Competition Eliminator racer Jacob Ramstrup Ramey from Skive, Denmark has a much-lightened Toyota Corolla with a turbocharged 1.6litre Toyota engine. Jacob has been in the sport for six years with the last nine months spent on building the car which is test mode. "We are only testing here", he said. "The turbo is at only 1.4 bar and we have not switched the nitrous on. This is our first time out with this car; our local track is at Tisten and the car ran a twelve and we want to run a ten. Virtually every part on the car has been reworked."

Competition Eliminator racer Nisse Kopamees has an altered with a huge history. Built in the US in 1968 by Sherm Gunn, it was imported to the UK by Keith Harvie in 1974 and run until 1976 when Bo Bertilsson bought it and ran it in Sweden for one season as a AA/FA. It was then run with a smaller engine until 1985 and stored for many years after that. "The frame and body is restored to as original as it can be", said Nisse. "I bought it with a Chevy and when that expired I bought Monica Oberg's Top Fuel engine and converted it to run on methanol; I was her mechanic in Top Fuel." The aluminium fuel tank had to be replaced by a near-identical part whereas the original gearbox and rear end have been upgraded to a three speed Lenco and Strange toploader rear end. The car's quickest is 7.43 with a Chevy. Here, trouble with the airshifter for the Lenco has prevented competitive times. Nisse runs the cars on Swedish tracks up and down the country, his home track being Sundsvall.

Competition Eliminator racer Martin Lindqvist has a truck with a Competition Cars chassis from Sweden and a unique turbo setup on the 301cu in small block engine. The turbo is mounted behind the driver's compartment with a manifold running right through the compartment. "I saw the setup in the US and loved the idea as it led to more weight transfer. It also enables me to use Hi-Flow headers and the engine is easier to maintain. The setup works for drag racing as you can compensate for the turbo lag. The tyres spun on the first run and on the second I put too little force on the clutch pedal and it bogged. The car has run a 4.58/248kph at Malmö. I have had the car for three years and it's the second year with a turbo. We will run it at Sundsvall and Gardermoen and I want to run a six at either of those tracks.

Junior Dragster racer Anna-Louise Stanley, pictured with Dad Conrad and Mum Lynda qualified in fourteenth with a 0.0269 RT. Joe Kellett is also attending and was twelfth with a 0.0188. To qualify in the 32 car field you would need a reaction time of better than 0.0660. The families have travelled together with motor homes across Europe.

Super Twin Top Gas racer Stefan André ran a 8.04 to qualify second. "This is the first time we have raced here for many years. We race at all the main Swedish tracks for the NDRS championship and it is the fifth year we have raced in this class. Our best time is a 7.98. Most parts on the bike are home made apart from the crankcase which is S&S. The bike is sponsored by www.robbans-speedshop.com.

Super Twin Top Gas racer Janne Gustavsson was the class champion in 2005 and 2007 and runner up in 2006 and 2008. "I raced in Europe in 1999-2000 and was Rookie of the Year in the European Top Gas championship. Since 2005 I have raced only in Sweden." The bike was new in 2008 and the frame was built by fellow competitor Mats Åstad. The engine is a 160cu in S&S Pro Stock item and the transmission a Zippers Racecase Automatic with air shifter and Bandit clutch. Best times are 7.93/273 and this weekend 8.17 was good enough for third.

Super Gas Bike racer Timo Savolainen has raced in this class since 1999 having been in Street Bike in 1997-8. "I was champion in 2007 and 2008. In 2000 I raced in both SGB and Super Gas where I was runner-up. I built the bike piece by piece and know it well. Timo's site is www.mctimppa.com. Sponsorship comes from Jannu, Shinko Tyres and www.bikedoctor.fi.

Junior Dragster racer Kevin and Julie Nataas are pictured with Dad Thomas. Kevin recorded an outstanding reaction time of 0.0000 to become top qualifier. Julie has a 0.0441 which is good for 25th. Thomas's next racing date is in the Funny Car at Gardermoen.

Competition Eliminator racer Daniel Ekstrand from Malmö is running in E/A and this is his first race this year. "I have run the car for fifteen years and 1995 was the first year for racing for me, running it in Super Gas. I switched to Comp Eliminator in 2001 and the car now has new paint by my brother. The engine is a Chevy 316 with one carb and no nitrous. "The engine is very capable and its previous owner was two tenths off the European record for the class." The index is 8.74.

Competition Eliminator racer Daniel Karlsson is in a '55 Chevy. "This is my debut in the car. I drove a Chevy Nova Top Doorslammer and took over the driving of this car after the team ran it for four years. The 454cu in engine has one carb and nitrous and runs in low eights or high sevens. The car usually runs at Malmö and is set up for the eighth. However if it runs well I may try to persuade the team to run the NDRS Championship.

Competition Eliminator racer Jan Tore Pedersen from Vinstra, Norway, runs a dragster with Per Skinne's old Pro Stock engine in a 2001 Victory chassis from the US and Liberty gearbox. "I have been racing for five years and it is the second with this engine after three years in Super Comp with an automatic gearbox and another engine. The class index for A/D is 7.60 and I have run a 7.57 here and 7.52 personal best. The engine ran a European class record in another car." Jan is joined by Emilie Slettmoen who is in a Junior Dragster.

