| Gaining considerable momentum at domestic level throughout Europe, the no bar Super Street Bike class looks to be stepping towards a continental wide series for 2012 with Hungary hosting the first of a series of eliminators to test the water. With the performance dominance that UK-based teams have shown over recent years it wasn’t too much of a surprise when Dave Smith and Graham Dance lined up in the final round, despite the best efforts of Denmark’s Mogens Lund, Germany’s Thomas Granica and Sweden’s Nichlas Sverin, all in or within a cough and a spit of the sevens during qualifying although some way behind Smith’s excellent and off the trailer 7.545/195. Smith and Dance advanced from the final four (over Sverin and Lund respectively) with a pair of 7.7s but with serious money on the line, Smith demonstrated why he’s nicknamed ‘the Bounty Hunter’ and made up on Dance’s holeshot with a 7.797 to a 8.124. |
As per last season, a selection of FIA competitors were brought to the track to put on a show, but the track conditions were something of a mystery to many of the teams this time around. Rune Fjeld’s fuel cars driven by Jari Halinen and Risto Poutiainen barely made it off the line before breaking traction and the Pro Mods slipped and skated to mid seven second clockings at best. Low ET for the cars was posted by Dennis Habermann, who carded a pair of low sixes after pedaling through violent tyreshake and drifting the car sideways at halftrack to gain bragging rights over his elder brother and reigning FIA Top Methanol Dragster champ Timo before the start of the championship chase.  |
