qualifying as the number six.

Jari Halinen

With five drivers within 0.07 seconds of each other and 0.005 seconds separating the number two and four qualifier, eliminations promised to be exciting. At his ‘home track’ Urs Erbacher didn’t have his best qualifying and with 4.65 seconds, and an engine explosion, the multiple European champion was a bit too far behind and seventh. But qualifying is one, eliminations are something completely different, as Erbacher proved again.

Anita Mäkelä

Eliminations

Quarter finals

Two major upsets in the first round. First it was Neergaard, the number three in the championship, who had a problem with an oil line. De Dane sprayed fluid over the track, making his car go sideways. Neergaard had to lift and so Erbacher advanced to the semi-finals. But in the next run it was Mäkelä’s turn to run into trouble. A problem with the oil circulation caused an engine explosion and so the number two in the championship was out of competition and Micallef advanced to the next round.

Liam Jones

Jones continued his good form by defeating Rune Fjeld Motorsport teammate Halinen. As the number one qualifier, Kågered had a bye run, but although he didn’t need it, with 4.20 seconds the Bahco Express driver had the best ET of the first round.

Duncan Micallef

Semi-final, Urs Erbacher and Liam Jones

Semi-finals

Kågered went on in the semi-final, improved to 4.18 seconds to defeat Micallef. For the second time in two races, the Swede was in the final. The second semi-final was a close one, won by Erbacher on a hole shot against Jones. With 4.386 seconds for the British driver and 4.391 for Erbacher, Jones had the better ET, but the Swiss driver’s better reaction time was just enough to stay in front and advance to the final.

The final, Urs Erbacher and Mick Kågered

Final

In the final Kågered made an already good weekend perfect, saved the best for the last and took the win in 4.178 seconds, the best ET of the event. Even Erbacher had no answer to this great run. For Kågered it was his second consecutive NitrOlympX win, and after Alastaro also his second consecutive win in the 2015 FIA European Top Fuel Championship. Looking at the numbers and the way he won, it was Kågered’s best race in at least two years.

Urs Erbacher, Micke Kågered and Liam Jones

Championship

In the championship Micke Kågered extended his lead and is now 66 points ahead of Mäkelä. Neergaard is third, ten points short of Mäkelä, while Top Fuel rookie Jones is fourth.