UEM Top Fuel Bike

After record setting performances in the States during the off season, the Nitro Nationals saw Rikard Gustafsson return to European competition with the RG Engineering Suzuki Funny Bike. Seemingly outgunned by the strong gathering of nitro bikes, Gustafsson managed to outlast the field (eleven bikes being the biggest entry in recent years in Finland), taking the event win from 3rd place on the ladder (after a 6.818) with a defeat of Otto Knebl in the first round, carding a 6.732.307, and improving to a 6.681/330.23 km/h on a semifinal bye when Sverre Dahl shutoff after the burnout. The top half of the ladder failed to provide Gustafsson with an opponent in the final as low qualifier Ian King had split the blower drive shaft in the first round of eliminations and then Rene van den Berg failed to take advantage of King’s no show when the primary drive bolts sheared preventing a launch under power. Gustafsson would have probably been too strong for van den Berg as the Swede carded a 6.849 on his single, some four tenths better than anything the Dutch rider had produced during the event.

Norwegian flyer Sverre Dahl was making his 2009 competition debut onboard the Sunshine Express, looking to build on the 6.1 second form that put him on top of the European performance charts last season. Whilst Alastaro wasn’t likely to deliver a track capable of holding those kind of numbers, Dahl had low qualifying spot covered with a 6.492/351.04 km/h until defending event champion Ian King took it away in the final session with a 6.428/338.41 to reset his own track record. King nudged the record down to a 6.408 in the first round of eliminations, but Dahl then became the first rider to dip into the 6.3s in Finland with a 6.364/362.10 km/h at the same stage. A strong burnout in the semis was followed by silence as Dahl had seen the oil pressure collapse and so wisely shut-off.