{"id":2363,"date":"2015-09-12T12:19:44","date_gmt":"2015-09-12T12:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fiaedc.edrspro.com\/?p=2363"},"modified":"2015-09-12T12:19:44","modified_gmt":"2015-09-12T12:19:44","slug":"class-review-fia-european-finals-pro-stock-car-the-winner-takes-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/2015\/09\/12\/class-review-fia-european-finals-pro-stock-car-the-winner-takes-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Class Review FIA European Finals \u2013 Pro Stock Car, The winner takes it all?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m<\/p><\/div>\n

Class Review FIA European Finals\u00a0 \u2013 \u00a0Pro Stock Car, The winner takes it all?
\n<\/strong>
\nVenue:<\/strong> Santa Pod, England
\nDates:<\/strong> September 3rd<\/sup> \u2013 6th<\/sup> 2015
\n
\nThe winner takes it all?
\n<\/strong>Every season plays out like a story for teams and classes.\u00a0 In some cases it is a tale of domination and supremacy from one team inflicting crushing defeat on the others.\u00a0 In most cases it is a tale of a hard fought battle between two or more teams to see who can gain the advantage.\u00a0 Pro Stock season 2015 has definitely been the latter.\u00a0 After a rain affected race in the first Sweden round, and then round one defeats in Alastaro and Tierp 2, Jimmy \u00c5lund entered the contest at Santa Pod with a 46 point deficit to Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m.\u00a0 To compound matters further, engine damage suffered in Q4 at Tierp meant Jimmy had to fly his spare engine in from the USA, where he currently sits fifteenth in the NHRA Mello Yello championship.\u00a0 The motor arrived to Santa Pod early in the week and Jimmy arrived on Wednesday to fit it into his race car.\u00a0 Jimmy knew he was going to need all the horsepower KB Racing could give him to retain his number one plate in Europe.\u00a0 The only way he could do this would be to qualify first in every round and take the event win, whilst hoping that Lindstr\u00f6m hit some problems or got taken before the final.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jimmy \u00c5lund<\/p><\/div>\n

People have said that Jimmy ruined the Pro Stock class in Europe; back in 2012, Jimmy debuted the blue Camaro and had a season of learning the car and gathering data on the tracks with his new package.\u00a0 Jimmy took the number two plate that year losing out to Thomas.\u00a0 In 2013 Jimmy dominated and took the number one spot.\u00a0 By 2014, the other competitors had closed the gap, and we didn\u2019t know who would take the championship until the end of the last race at Santa pod.\u00a0 At last year\u2019s finals, Michael Malmgren entered the event as the point\u2019s leader with Magnus Petersson in second spot.\u00a0 Michael went out to Jimmy in the semis and set up a thrilling final between Magnus and Jimmy which decided the title.\u00a0 Jimmy took that win and the championship by just 14 points, less than one round of competition.\u00a0 Coming from behind again at the finals in 2015 was going to be a massive task, but Jimmy could still do it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m<\/p><\/div>\n

By contrast, Thomas came in to Santa pod straight from the event win at Tierp, and with all his engines intact and race ready.\u00a0 Steady and safe progress through rounds would be enough for the Ernyrd cars\/Hansen racing Dodge team to lock out the number one plate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Malmgren<\/p><\/div>\n

A secondary battle for third place was also under way between Michael Malmgren and Magnus Petersson.\u00a0 The two Pontiac drivers were separated by only one point, and so for this battle, qualifying points were vital.\u00a0 It would then be decided on round wins, and if they didn\u2019t face each other in round one, the chances were that they would face one of the main championship contenders.\u00a0 This in turn meant that the number 3 place battle could easily and deeply affect the number one contest.\u00a0Everything was set for an epic final.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jimmy \u00c5lund<\/p><\/div>\n

