Bouncing back from a DNQ in Finland, Micallef and the Manta/RFM team have turned a bit of a corner with the runner-up to Anita coming off the back of a semifinal finish in Germany a couple of weeks previously. The Maltese driver lowered his Personal Best to a 4.0091 in qualifying and shaved some more off in the opening round of eliminations with a 4.0075 to defeat RFM team mate Antti Horto.

Micallef then progressed to his first FIA final with a 4.0217 to outrun Micke Kågered. The trophy run ultimately ended in defeat with a 4.0118/300.66 mph being close, but not quite close enough to defeat the rampaging Mäkelä.

Points leader Kågered didn’t quite have the power “at least not yet” to take advantage of the conditions at Tierp, but nonetheless had a pretty decent weekend picking up points in qualifying and then knocking Stig Neergaard out of championship contention with a first round victory as the Bacho Tools Express continued to run clean to a 4.1270 whilst Neergaard’s Eye of the Storm shed the belt and slowed to a 4.3116. Although the Swede succumbed to Micallef’s 4.0 at the semifinal stage he was looking forward to the final event and the excitement in the points chase. (Rose Hughes photo)