Runner-up Urs Erbacher has the pressure of what amounts to the Swiss driver’s ‘home’ race at the NitrOlympX, with the Victory Cycles team playing host to a large number of sponsors and supporters during the course of the weekend and this edition was no different with an impressive array of custom bikes (Erbacher’s stock in trade) lining his pit area. The racing itself was also hard work as the three qualifying shots resulted in a few scrap bits of aluminum and a fireball resulting in seventh spot in the seven-car field. The Saturday night show saw the team in search of valuable data outside of competition, and a spectacular 4.16 (alongside Mäkelä who was also in the 4.1s) suggested a turnaround for raceday. A messy 4.699 (with a clutch dust filter falling off the car shortly after the launch) managed to account for championship contender Stig Neergaard in the opener, and a holeshot leave on a 4.391 to a 4.386 got him ahead of Liam Jones in the semifinal.

Both of the losing semifinalists in Top Fuel came from the Rune Fjeld Motorsport stable with Maltese driver Duncan Micallef bouncing back from a non qualifying effort in Finland to pick up third spot on the ladder with a 4.291 and then progress in the first round of eliminations when Mäkelä’s motor erupted in an oil fire just off the startline.

Fuel rookie Liam Jones took his second round win of the season in defeating teammate Jari Halinen in the opener but had a slight dose on the line to let Erbacher progress at the next stage.