FIA Round #2 – 2011 Sweden Internationals – Tierp Arena, Sweden – 9-12^th June 2011.

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Amazing Action from Tierp Area Sweden!

For round two of the FIA European Drag Racing Series held at the brand new, state-of-the-art facility at Tierp in Sweden, it was a challenging time for everyone.   

Sweden's impressive new Tierp Arena

It was deemed that Top Fuel would run the one thousand feet instead of the quarter-mile that the track was built for, causing a little surprise to some racers and many fans. It was however a record setting and highly successful debut for the stunning new track.

 Top Fuel:

Twelve machines put in runs over the two days of Pro qualifying which was led by American Tommy Johnson Jr. fast becoming a popular competitor among the race fans, his 4.019/298 just in front of Finland’s Risto Poutiainen on a 4.028 with the first three hundred of the weekend, a 305.32mph. In third place was another Finn, Anita Mäkelä with a 4.091/255 clocking. The remainder of the field was spread out with Timo Lehtimäki on the bump with a 4.244/268. There were four DNQs that included Denmark’s Stig Neergaard, usually a front runner, Sweden’s Monica Öberg who says this year will be her farewell tour, both on 4.3s, Finland’s Jari Halinen struggled with a 5.058 and Sweden’s Patrik Pers managed a 5.584 after his first attempt fire-balled the motor on the start line.

USA racer Tommy Johnson Jr. won in Top Fuel

Round one kicked off with Switzerland’s Urs Erbacher taking a 4.125/282 win over Sweden’s Micke Kågered whose game try of 4.376/231 was not man enough. Anita Mäkelä was well ahead of new boy Antii Horto, a 4.188/223 beat the troubled 5.145/140 try. Britain’s Andy Carter with his new team were still getting it all together and suffered selecting forward so just idled through allowing Risto Poutiainen a 4.104/298 win. The last pair of the round was Tommy Johnson Jr. and Finn Timo Lehtimäki with the latter giving it his best shot, a 4.391/263 was no contest as Johnson powered to a 4.033/304 win.

Round two opened with TJ coming up against Erbacher, the pair with a wealth of experience between them and it was Erbacher away first only to be hauled in by the American, a 4.009/302 beating the 4.248/288 try. The next pair was a couple of Finnish racers, one lady one man; Poutiainen led the way and left Mäkelä in his wake, a 4.081/304 beating the close 4.028/300.

The final was expected almost from the beginning, Risto Poutiainen in his red, white and black machine against the Sunoco backed car out of the Per and Karsten Andersen stable. The pair left almost together but Poutiainen hazed the slicks at two-hundred feet as Tommy Johnson Jr. powered to the first three second 1000 foot in Europe taking the win with a 3.956/307 to the losing 4.378/196.

Top Methanol Dragster:

England’s Dave Wilson led the class with a 5.298/265 with fellow Brit Derek Flynn in second with a 5.341/259 and Norway’s Fred Hanssen in third with a 5.354/266. On the bubble sat Norwegian Paul Ingar Udtian with a 5.593/255 and the only DNQ was Finland’s Esko Raisvou on a 6.487/249.

Round one saw the demise of Paul Ingar Udtian who red lit allowing a lucky Dave Wilson through despite going up in smoke off the line. A battle of the German brothers left the younger, Dennis Habermann the loser as big brother Timo, the current Champion clocking a 5.412/260 to the losing 5.421/263. A good holeshot from German Peter Schöfer left Derek Flynn to catch up but the 5.478/246 beat Flynn’s top end charge of 5.540/262. Esko Raisvou came in as alternate as Sweden’s Krister Johansson failed to show and faced Fred Hanssen, it was a bit of a staging duel with Hanssen’s motor revving for a long time before they left with Raisvou having a tardy leave allowing Hanssen the win on a 5.547/266 to the losing 6.200/253. 

TMD Winner - Fred Hanssen fron Norway

Wilson started round two with a 5.343/267 win over Timo Habermann’s 5.411/259 try and Hanssen managed to beat Schöfer on a holeshot and despite getting uncomfortably close to the centre line clinched the win with a 5.350/268 to the 5.453/258.

 It was all to no avail in the final for England’s Dave Wilson in his Silverline Tools A/Fueller as the fuel lever would not budge leaving no alternative than to shut off on the line and allow the Islanders Black & White dragster with Fred Hanssen on board a clear run for the victory, a 5.305/269 was the winning numbers for the Norwegians.

Top Methanol Funny Car:

An eight car field was led by Swede Ulf Leanders who is certainly setting the numbers after almost a year off from racing in Europe, a 5.653/255 garnered pole position ahead of Norway’s Arvid Grødem on a 5.754/251 and a returning to TMFC Leif Andréasson on a 5.780/248 pass. At the bottom of the pile was Swede Jonas Staflund with a 6.285/232.

Swedens own Jonas Staflund won in TMFC

In a total surprise Ulf Leanders shook at sixty foot and went close to the wall as Jonas Staflund took the decider with a 6.020/236 to the losing 6.241/243 to open round one. Germany’s Jürgen Nagel went up in smoke directly off the line as opponent, Finland’s Jarmo Kuutniemi shook his chute out at one hundred feet, dragging it all the way to the win, 6.892/187 to a chasing 7.167/233. Dan Larsen in the borrowed Dodge Avenger blew the tyres off at two hundred feet slowing him to an 8.529/108 as Arvid Grødem leapt ahead to take the nod, 5.822/238. Lastly Leif Andréasson despite a last half track bounce took the light against Belgium’s Danny Bellio, 5.784/246 win to the losing on and off the power 6.406/244. 

