Another in the "surprise finalist" category was Smax Smith behind the wheel of the McDonalds Brothers car having just squeaked into the field on the bump at 5.42 in the final qualifying session, although some pretty stout 60 foot clockings in the 0.86-0.88 range and 1/8th mile clockings hinted at four second potential. Smax appeared to be carrying lucky charms through the first two rounds of eliminations as number one qualifier Tommy Moller's fuel pump broke letting in Urs Erbacher as first alternate, but a tardy leave put the Swiss driver behind at each incremental until his motor let go at halftrack. The semis should have been an all British matchup (although Smax now resides in Canada) between the 2003 and 2004 FIA champions, but Andy Carter's B&Q mount astonishingly failed to fire giving Smax a solo pass into the money round. Although Smax was hopeful of producing a four second pass for the Bulldog Bash backed entry, a cylinder dropping 5.08/288 left him trailing Fallstrom.
Andy Carter, usually a strong runner at Santa Pod Raceway, seemed to be struggling in qualifying with a 5.187 best for fifth spot, but a 1.05 60' foot mark show he had rolled the beams on what would have been a more representative dip into the 5.0 to 4.9 range. However, fifth spot meant a first round match up with fellow Rune Fjeld stablemate Thomas Nataas and a slightly early click off 4.894/297 suggested that Carter would be able dominate proceedings as so often on race day. These hopes came to nought as the starter jammed before there was fire in the pipes handing the solo to Smax. |
Tommy Moller headed the field with a sub-European record 4.818 at a twitchy 303 mph from the Pennzoil backed black rail in the final round of qualifying and seemed to have put the gremlins that prevented a single pass at Easter behind him. However, gremlins that afflicted the top half of the field had been unleashed in the Fuel Dragster pits at the start of eliminations decided that the fuel system should pack up before moving an inch in his first round match-up. |
Having dealt with Moller, the gremlins then dealt with number two qualifier (and Top Fuel rookie) Hakan Nilsson in the immaculate Veidec motorsports entry of Per and Karsten Andersson. Having had a thrash to get licensing runs completed prior to FIA qualifying, the ex-Doug Herbert rail (the third car Herbert has sold to Europe in the past two
seasons) produced a nice 4.860/306 to place Nilsson in second spot in the field, but the slicks went up in smoke almost as soon as he hit the throttle sent the green and silver bullet sideways and out of eliminations and Kagered through to the semis.