Summary Qualifications:
\n<\/strong>Jimmy needed to qualify number one in all four sessions.\u00a0 Session one was probably the key, getting a set up that allowed a number one qualifier time without tyre shake or over powering the track was the prime objective.\u00a0 Jimmy delivered in style, running a straight and smooth 6.58 against Thomas to take the number one spot.\u00a0 Second place was taken by Michael Malmgren with a slightly out of the groove 6.62 lap, whilst the final qualifying point was grabbed by Thomas running a soft and gentle 6.65.\u00a0 Magnus, Simon and Jan followed in that order, but Jan\u2019s car was uncharacteristically noisy through the traps and he was soon back in the pit changing an engine after bending a valve.\u00a0Unfortunately Jan was unable to make the second call.\u00a0 Jimmy was the only driver to improve his time in Q2 and held on to the number one spot, and again reduced the gap to Thomas by a further point, as Thomas ran second quickest in this qualifier.\u00a0 Michael took the third quickest spot, and by that increased his lead over Magnus to 3 points.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jan Ericsson<\/p><\/div>\n

Overnight on Friday, Jan fixed the engine into his car for the third and fourth qualifiers.\u00a0 Things were pretty relaxed in the Lindstr\u00f6m and \u00c5lund pits as members of the crews visited the Santa Pod Fuelers bar to watch the Pro Stock editor perform with his band.\u00a0 Certain members of the Lindstr\u00f6m crew managed to get heavily involved and invaded the stage for a duet on the Eagles \u201cHotel California\u201d!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Malmgren<\/p><\/div>\n

Saturday was colder than Friday, but the weather held and the track stayed dry.\u00a0 Jimmy went quicker still and held the number one spot for a third round.\u00a0 Improvement for Jan saw him move up a spot in the qualification ladder, but in doing so he managed to physically break his shifter.\u00a0 Jan says \u201cnothing I could do in the car, I couldn\u2019t even be angry, I just laughed, I mean how do you break a shifter?\u201d A subsequent unpublishable comment unfavourably suggested that the country in which he was running may have been in some way responsible.\u00a0 However Jan said this with his characteristic huge smile, so we do not think he meant it?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m<\/p><\/div>\n

Thomas has a banana at the end of each round, and the technical crew, who weigh and measure the cars after each run entered into a small joke with him when they all stood with their backs turned, blocking the weigh bridge, and then turned in unison, each peeling a banana.\u00a0 A nice moment between the tech team and the race team.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Magnus Petersson<\/p><\/div>\n

In Q4 Michael, Thomas and Jimmy all improved but nobody swapped position.\u00a0 This meant that Jimmy had clawed back eight of his forty six point deficit, and so an exit for Thomas before the final would mean he could still take the championship.\u00a0 Hoping to deliver that gift for Jimmy would be Magnus Petersson, who drives an ex Jimmy \u00c5lund car.\u00a0 Michael would face Jan, whilst Jimmy would face Simon.\u00a0 Nothing was decided yet, but the number one qualifier side of the ladder would benefit from a bye to the final for the winner.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Quarter final<\/p><\/div>\n

Summary Eliminations:
\nFirst round:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Magnus threw away any chance he had of beating Thomas and making life easy for Jimmy with a 0.01 red light.\u00a0 Thomas drove the round hard nonetheless, aiming for lane choice in round 2. Michael was on a bye run as the shifter breakage suffered by Jan yesterday had resulted in some deeper engine damage caused by an over rev.\u00a0 Michael would also have liked to get lane choice, and he wasn\u2019t holding back when he left the line, however he was robbed of ET by some wheel spin and a little shake, and had to settle the car back down before driving through in a nine second pass.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Simon Gustafsson<\/p><\/div>\n

Simon did everything he could do to stop Jimmy\u2019s title run in its tracks, Simon delivered on the tree and was away first, driving straight down the groove with very little sign of spin or shake.\u00a0 Jimmy on the other side suffered from both, but not enough to rob him of too much ET and Jimmy took the round with a 6.65 to Simon\u2019s 6.83.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michael Malmgren<\/p><\/div>\n

Semi-finals:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before E2, there were some very nervous team members in the pairing lanes.\u00a0 If Thomas could win this round against Michael, he would get to the final, and his lead would be greater than the points available.\u00a0 Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m was one round win away from the European championship.\u00a0 Standing between him and the trophy was Michael Malmgren, the number 2 qualifier, in a car that had run faster than Thomas for most of the weekend, and piloted by the highest points scorer in European drag racing history.\u00a0 This was, without doubt one of the best set up races of the season.\u00a0 Michael had now locked out third place in the championship, and could not improve that, regardless of outcome.\u00a0 Thomas was the current points leader, but could lose that position if he lost this race and Jimmy went on to win the event.\u00a0 I refer back to my earlier comment about Jimmy having \u201cruined Pro Stock\u201d.\u00a0 If this level of intensity is a ruined class, then I don\u2019t think I could stand a class with \u201cexcitement\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Semi-final<\/p><\/div>\n

