Words and photos by
Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes Thanks to TSI Timers (Europe) for the timing data 10/22/06 A fast and furious European season came to a record-breaking and emotional conclusion
at Santa Pod, where the tour had begun back in May. Since the opener, the professional classes have taken in races in Finland, Sweden, Norway (cars only) and Germany (bikes only) before coming together for the final event. Under glorious skies (a marked contrast to last season) and before a huge race day crowd, Europe’s finest strippers showed some of their best stuff in what will go down in the books as one of the best meetings held in Santa Pod’s 40 year history. The fabulous sub-sea level dry air that stayed around for most of the weekend made for high horsepower conditions and produced some remarkable numbers in qualifying and eliminations, but the meeting will also always be remembered for the tragic death of a spectator in an incident that is still under investigation at the time of reporting. FIA TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
If it wasn’t for Erbacher, all the plaudits would be going to the ‘Swedane’ team of Karsten and Per Andersen and driver Hakan Nilsson (shown). Another in his first year driving Top Fuel, Nilsson has featured in three of five final rounds, won his home and sponsor’s race in Sweden, and briefly held the ET record at 4.800 in qualifying for this event. Nilsson was all smiles after his first round defeat of Thomas Nataas (a 4.864/296 handily covering the Norwegian’s tire smoking effort) for all the marbles in the points chase. The newly crowned champion then handily defeated the outgoing 2005 season champion Lex Joon in the semis with an ailing 5.01/267, before chucking a belt on a losing 5.196 effort to the Erbacher freight train.
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Having DNQ’d at the opening round back in May, Urs Erbacher (shown) simply dominated the 10-car Top Fuel field at the Finals. A teasing 4.747/319 at the penultimate meeting in Norway, coupled unfortunately with a redlight, suggested that tuning consultant Glenn Mikres had put the Midland Oils car on the right track after an early season beset with engine explosions and inconsistency. At this event, the opposition were stunned when Erbacher repeated his Norwegian figure with a 4.747/318.95 to lead qualifying, and, come race day, the Swiss team laid waste to the rest of the field with a 4.912/244 slowed by the loss of a blower belt in the first round, a 4.795/304 on a solo in the semis, and then a 4.790/312 to back up the ET and reset the TS record in only their first season in the nitro ranks. Only Kim Reymond has run quicker in Europe (a 4.64 recorded back in 2003) and Erbacher must be the hot favourite to knock off this mark next season.