FIA Top Methanol Funny Car
The Over the Hill team of Jorgen Johnsson had a weekend to remember with their ex-Pat Austin Firebird. Johnsson produced an as smooth as you like 5.758 in qualifying to have over a tenth on the rest of the Methanol Funny Car field had to really wrestle their bouncing rides up the Mantorp hill. The story didn’t change in eliminations as a 5.77 (to defeat Micke Kagered), 5.83 (semi final win over Dan Larsen) and 5.82 final round victory over Leif Andreasson’s 5.91 to secure the biggest win of his career and resetting the track record into the bargain.
Second and third qualifiers Ulf Leanders (near lane) and Leif Andreasson (far lane) met up in a marquee semi-final match up, with Andreasson’s holeshot coupled to a 5.90 being enough to hold off Leander’s 5.85 by a car’s length. The Leanders brothers currently have their car (Europe’s quickest at 5.66) up for sale with a view to move classes in the near future. Could we see a repeat of this match-up in Nitro Funny Car in the next couple of seasons?
FIA Top Methanol Dragster
Brit Dave Wilson was victorious in Top Methanol, the only category not to feature a Swede in the final round. Having qualified on pole with a 5.453/259, a 5.49/256 was enough to easily cover Yngve Solberg in the first round and earn a bye in the semis, which produced another 5.49/255. Peter Schofer’s 5.46/259 earned the German lane choice for the final round, but violent shake ended his charge as Wilson produced low ET of the class with a 5.447/258.
Having threatened to break up the dominance of the BADs towards the end of last season, veteran Krister Johansson is in something of a slump with his A/Fuel car after an off season rule change prevents the crew from chucking the whole fuel drum, label and all, into the tank. Johansson has always been the most determined of competitors and hopefully his highly skilled crew will unlock the key to competitive numbers on 98% pop soon.
FIA Pro Stock Car
Reigning European champion Jimmy Alund and the Grim Reaper team didn’t have things all their own way over the weekend, Michael Malmgren’s Lahega backed Grand Am bouncing back from a heavy crash at Santa Pod back in May to qualify on pole with a 6.9670 to just head Alund’s 6.9671. Malmgren improved to a 6.93 in the first round and then produced a pair of 6.99s in the semis and final round, but Alund’s reproduced 6.95s in each elimination round, the last of which was enough to cover Malmgren by a car length.
