Remco Scheelings
Qualifying day two at the Hockenheimring rained out
There was no racing in the FIA European Drag Racing Championship classes on day two of qualifying for the NitrOlympX at the Hockenheimring, Germany. Twice the Top Methanol Dragsters were ready to start their third qualifying session, when it started to rain again and the cars had to go back to the pits. Continue reading
Stig Neergaard, Ari Pietilä, Timo Habermann, Michael Gullqvist and Jimmy Alund leaders after Friday qualifying at the NitrOlympX
Stig Neergaard
Stig Neergaard raced to the number one qualifying position in Top Fuel at the first day of qualifying for the NitrOlympX, round four of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship at the Hockenheimring, Germany. In Top Methanol Funny Car Ari Pietilä surprised with a new personal best and is the number one qualifier. In Pro Modified reigning champion Michael Gullqvist was quickest and leads the field with two more qualifying sessions to go. In Pro Stock Jimmy Alund is the number one qualifier, while in Top Methanol Dragster local hero Timo Habermann leads the field after day one. Continue reading
FIA European Drag Racing Championship resumes at Hockenheim and Tierp Arena
Stig Neergaard
The 2016 FIA European Drag Racing Championship is at the halfway point of the season and after the summer break part two kicks off with the traditional NitrOlympX at Hockenheim. From Germany the teams have to travel directly to Sweden, as the following weekend the Scandinavian Internationals at Tierp Arena is on the calendar. For the drivers and teams not only an extremely tight schedule, but in one week the standings in the FIA European Championship can change dramatically. Who are the favourites at the eve of the 31st NitrOlympX at HockenheimRing’s Rico Anthes Quartermile, and who might be the leaders after Tierp? Continue reading
Ljungdahl stamps his foot and the rains come down
Bengt Ljungdahl
The 2016 season is not going exactly as the main players might have hoped. After a predictable result to the Santa Pod round came the shock of Tierp one where Michael Malmgren failed to qualify for the first time in memory and Jimmy Ålund and Thomas Lindström both lost in the semis. The Pro Stock circus made its way to Finland in early July, and probably those three names thought they might get things back to the way they have become used to them being. Jimmy might have hoped to come away from Alastaro with a 50-100 point lead, while the Malmgren, Petersson and Lindström teams would have hoped to consolidate their positions in the next three places. Between a hard charging Bengt Ljungdahl, the rapid Finn Richard Sundblom and the weather gods, it was not to work out quite like they hoped! Continue reading
Surprising Alastaro eliminations cut short by rain
Anita Mäkelä
After an interesting qualifying and surprising first round of eliminations, the Top Fuel semi-finals of the FHRA Nitro Nationals promised to be even more exiting. The reigning champion Micke Kågered was out of competition and the numbers one and two in the championship, Stig Neergaard and Anita Mäkelä, had to face each other for a place in the final. But mother nature had other ideas and a thunderstorm and rain showers brought an early end to the third round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship at Alastaro, Finland. Continue reading
Rain prevents pursuers from catching up with a red lighting leader
David Vegter
Michael Gullqvist out with a red light in the first round of eliminations and his five main pursuers all winning and advancing to the quarter finals! The best possible scenario to catch up with the leader in the championship. But the reigning FIA European Pro Modified champion was saved by the thunderstorm and rain and as the eliminations had to be cancelled, the rest of the pack could only make up at most twenty points. Continue reading
Rain beats unstoppable Johnny Oksa at his home track
Johnny Oksa
Johnny Oksa reset his personal best in qualifying at Alastaro to a great 5.66 seconds at 407.54 km/h and was on his way to his second consecutive victory in the FIA European Top Methanol Funny Car Championship. But as he already said at Tierp, ‘only rain can stop me from winning’ , and that’s exactly what happened at his home track, and so Oksa’s FHRA Nitro Nationals ended in the semi-finals. Continue reading
Vegter Pro Mod Racing’s Finnish success story spoiled by rain
With the quickest elapsed time of the Pro Modified field on Saturday, the second qualifying position and a first round win, David Vegter was on his way to a great result at Alastaro. But on Sunday a thunderstorm and rain showers made an early end to round three of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. “That was a pity. We had the right set-up for the Camaro and my reaction times were also good. With the leader of the championship already out of competition, it was the perfect chance to make up some ground,” said Vegter, after his so far very successful Finnish race. Continue reading
Rain makes early end to FHRA Nitro Nationals in Finland
Stig Neergaard
Rain made an early end to the FHRA Nitro Nationals at Alastaro, Finland. After an exiting first round in Top Fuel and Pro Modified, with an early exit of number one qualifier Michael Gullqvist, a thunderstorm interrupted the third round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. The track crew almost got the Alastaro dragstrip in racing condition twice, when at 3.30 PM another heavy shower left the race director no other option than to cancel the event. Continue reading
Friday leaders Stig Neergaard, Michael Gullqvist, Bengt Ljungdahl and Johnny Oksa hold on for top spots at Alastaro
Stig Neergaard
Friday leaders Stig Neergaard (Top Fuel), Michael Gullqvist (Pro Modified), Bengt Ljungdahl (Pro Stock) and Johnny Oksa (Top Methanol Funny Car) claimed the number one qualifying positions at the FHRA Nitro Nationals at Alastaro and will lead their classes into Sunday’s eliminations at round three of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. Continue reading
