FIA Pro Modified

The Scandinavian dominance of FIA Pro Modified was re-established in emphatic fashion over the course of the meeting with current champion Micke Gullqvist picking up maximum points with the low qualifying spot at 5.949/244.74 mph. A string of 6.0s in eliminations served not only to take the event win over Niclas Andersson with a 6.013/242.97mph, despite some fun and games on the startline, but provided ample back ups for the qualifying mark to stand as a new European ET record to go with the terminal speed record Gullan set back in 2010 in Finland.

Andersson and the Old Fifty One Chevrolet barely set foot out of Scandinavia, preferring instead to concentrate on the Top Doorslammer series that occasionally ventures into Norway and has adopted eighth mile racing for 2012. However, the multi-time FIA Pro Stock Car champion has a reputation for being very tricky on the startline and, coupled with the 6.0 performance levels that crew chief Magnus Pettersson appears to be able to dial-in almost to demand from the Business Coupe, is a threat to go rounds at any FIA round they turn up at. Unfortunately a scattering of aluminum underneath the car coupled with a significant lack of go from 200 feet onwards gave Gullqvist the opportunity to pull past Andersson’s holeshot.

Among the field of 26 Pro Mods, we’d already highlighted the outstanding performance of Freddy Fagerström and his C-10 pickup in Agent 1320 notes, but a 6.049 from one of the iconic acts on the European tour is worth mentioning again with Fagerström underlining his unofficial crown as having the quickest Pro Mod pick-up in the world. Any chance of repeating the numbers in the opening round of eliminations went away as the motor adopted a somewhat off beat note probably not unconnected to the shards of blower belt that were left behind, handing the win to Robert Joosten.