FIA Round #2 Report from Sweden

DragRaceCanada’s commitment to supporting major international drag racing events continues.   Our valued European reporter Roger Gorringe was at the fabulous Tierp Arena for last weekend’s Sweden Internationals and filed this report…..

The FIA European Drag Racing Series held its second event of 2013 accompanied by the first round for the two-wheelers, the FIM Europe: European Drag Bike Championship on the all concrete surface of Sweden’s Tierp Arena. It was almost a carbon copy of the first round, the Main Event at England’s Santa Pod Raceway a few weeks earlier as the Sportsman categories lost their day to rain but the remaining three days became tolerable with breezy sunshine and some near misses with thunderstorms. Personal bests were claimed and European records were retaken from ones run at the Santa Pod event. Disappointingly there were no Top Methanol Dragsters in attendance, the class seemingly out on a limb at present. Fan attendance took a hit as finances and the weather reports kept some at home, other than that the event was entertaining and was successfully concluded.

Top Fuel saw the first European to run a three on European soil as Denmark’s Stig Neergaard stormed to a fine 3.981/304 to lead the eight strong pack; he made it all the way to the finals after seeing off Finn, Timo Lehtimäki 4.153/249 to a 6.984/88. Another Finn, Jari Halinen pedaled in vain as Neergaard took the light, a 4.229/221 to a 4.377/210. Meeting Neergaard in the final was the Norwegian, Thomas Nataas driving a Danish owned car, Nataas ran like a bracket car taking out Sweden’s Micke Kågered taking a try in one of the Rune Fjeld stable of cars as Champion Risto Poutiainen has now left the team, a 4.084/300 beat the 4.153/290 try. The Main Event winner, Finn Antti Horto was Nataas’ next victim as he went up in smoke losing with a 6.702/94 as Nataas pedaled to a 4.765/204 win.

Norwegian Thomas Nataas was the Top Fuel winner

The final was held as a large thunderstorm passed uncomfortably close-by adding to the drama as Stig Neergaard left slightly ahead of Thomas Nataas but tossed a blower belt nearing the stripe slowing him to a 4.271/219 as Nataas flew by unnervingly close to the wall to record the 4.200/259 win.

Top Methanol Funny Car just gets better and better with some real wars continuing in the power struggles, Sweden’s Johan Lindberg sat atop the pile with a 5.549/259 and fellow countryman Leif Andréasson chased for second with a 5.560/260. The final pairing was between Johan’s sibling, Jonnie Lindberg in a virtually identical Chevy Monte Carlo to his brother and Adam Flamholc who commutes between the US and Europe racing a Pro Mod and now a TMFC. Lindberg had made his way through on a round one bye then beating his brother. Flamholc saw off Mikael Larsson then Leif Andréasson. The Chevrolet/Pålplinter machine of Jonnie Lindberg left first but got slightly loose up track as Adam Flamholc’s Amalie/Hurst Boiler/Cleanpipe backed Monte Carlo took the win with a 5.712/256 to a losing 5.844/262.16 the latter being a new European speed record.

Adam Flamholc cleaned up in Top Methanal FC

Pro Mod had twenty-five entries that was led, not surprisingly by Sweden’s Micke Gullqvist with a 5.926/247. Two new records appeared during the weekend, the event winner, Sweden’s Urban Johansson scored a 5.882 and Martin Lundkvist pushed his turbo Mustang to a 248.00mph clocking. It was a resurgent Urban Johansson that went away the happiest as he beat Johan Westberg then Freddy Fagerström and a solo to the final when Mattias Wulcan no-showed. Top qualifier Micke Gullqvist made his way to the final by taking out Jari Parén, Anders Nilsson then Niclas Andersson. The final saw a great leave by Urban Johansson’s ‘Vette which he held onto, gaining a 5.991/239 win as Micke Gullqvist chased hard but could only garner second place with a 5.956/246.

Home countryman Urban Johansson’s supercharged Corvette won in Pro Mod

Pro Stock has twelve entrants and was led by Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund with some stunning figures from his Ken Black motored Camaro, a 6.552/212.10 saw both ends of the European record reset. It all came down to a now familiar battle as he faced fellow Swede Thomas Lindström on the money run. Ålund began his day with a win over Ulf Wagnhester then a pasting of Michael Malmgren’s 6.774 with a 6.585 to the final. Lindström meanwhile saw off the likes of Jan Ericsson and a 6.646 beat the 6.679 try from Micke Callin. It was a bout between Jimmy Ålund in his KW Parts.com Camaro and the Ernryd Cars Dodge Stratus of Thomas Lindström for the trophy, with Ålund making an estimated 30bhp more Lindström had it all to do and his holeshot did the trick notching up a 6.626/208 win as Ålund slowed with problems to a 7.369/127.

Thomas Lindström (from Sweden) rolled his Mopar into victory lane in Pro Stock

 Photos and posting by:   Roger Gorringe. www.nitroexposure.co.uk

Event Essentials: FIA Sweden Internationals – Tierp Sweden (June 13-16th, 2013)

Peter Svensson won the event’s Top Fuel Bike title