We mentioned in our report from Alastaro back in June that the Finns were acoming in Top Fuel. Well this underlined at the Hockenheimring, with 50% of the semifinalists being from the land of a 1000 lakes. It’s been over a decade since Risto ‘Evil Paul’ Poutiainen tore up the tracks in a fuel dragster, but he’s back now and quicker than ever as part of Eagle Racing’s efforts behind the wheel of one of Rune Fjeld’s rent-a-rides. A 4.834/309.77 represented his new PB (and we think the quickest clocking by a Finn so far) and did the job of getting around Urs Erbacher in the first round of eliminations.
The other Finnish competitor that made the final four,Tommi Haapanen, had qualified low amongst his four countrymen at the Nitrolymp’X with a 4.888/309.21 and then held on for a win slowing championship leader Andy Carter with a 4.984. Haapanen then fell to Joon in the semi-finals but the new pipework for ‘08 is certainly given the Haapanen & Makela team a very strong and straight ride.
FIA Top Fuel Dragster Qualifying and Results
- Lex Joon 4.827/282.78 runner-up
- Urs Erbacher 4.835/307.58 first round
- Micke Kagered 4.865/287.97 winner
- Andy Carter 4.867/314.90 first round
- Tommi Haapanen 4.888/309.21 semi-final
- Stig Neergaard 5.008/244.83 first round
- Risto Poutiainen 5.107/246.17 semi-final
- Jari Halinen 5.321/226.62 first round
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- Janne Ahonen 5.588/164.09 DNQ
Low ET Lex Joon 4.774 Top Speed Andy Carter 314.90 mph
FIA Pro Modified
When the crowd cheer to the rafters every burnout and wild ride, you just knew that Pro Modified would bring the house down. Qualifying saw the major shock of the event when Championship leader Robert Joosten failed to qualify. Things got a little more perplexing in the first round of eliminations (run just in front of a packed Saturday night crowd just before the start of the night show) when a whole host of favourites went out (and Urban Johansson, 6.155, and Mats Eriksson, 6.166, produced spectacular numbers). Come the final round on Sunday evening, it was the Lindahl Brothers from Sweden with their Kendall backed Camaro that just kept on trucking through the field and handily defeated Rolf Ammann with a 6.260/240.81, backing up a semi-final 241.28 mph blast for a new class speed record and the points accrued give them the championship lead with a single event remaining.