Going for gold at the NitrOlympX in Hockenheim
No time to rest for the teams of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. Hardly recovered from the exciting races at Tierp Arena, it’s time for the famous NitrOlympX at the Rico Anthes Quartermile of the HockenheimRing. Duncan Micallef (Top Fuel), Jonny Lagg (Top Methanol), David Vegter (Pro Modified) and Jimmy Ålund (Pro Stock) are the current leaders, but one thing is for sure and that is that nothing is sure looking at the different winners so far this season. Interesting ingredients for another exciting round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship.
Now that the Olympic Games in Paris are over, and the medals awarded, it’s time for the NitrOlympX at the Rico Anthes Quartermile of the HockenheimRing, the fourth and penultimate round of the 2024 FIA European Drag Racing Championship. With the unique atmosphere of the Motodrome and the Night Show, the NitrOlympX always brings something special to the most prestigious drag racing championship in Europe. After a rain affected start of the season, Tierp Arena was host to two great races with close racing and different names on the podium. With the grand finale at Santa Pod coming soon, points are even more important than ever before. Who will get their medals, trophies and champagne Sunday evening at the traditional winners ceremony in the VIP area of the German track.
Top Fuel
In Top Fuel the fight who will succeed Ida Zetterström as the FIA European champion will be between Duncan Micallef and Susanne Callin. The RF Motorsport/Slick Tricks Racing driver from Sweden claimed the win at Tierp and is only 19 points behind Micallef.
The 2017 FIA European champion from Malta and driver of the DM Motorsport/Rune Fjeld Motorsport Top Fueler was the most consistent driver this season, reset the European speed record at Tierp, but didn’t win a race so far.
But the two title contenders will meet some tough competition at Hockenheim. First of all there is Jndia Erbacher. Although from Switzerland, Hockenheim is her home track with numerous fans of the popular Swiss driver in the pits and at the grandstands. Erbacher showed her speed once again at Santa Pod, but had to skip the two rounds at Tierp Arena.
For Dennis Nilsson the NitrOlympX is the first race of the season in the FIA European Championship. The driver from Sweden was in Germany two years ago and is now back for more.
There will be a warm welcome at Hockenheim for Linn Fløysvik. The reigning FIA European Top Methanol champion is a late entry for the German race. Less than two weeks ago the Norwegian driver started and completed her licensing procedure in the Nitro Viking’s Top Fueler. Fløysvik and the Norwegian team did a great job and after their Tierp success they decided to go to Hockenheim. It will be the Top Fuel competition debut for Fløysvik.
Top Methanol
Jonny Lagg claimed the win at the Summit Racing Equipment Internationals at Tierp Arena and will travel to Hockenheim as the new leader in the Top Methanol class of the FIA EC. The A-Fuel Team Sweden driver took over the number one spot from team mate Tony Bryntesson, winner of the Tierp event in June.
The difference between the two Swedes is only 17 points.
Only 33 points short of Lagg, Sandro Bellio is the number three and the first funny car in the standing. The 2019 and 2022 FIA European Top Methanol champion had a difficult start of the season, but after a lot of hard work from the family run Danny’s Racing Team Belgium the mechanical gremlins were solved and at Tierp Bellio was able to show his real speed again. Bellio will do everything he can to close the gap before they head to Santa Pod for the final race of the season.
It’s great to see Silvio Strauch back in action at Hockenheim. The German Engine Ghost Racing Team suffered severe engine damage at the opening round of the championship and had to skip the races in Sweden. At home soil Strauch is back and hopefully he will finally have the luck he and his team deserve for all the hard work. With Jürgen Nagel there will be a second funny car on track at Hockenheim. For Nagel it will be the first race of the season. The veteran funny car driver from Germany was at Santa Pod, but suffered engine damage in the pits even before the race weekend had started.
