Having picked up his new chassis from Mats Eriksson’s shop (now producing full McKinney-spec TF cars in Europe) a week before the Nitro Nationals, Tommi Haapanen was delighted to qualify with such limited preparation time, and was on for a simply astounding ticket in a fourth qualifying attempt that would have vaulted him high in the ladder but for being dragged through stage before the tree ran. Unfortunately the run data was also accidently wiped out in clearing the car from the track, and a small fuel fire in the first round of eliminations prevented a decent challenge to Urs Erbacher.
FIA Top Fuel Qualifying and Eliminations
- Andy Carter 4.767/309.38 semi-finals
- Urs Erbacher 4.843/303.95 semi-finals
- Lex Joon 4.892/305.39 winner
- Micke Kagered 5.055/268.89 runner up
- Jari Halinen 5.180/264.08 first round
- Janne Ahonen 5.317/233.95 first round
- Tommi Haapanen 5.463/182.25 first round
- Joran Persaker 5.520/186.6 first round
- Torstein Risdal 5.605/200.49
- Stig Neergaard 5.899/161.46
- Hakan Fallstrom 14.233/42.35
Low ET Andy Carter 4.767 Top Speed Carter 309.38 mph
Strong evidence that the Finns are ‘a coming’ in Top Fuel was the final licencing shot of Timo Lehtimaki. Having hoped to gain a spot in FIA competition and being thwarted by a broken blower belt and missing the speed mark to get his licence signed off, Lehtimaki blasted out a straight and strong 4.895/306.43 (the second quickest and the fastest pass on Sunday) after the final rounds were run to earn the right to race at Mantorp at the end of July.
FIA Pro Modified
After qualifying in only 9th spot with a 6.335, Patrik Wikstrom would have been something of a long shot for the event win, but the wily veteran combined race day craft and a bit of luck to work his way through into the final round against Mikael Lindahl. Given that Lindahl had clocked 6.177 and 6.198 in the quarters and semis, Wikstrom was still something of a long shot, but Lindahl stuttered on the launch and the OFAB Thriller took the win light. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised as Wikstrom took the 2007 European Finals trophy in similar circumstances back in September.