It was certainly Jonas Staflund’s weekend as he and his Brokk/Mobil Firebird came from eighth qualifier to win the event, a solo, easy 15.506/48 as opponent Arvid Grødem in his Sunoco Mustang failed to show due to a spun bearing.

Pro Stock:

A huge fourteen car class had rookie Thomas Lindström lead the way with a 6.735/206 clocking from his recently imported ex Allen Johnson Dodge Stratus, he was chased by current Champion Michael Malmgren with a 6.736/206 and former champ Jimmy Ålund on a 6.741/205 with more than half the pack in the 6.7s. Sitting down on the bubble was Sweden’s Michael Callin on a 6.894/202.

Round one saw Finland’s Sampsa Palos just nip in to the win with a 6.793/205 to oust Richard Sundblom’s 6.763/206, then Michael Malmgren notched up the win when a 6.801/205 got the better of fellow Swede Tommy Leindahl’s 6.862/202. Jonas Dantanus delivered a 6.827/202 but was beaten by  Jimmy Ålund’s 6.784/205 and the last pair saw Thomas Lindström take a neat 6.734/206 win to trailer Michael Callin’s 6.843/202 try.

Palos continued his charge with a 6.796/205 win that ended the day for rookie Thomas Lindström on a 6.802/204. In a battle of the class giants it was Jimmy Ålund’s turn to take the win with a 6.772/205 to the losing 6.817/205 from Michael Malmgren to end the round.

Pro Stock produced a first time winner; Sampsa Palos (from Finland(

In the money run Jimmy Ålund in his Klintberg & Way backed GTO faced the flying Finn Sampsa Palos who left a tad before his opponent and hung on to record a 6.790/205 win in his Chevy Cobalt as Ålund followed behind with a losing 6.793/206.

Pro Modified:

A whopping twenty-eight cars all did their best to gain a place in the top sixteen, it was headed by Sweden’s Adam Flamholc on a 6.010/240 pass ahead of favourite, Micke Gullqvist with a 6.015/239 and Mats Eriksson on a 6.047/240 that left Germany’s Norbert Kuno on the bump spot with a 6.240/231 and after him many disappointed racers that did not qualify.

The opening round of this popular class began directly after the opening ceremony that included dignitaries speeches and ribbon cutting, a fly past of a Hawker Hunter then a parachute team towing a giant Swedish flag. The first pair down the track were Jan Gunnarsson in the ‘Badillac’ who lost to Switzerland’s Bruno Bader, 6.156/229 to a close 6.187/238. Freddy Fagerström took his crowd pleasing truck to the win on a 6.599/220 as Niclas Andersson got loose and close to the wall, shutting down to a 9.283/92 lose. Micke Lindahl took his ’67 Camaro to the next round with a 6.142/235 as Per Svedberg’s neat Dodge Demon chased with a losing 6.132/235. England’s Andy Robinson suffered a touch of over eagerness carding a red light and wasting his 6.173/231 as Johan Lindberg’s Firebird got the win light with a 6.056/239. Kristian Nyström managed a 6.197/236 but was beaten across the line by Netherland’s Marc Meihuizen’s 6.161/234. Number three qualifier Mats Eriksson went out by way of a red light giving the win to Urban Johansson’s 6.159/228. Roger Johansson’s new nitrous Corvette suffered a mighty nitrous fiery burp at the top end blowing the scoop to pieces, his 6.464/178 losing as Micke Gullqvist ran the first five of the eliminations, a 5.989/239 and finally, Norbert Kuno succumbed to Adam Flamholc’s 6.052/237 win to the 6.416/218 lose.

Flamholc opened the next round with an up in smoke at the sixty foot mark as Bader tore off to the win with a 6.118/230. Meihuizen was the next to fall, his troubled 7.712/128 was beaten by Lindberg’s 5.988/239 ticket. Fagerström’s weekend ended in this round, his 6.342/231 was beaten by the 6.018/239 from Gullqvist. Johansson lost traction and got into a bounce slowing him to a 15.086/41 as Lindahl powered by to take the result with a 6.121/236.

The semis were dramatic as Johan Lindberg spoilt his weekend with a red light time of 6.016/238 handing the win to a very loose and all over his lane Bruno Bader with a lucky 8.250/133. Another red light popped up in front of Micke Lindahl trashing his 6.106/237 try and seeing through Micke Gullqvist on a new European best of 5.979 at 240.91 mph.

The tremendous bouts delivered the two contestants for the final and it was not to be as first thought as Bruno Bader in his ‘Gotham City’ ’63 Covette faced the might of NHRA national event winner Micke Gullqvist, Switzerland versus Sweden. Bader left first and as Gullqvist tried to catch he suffered severe tyre shake that sent his Camaro all over his lane, he stopped chasing to record a runner up place with an 8.851/113 as Bader romped home with a 6.104/231 win.

Story and Photos Copyright : Roger Gorringe (June 2011)