Thomas and Michael delivered a GREAT race.\u00a0 Thomas just about edged Michael on the tree, and then the two cars were locked together all the way to the line.\u00a0 Thomas took the win by four hundredths, and by with that took the championship.\u00a0 The Ernryd cars\/Hansen racing team on the line went wild, and watching, from the head of the pairing lanes was the outgoing champion, Jimmy \u00c5lund.\u00a0 The number one plate changed hands, and just the event win remained to be settled.\u00a0Jimmy took his bye run in great style and guaranteed lane choice for the final with a solid, straight and smooth lap of 6.55.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m crew<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Final<\/p><\/div>\n

Final:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the final, Thomas tells me \u201cI have to try and take him on the tree, Jimma has the quicker car this weekend, so I need to do my job.\u00a0 He isn\u2019t just having this event on a plate\u201d.\u00a0 He meant it too, and left in a passable junior dragster style reaction time, but he hit some shake after 60ft and Jimmy rolled on by with his KB Racing engine power and was ahead by the eighth.\u00a0 Jimmy took the win with an impressive 6.54 to Thomas\u2019 6.67.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m<\/p><\/div>\n

Brief conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pro Stock has a new European champion.\u00a0 Thomas Lindstr\u00f6m will carry the number one on his Ernyrd cars\/Hansen racing Dodge for 2016.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t believe it, we kept coming second to Jimmy, and then he lost in Finland, and Tierp and we collected points on him.\u00a0 After the Tierp win I kind of thought it might just be possible, but you just don\u2019t know in this sport, it can flip around on you really quick\u201d said Thomas.\u00a0 Jimmy was a little more reflective, \u201cwhat really hurt us this year was the rain in Sweden, we were charging hard there, setting records and running real fast, then the rain came and we couldn\u2019t make any more points.\u00a0 After that, we got it wrong in Finland, and then we had damage at Tierp, but we came here to do our best, and that is what we did.\u00a0 I needed some help from the other GM guys to keep a Chevrolet in number one, but they couldn\u2019t do it, so it is what it is, and we will have to come back next year and run 6.4\u2019s all year to take that plate back\u201d.\u00a0 I have no doubt that Jimmy means every word of that, and we will see the European record closing in on the NHRA record next year.\u00a0 Only four guys in the world have gone over 215mph in a pro stock car, one of them is Jimmy \u00c5lund.\u00a0 I predict we will see 216 in 2016, and I safely predict a European record of 6.45.\u00a0 Whatever the record ends up being, it is possible that, like the Top Fuel \u00bc mile record, no-one will ever take it away as we go into a new era of Pro Stock with the EFI engines.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jimmy \u00c5lund<\/p><\/div>\n

Low ET of the event: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jimmy \u00c5lund 6.52
\nHighest speed:\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Jimmy \u00c5lund 212.89 mph (342.61 kmh)
\nRecords set: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>none
\n<\/strong>
\nLink to full results:
\n<\/strong>Final qualifications list
\nhttp:\/\/fiaedc.edrspro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/PS-Qual.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Elimination ladder<\/p>\n

http:\/\/santapod.co.uk\/track\/Results\/2015\/FIA%20EUROPEAN%20FINALS%202015\/FIA%20PRO%20STOCK%20CAR\/LADDER.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Points standing 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/fiaedc.edrspro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/FIA_European_Drag_Racing_Championship_2015_pointstandings_final.pdf.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Ian Hart ian.hart@speedgroup.eu<\/em>
\nPhotos:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 Remco Scheelings<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Class Review FIA European Finals\u00a0 \u2013 \u00a0Pro Stock Car, The winner takes it all? Venue: Santa Pod, England Dates: September 3rd \u2013 6th 2015 The winner takes it all? Every season plays out like a story for teams and classes.\u00a0 In some cases it is a tale of domination and supremacy from one team inflicting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dragracingeurope.eu\/fiaedc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}