Santa Pod Raceway - Events

FIA - The Main Event 2013
Friday 24th to Monday 27th May

FIA European Drag Racing Championships Inc FIM Drag Bikes - Round 1 Report

Following an ominous opening-day washout, sunshine swept across Santa Pod Raceway for three glorious days to burnish and illuminate the first round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. As records fell and competition blazed, Santa Pod’s brand new track surface combined with the perfect weather to deliver an outstanding race.

In FIA Top Fuel Dragster, a young Finn on the rise, Antti Horto, defeated his countrywoman Anita Mäkelä in a thundering final to score his first Top Fuel victory. With Santa Pod’s new track still bedding-in, the three-second, 300mph performance potential of these 8,000-horsepower machines has yet to be realised over their unique, 1,000-foot racing distance, but anticipation is bubbling for their return here for September’s FIA European Finals. Norway’s Thomas Nataas qualified low with the event’s quickest pass, 4.102sec, and Denmark’s Stig Neergaard hit top speed in the first round of eliminations at 288.32mph.

FIA Top Fuel Dragster:
Winner Antti Horto
Runner-Up Anita Mäkelä

Over the classic quarter-mile, a new FIA record was set in FIA Pro Modified. Sweden’s Michael Gullqvist, the reigning champion, set the official ET mark at 5.945sec during qualifying, backed up by an earlier 6.001, but could still qualify only second. Instead, pole position fell to Dutch rival Marc Meihuizen’s career-best 5.913, but Meihuizen failed to back it up for a new record and slipped from contention with mechanical breakage in the second round of eliminations. The irrepressible Gullqvist sailed through three rounds to the final, where he snatched victory in a thrilling match over another Dutchman, David Vegter, 5.987 to Vegter’s 6.106. This FIA Pro Mod opening round was combined with round two of the MSA British Drag Racing Championship.

FIA Pro Modified:
Winner Micke Gullqvist
Runner-Up David Vegter

An all-Swedish field in FIA Pro Stock produced a familiar outcome as Jimmy Ålund beat current champion Thomas Lindström in the final. On the way, Ålund set fresh FIA records for both speed (211.07mph) and elapsed time (6.568sec).

FIA Pro Stock:
Winner Jimmy Ålund
Runner-Up Thomas Lindström

The FIA Top Methanol Funny Car final was another Swedish affair as Leif Andréasson defeated Johan Lindberg. For Lindberg, it was a first outing in the class; the 2010 FIA Pro Modified champion had joined his brother Jonnie in TM Funny Car this year. An even newer entrant is Britain’s Gareth Ellis, progressing through his first season in a competition car of any kind.

FIA Top Methanol Funny Car:
Winner Leif Andréasson
Runner-Up Johan Lindberg

Just two cars showed up for FIA Top Methanol Dragster. Norway’s Paul Ingar Udtian is an experienced driver but Britain’s Tethys, an accomplished Sportsman racer, was making his debut in the class, driving recently retired champion Dave Wilson’s A/Fuel Dragster. Having earned an NHRA licence at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in America, Tethys was able to step straight in and scoop the race honours over Udtian, hitting impressive figures of 5.527sec/260.52mph on the way.

FIA Top Methanol Dragster:
Winner Tethys
Runner-Up Paul Ingar Udtian

A full programme of non-FIA competition was headlined by the second round of the new, nitro-fuelled European Funny Car Series. These cars’ performance levels at Easter’s first round had been severely curtailed by the freezing conditions, but this weekend’s fine weather allowed them to let rip. Britain’s John Spuffard achieved the best performance figures, 5.445sec and 278.90mph, but Swedish veteran Leif Helander beat him on a holeshot in the close-run final, launching first and hanging on to beat the British star to the finish, 5.496sec to Spuffard’s quicker 5.460.

Funny Car:
Winner Leif Helander
Runner-Up John Spuffard

On two wheels, an invitational race was held for bikers aiming to compete in the FIM European Championship, which this year begins at Tierp, Sweden, in June. The weekend’s outstanding motorcycle performance came in the FIM European Super Street Bike Cup series, with race winner Dave Holland setting new record marks at 7.199sec and an astonishing 206.05mph – on a street-legal Suzuki Hayabusa running treaded road tyres without the aid of wheelie-bars!

FIM Super Street Bike Cup:
Winner Dave Holland
Runner-Up Graham Balchin

Top Fuel Bike:
Winner Ian King
Runner-Up Steve Woollatt

Supertwin:
Winner Christian Jäger
Runner-Up Job Heezen

Pro Stock Bike:
Winner Martin Bishop
Runner-Up Gert-Jan Laseur

In the national classes, the following drivers took the wins.

Comp Eliminator:
Winner Andy Hone
Runner-Up Paula Atkin

Super Pro ET:
Winner Barry Giles
Runner-Up Simon Gough

Pro ET:
Winner Tim Stanbury
Runner-Up Mark Watkins

Super Comp:
Winner Paul Brown
Runner-Up Collin Morrice

Super Gas:
Winner Collin Morrice
Runner-Up Nick Curtis

Super Street:
Winner Bob Lees
Runner-Up Leigh Morris

Lucas Oil Junior Dragster:
Winner Brad Jackson
Runner-Up Billy Everitt

Topspeed Automotive Street Eliminator:
Winner Brian Payne
Runner-Up N/A

Championship drag racing resumes at Santa Pod over the weekend of 22-23 June with the Summer Nationals, featuring round three of the MSA British Championship for Pro Mods. Europe’s top stars return to the track from 5-8 September when the FIA Championship concludes at the European Finals.

Despite the best efforts of track crew, no racing was possible on Friday due to persistent rain. Keep hold of your Friday tickets as a 100% credit value has been attributed to them, full details on the Adverse Ticket Policy page.

View descriptions of the various Drag Racing classes on the Classes page, in the Drag Racing section of this site. The current points standings for European classes and MSA Pro Mod are on the 2013 Standings page.

Visit www.MSADragRacing.com for full details on the MSA British Drag Racing Championship and www.EuroFunnyCar.com for full details of the European Funny Car Series.

TV Show

Watch the full TV Show of the first round of the 2013 FIA Drag Racing Championship at the Main Event, also featuring Funny Cars and Super Street Bike.