FIA/UEM Main Event, Santa Pod Raceway, England

Words and photos by Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes / Thanks to TSI Timers (Europe) for access to the timing data

Whilst much of the rest of the UK was decked out in bunting for the Diamond Jubilee, those members of European drag racing community that had descended on Santa Pod for the Euro season opener really should have been plotting revolution and overthrow of the monarchy. Why? Well, if it wasn’t for the celebrations of Elizabeth II accession to the throne some sixty years ago, the Main Event would have taken place on it’s traditional Whit Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May underneath cloudless skies. What we got instead were freezing cold and wet conditions for most of the event, with qualifying being halved and a late start to eliminations thanks to those weepers so dreaded by track crews the world over when the water table rises and direct sunlight draws the moisture up through the track surface. Particular kudos has to be given to the SPRC crew who managed to get the FIA/UEM finals run before the curfew terminated activities despite a series of curveballs that were thrown at them, although the necessary rapid turnaround between semis and finals resulted in a rash of no-shows. Thanks Brenda, we owe you one!

It would also be remiss of us not to mention the political backdrop to the meeting, which resulted in a significant amount of disharmony to the start of this season and contributed to the absence of many of the Swedish teams. This situation has been further exacerbated by financial issues that had already curtailed the travel plans of many teams and the hopes for resurfacing of the Santa Pod track surface, a combination of these left the Main Event without the 2011 champions in seven of the eight FIA/UEM full categories. Considerable heat was stoked into the embers of the underlying issues over the course of the weekend with positions becoming severely polarized; we can only hope that significant improvements are made on all fronts before the season’s end. 

Come with us now as we take you through the European season opener and we’ll save the penguins (!) until last.

FIA Top Fuel Dragster

Since returning to Top Fuel action in 2008 after over a decade-long sabbatical, Risto Poutiainen has been close, very close, in both points chases and event wins, but until now has never sealed the deal. Poutiainen secured low qualifying points with a second session 4.101/293.13 (this being the first event at Santa Pod where 1000 foot becomes the norm for FIA Top Fuel) and this would also hold for low ET. The TFD race of the meeting came in the semi-finals with Poutiainen and RFM team-mate Jari Halinen both losing traction and repeatedly stabbing the throttle down track, the win light shining through the tiresmoke in Risto’s lane with a 5.997 to a 6.524. The rapid turnaround between semi and final round prevented opponent Stig Neergaard making the call, but the MultiLotto.com backed rail lit up the evening sky with a 4.215/277 to take what Poutiainen hopes will be “the first of many wins, now we’ve opened the flood gates!”

Anita Mäkelä (Finland) FIA Top Fuel Dragster