DragRaceCanada Checks in from FIA Sweden 

Round two of the FIA & UEM European Drag Racing Series was held at Sweden’s super-track Tierp Arena….

The event was unfortunately subjected to some persistent rain that cut qualifying by half and dealt out any form of Sportsman eliminations on Sunday.   Racing in the Pro classes finalised late that evening after being granted a special curfew extension. The place was pretty much as last year with some finishing still needed — but the track delivering some great personal best and new European records.

Top Fuel:

 Top Fuel had eight qualifiers with Finland fielding five cars led in the last qualifier by Jari Halinen on a 4.226/237 pass just ahead of Sweden’s Håkan Fällström on a 4.248/241.  Fällström went out in round one to eventual winner,Finland’s Risto Poutiainen who notched up his second win of the year. Poutiainen faced Halinen in the late evening final for an all Finland battle, Jari Halinen in the SISU Polar machine left first but was reeled in by Risto Poutiainen in his Multi Lotto.com car, a 4.185/282 beat the 4.290/276 try.

Finland's Risto Poutiainen took a big win in Top Fuel

 Top Methanol Dragster:

Top Methanol Dragster saw the Maltese team of Chris Polidano in the injected Kalanc/Gold RV backed car come from fourth qualifier to event winner. On pole sat anotherMaltaowned machine, that of Monty Bugeja, his 5.297/266 leading the way but a loss in round two to Polidano ended his weekend. Facing Chris Polidano in the final wasBritain’s Dave Wilson, winner of the series round one inEngland. Polidano scored the win asWilsonwent up in smoke off the line, a 6.321/223 took the win. Earlier Polidano had set a new European speed record with a 272.14mph qualifier.

The Malta-based team of Chris Polidano won in TMD and reset the European class speed record to 272.14 mph

 Top Methanol Funny Car:

Top Methanol Funny Car once again had a small entry with just six cars qualifying led bySweden’s Leif Andréasson in his DISAB vacuum technologyMonte Carloon a European record 5.558/259.71 pass. He ended up decimating the opposition and took his first win of the year as he facedBelgium’s Danny Bellio in his Dodge Charger who once again suffered no ‘chutes and ended up flipping the car into the sand trap. Leif Andréasson clocked the winning 5.561/258 as Bellio, winner of the round inEnglandearlier in the month scored runner up with a 5.917/247 with the car needing a lot of repair.

Leif Andreasson decimated the TMFC class and set both ends of the Euro records for his class

 Pro Modified:

Pro Modified was the major class with twenty-six runners led bySweden’s Micke Gullqvist on a 5.949/244 pass. Gullqvist never made it easy for anyone and reached the final to face fellow countryman, Niclas Andersson in his unique ’51 Chevy Business Coupe. Andersson was first away then shook as Gullqvist got a little loose but stopped the clocks with a 6.014/242 win to the slowed up 9.204/93 from Andersson. Gullqvist set a European ET record of 5.949 during the weekend.

Sweden's own Micke Gullqvist prevailed over a huge field of Pro Mod cars with a record setting performance

 Pro Stock Car:

Pro Stock had twelve cars vying for position led bySweden’s Jimmy Ålund in his brand new KW Parts.com Camaro which he managed this time to hook up well delivering a 6.709/207 just ahead of fellow Swede Thomas Lindström on a 6.726/207 in his Ernryd Cars Stratus and it was this pair that faced off for the money. It was a blinder of a race with the newer racer Lindström out first, hanging on to get the light with a 6.704/207 to the quicker 6.701/207 from Ålund.

Super Twin Bike:  

Onto two wheels and into Super Twin Bike that saw Sweden’s Per Bengtsson on form with a number one qualifier, a 6.483/223 just ahead of Canadian Nate Gagnon with a 6.549/219 and well ahead of the eighteen bike field. It was these two machines that came up against one another in the final but Gagnon had problems not being able to keep the bike running that left him on the start line and watching Bengtsson take an easy pass of 15.603 to take the trophy.

Super Twin Bike winner -- Per Bengtsson

Top Fuel Bike: 

The Top Fuel Bike class was again small but was led bySweden’s Peter Svensson who was as usual, in a class of his own recording a top qualifier of 5.923/201. In the final Svensson was pitted against England’s Ian King and it was King on his Gulf Gran Prix Originals Puma that led out of the trap but had to feather it at half track as Peter Svensson on his Starta backed machine zoomed past scoring a back-up for the European ET record (5.923) 5.827/230 against the losing 6.958/147.

Peter Svensson (from Sweden) took the Top Fuel Bike category

 Pro Stock Bike:  

Pro Stock Bike had some big guns over from the US to help or just to observe and included Eddie Krawiec and Garry and Karen Stoffer. The class was led byFinland’s Fredrik Fredlund with a 7.173/182. The final came down to a run-off between two Swede’s, Ulf Ögge on his Bike Line Buell against the Suzuki power of Kalle Lyrén but it was all over on the start line for  Lyrén as he red lit giving the win to Ulf Ögge with a 7.093/186 to the losing 7.233/183.

Ulf Ogge roared to victory lane in Pro Stock Bike

 Event Essentials:   Sweden Internationals  Tierp Arena (June 14-17^th 2012)

Jan Sturla Hegre's Super Twin Bike had this major and very expensive "bang"

Report and photos by:  Roger Gorringe (Copyright: June 2012)