Pro Modified
Pro Modified will see some very interesting competition again. David Vegter is leading the championship after three races. The Dutch Vegter Pro Mod Racing driver is the quickest and most consistent driver this season, claimed the number one qualifying position in all three races, won many elimination rounds, but didn’t win a race so far this season. Vegter will be determined to break that ban and extend his lead to have a safer gap before the grand finale at Santa Pod. Because, after Jere Rantaniemi claimed the win two weeks ago at Tierp, the driver from Finland is only 4 points short of the Dutch leader. But Rantaniemi didn’t plan to race at Hockenheim and is missing from the entry list. With the current championship standing, nobody will be surprised to see the Finn suddenly show up at Hockenheim to keep his title chances alive.
Andres Arnover is the number three in the championship. The Estonian driver had two difficult races at Tierp with early exits and will definitely be out for revenge to decrease the gap to Vegter, that is now 75 points.
Stian Rusånes is the number four in the title race. The Norwegian driver recorded his first 5-second ET at Tierp and will now be looking for more. Rusånes won several elimination rounds this season and don’t be surprised to see him in the final for the first time.
Roger Johansson is another driver to watch. The Swede was the runner up at Tierp and defeated Vegter in the semifinals. Johansson is the number six in the championship and if he can carry on from where he left off two weeks ago, a top three finish in the championship is still possible.
Michel Tooren is only four points short of Johansson in seventh position. The Pro Dutch Racing driver has some good memories of the NitrOlympX as he claimed the win in Pro Modified at that event in 2022. Tooren is making steady progress with the new Camaro he debuted at Tierp in June and is going quicker and faster every run.
Peter Kunc is the last driver from the Hockenheim entry list who is doing the full championship tour. The Swede is now in the number nine position. It is good to see Bruno Bader back in action. The veteran Pro Mod driver from Switzerland, number four in the 2023 championship, was at Santa Pod, but had to skip the Tierp races. There is another comeback at Hockenheim, as after several years Kim Kristiansen will be back in action. The Dane planned a comeback at Tierp two weeks ago, but as the totally rebuild famous Pontiac was not 100% race ready, the team had to postpone their first race to Germany. Jean Dulamon is also back on tour after skipping the Swedish races. The Frenchman recorded some impressive ETs at Santa Pod and can definitely surprise.
As usual the NitrOlympX will see several drivers who run a limited schedule, Santa Pod and Hockenheim, or even the NitrOlympX only. From Germany come Norbert Kuno, Michael Winter, Walter Strobel and Ingo Ekert, and from Switzerland Marcus Hilt and Peter Wacker. They can all surprise in eliminations and ruin someone’s championship dreams.
Pro Stock
In Pro Stock the top seven of the championship will be at Hockenheim, and that is great news. Although it’s always a close fight in this category and the reaction times can decide races, there is one man in a class of his own so far this season. Jimmy Ålund remained undefeated at Tierp and is in the lead with a 82-point advantage over the number two. Number 13 for the 12-time Pro Stock champion is only a matter of time.
Robin Norén is the number two in the title race. The Swede had a great weekend at Tierp, advanced to the final and improved his ETs almost every run. Norén has one goal now and that is to beat Ålund.
Michael Malmgren will be out for rehabilitation at Hockenheim. The reigning champion was the runner up at Tierp in June, but had a horrible weekend with a first round exit two weeks ago.
The opposite is true for Stefan Ernryd. The current number four had a bad start of the season but bounced back at Tierp two weeks ago with better ETs and a semifinal finish.
Richard Sundblom is the only driver from Finland in class dominated by Swedish drivers. Sundblom recorded some great ETs but was unlucky in eliminations so far. Only two points short of Sundblom is Simon Ekengren in sixth position. Last season Ekengren surprised with a number three position in the final standing, but so far it is not his season. Last but not least there is Lasse Britsmar with the ex-Norén Pontiac. Britsmar will try to collect his first elimination round wins of the season.
Qualifying for the NitrOlympX will start on Friday August 23th and will continue on Saturday August 24th. Eliminations will start on Sunday morning August 25th .
Text and photos Remco Scheelings
