UEM European Drag Racing Championships Round Five, Sunoco Drag Challenge, Gardermoen, Norway

Rain would prove to be the winner in all four UEM categories over the course of the Sunoco Drag Challenge in Norway, wiping out a day of qualifying, disappearing to leave three qualifying sessions on the Sunday, and then returning in persistent fashion to wash out Sunday’s eliminations. Although the wet stuff greatly curtailed on track activities, the points accrued in qualifying caused some shuffling in the championship chases, although the three event UEM Funny Bike Cup drew to an emphatic conclusion.

Bouncing back from a first round loss in Finland, Ina King and the Gulf Oil/Grand Prix Originals backed team secured maximum qualifying points with a 6.254 at a speedy 236.71 mph (the second fastest TS recorded in Europe) demonstrating the efficacy of the new Puma Yamaha top end. Denied by rain of the chance to back up a new speed record, things are starting to move on apace in the development of the all new for 2011 bike.

In contrast to King, the Nitro Nationals in Finland represented a considerable high for Petri Paljakka although the event win there came with little in the way of decent numbers. However, reigning champion’s performance levels seemed to take a step towards with a final session 6.562. With Peter Svensson and Sverre Dahl struggling to get down the Gardermoen track during qualifying, eliminations could have presented a series of interesting twists and turns.

We’ve waited for years for an all six second qualified field in UEM Super Twin competition and, like the proverbial London bus, three have come along now in swift succession illustrating a real strength in depth in the class. Similarly, the points chase is now an unpredictable affair as Per Bengtsson (a DNQ at the season opener) opened his slender lead with a 6.602 for low qualifier points whilst championship challengers Hans Olav Olstad and Jan Sturle Hegre were DNQs and Roel Koedam has moved into second spot thanks to a 6.631 for third in qualifying.

Western Aussie Mark Ashelford continued the Attitude Racing’s ‘Aussie Assault’ in fine fashion with new PBs and a second spot on the un-run ladder behind Bengtsson with a 6.612/215. Gardermoen is the only track that Ash has seen prior to the UEM event rolling into town having debuted there earlier in the season, and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he’ll make on the championship chase next season particularly if brother Ian brings his bike over in 2012.

Pro Stock Bike was surprisingly low on numbers with eight bikes in attendance, but at the sharp end the battle for low ET in qualifying was as hot as ever and emerging from the scrap on top of the pile was, not for the first time this season, Fredrik Fredlund. Åland’s finest uncorked a 7.099/189 from the PAF Suzuki to extend his low qualifying streak to three races and reset the Gardermoen track record into the bargain.

Second behind Fredlund was Rasmus Olesen on the G2 Buell that Michael Ray had ridden in NHRA competition earlier in the season; it’s appearance in the pits representing a further investment in serious hardware by the Sovereign team and a 7.116/190.38 put Olesen ahead of team leader Jesper Thiel for the first time this year. Both Buells had a shot at resetting the European PSB speed record as Olesen’s speed needed a back-up whilst Thiel had recorded best figures of 191.19mph and 7.157 during the three sessions.

Rikard Gustafsson, low qualifier, new ET and new TS speed record (stop us if you’ve heard this before), and now the 2011 UEM Funnybike Cup champion.

The Swede took the Funny Bike Cup title by completing scrutineering, and underlined his performance dominance with a 6.545/212.03 in the second session which would stand as new European record marks, backed up by a too quick and too fast 6.466/215.08 that represented Gustafsson’s PBs in Europe. It is hoped that the quick Funny Bikes (and Gustafsson is certainly the quickest of the bunch) will find a place in a revamped UEM Top Fuel Bike division next season.

Fellow Swede Nils Lagerlof caught our attention with a pretty strong 6.772/209 run in the opening session (briefly holding on to top spot). The NC Racing team have been working hard on developing their Hayabusa-based powerplant over the past season or so, and repeated dips into the sixes suggest that their efforts are being repaid rather than adopting the GS powerplants that are more typically of the Suzuki runners in the class.

Remaining UEM championship rounds
September 8th – 11th FIA European Finals, Santa Pod Raceway, England