Competition Eliminator racer Håkan Mattsson ran a very successful Firebird in Super classes and is now moving up by purchasing Adam Flamholc's ex-Greg Andersen Pro Stock Pontiac GTO rolling chassis and on-board computer. "The current small block engine was built in the US and we had it last year and then updated the cam and rods. The 9.42 index for G/A is good for us as I can run 8.90 with the car and it is capable of more.I will upgrade in stages, running in C/A next year with times of 7.8s using an old Pro Stock engine and Lenco; the team have only worked with automatic transmissions in the past. After next year we will move up to Pro Stock with new parts.

Super Gas racer Harald Johansen races a clean '62 Chevy Nova. "I bought the car in 1994 and have raced it since 1995. The engine is a 572cu in factory model rated at 720hp and the transmission is a TH400 three speed." A carpenter by trade, Harald is from Hof in Norway. "It's about six hours drive to Mantorp and one hour south of Oslo, so I will also be racing at Gardermoen next weekend." The car is street legal with license plates and has the mounting for a parachute built into the rear plate. On his first run Harald lifted to record a 9.75/218kph. He said "The track is really good".

UK Super Street racers Bob Lees and John Grant, pictured by Bob's car, have made the trip all the way from Planet Bristol. Bob said "We crossed to Calais and then drove through France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and then took the ferry to Denmark. After crossing the bridge to Malmö we stayed at a good campsite by a lake in Gränna. It was a nice road trip. As well as Mantorp, Bob took a '51 Chevy to the local hot rod show at Vadstena the two teams are travelling to Gardermoen where they will race in Pro ET. Pictured, from left to right, are Mike Powell, Mike Ball, John Grant, Bob Lees, Julie Grant and Neil Grant.

Super Street racer Marcus Hallén has a '62 Chevy Nova built in 1993 by his team-mate Bengt Uhlin, who used to race it. Marcus has taken over the driving after ten years in Junior Dragster and has been in the Nova for three years. The engine is a 350cu in small block with Powerglide. Lack of a second gear has resulted in no time being set to date. Marcus is from Sundsvall which is 600km from Mantorp. Marcus's web site is www.hamstaracing.se.

In the same pit area as Marcus is this historic slingshot dragster restored over a period of two years by Bengt Uhlin. The car was built by Don Garlits in 1971 which must make it one of the last slingshots he built and is sister car to one in Garlits' museum in Florida. The engine is a Donovan early Hemi with Littlefield supercharger and Powerglide transmisison. Bengt gave the car its maiden launch at the Back to Basic race yesterday however a damaged blower belt put paid to any further runs by the methanol fuelled car.

Super Street racer Caroline Jonsson has owned this '68 Ford F150 for three years and has raced it for the last two. The engine has been replaced by a Merlin 509cu in with roller cam and rear suspension also uprated. Caroline's father competed in Funny Bike and Super Gas Bike for twelve years and despite not having been in a Junior Dragster has always wanted to race. Caroline is from Skåc, Ystad and her local track is Malmö. After the first runs the plan is for more air in the rear tyres and less short-shifting.

Super Street racer Kenny Åsberg has been in the sport with this self-built 350cu in SBC-powered Volvo 240 for six years and Mike as crewman. They go under the team name Snebro. The best time recorded is 9.84 and the team run ten races a year, mainly at Kjula Dragway, Eskilstuna which is 150km from Mantorp.

Super Comp racer Niklas Öhlin Olsson is racing a former Top Fuel car from 1978 purchased three years ago. Enough money was invested to prepare the car for Super Comp; the 468cu in big block Chevy engine and Powerglide are from Mats Lindkvist's old Volvo 142 Super Gas car with new headers and bearings, with the throttle stop and shifter also from the old car. The car is capable of running 8.5 without the throttle stop. The crew pictured comprises Nicholas, Thomas, Leif, Thomas and Dick.

Super Comp racer Ramon van der Weurf is making his first visit to Mantorp Park and arrived from Leerdam, Netherlands at 11.55pm last night. The '41 Willys Coupe, modelled on a 1960s AA/GS race car was built by Ramon and team mate Wander over three years ago and the body originates from the UK as Ramon found some SPR scrutineering stickers on it from 1990 (any guesses as to previous ownership, readers?). Ramon bought the car from Belgium and has had four engines in the last two years finally ending up with a Mopar-based unit with an 8-71 supercharger and two carbs which produces 1100hp. The car runs Super Pro at Dutch racing events at Drachten and the best time is 8.91. The car can also be seen at Hockenheim.

Ramon's pit vehicle is a minuature model of his Willys AA/GS. He said "If my other car breaks perhaps I can try to enter Junior Dragster using this!" Ramon's interest in the sport from the sixties has led him to make the trip to Bakersfield for two events as a spectator.

Super Comp racer Vesa Kosonen races this former Top Methanol Funny Car in Super Comp and it is his first trip to Mantorp Park. The 511 cu in big block Chevy has a Dominator carb and throttle stop. Vesa is from Salo Finland and races at all tracks in Finland (two are temporary and two, Motorpark and Alastaro are permanent). Vesa said "I am looking to sell the car if anyone is interested and the proceeds will go towards getting a quicker car.

Competition Eliminator racer Mika Eloranta running against C/TA index, and father Heikki built their Toyota Celica all-new last winter and it is an impressive piece of engineering as well as one of the quickest four cylinder cars on the planet. The style is like a Pro Stock but underneath the hood is a 2.5 litre engine fabricated from a billet block and using 16-valve IMSA heads from the US. The turbo system and intercooler, pictured is a neat installation and the transmission is a Liberty. Mika said "We run the car on SV05 racing gasoline rather than methanol on principle. We are happy with our times." This is an understatement as the car has run a best of 7.24 at 299.5kph.

Competition Eliminator racer Peter "Tricky" Thörmäs's A/TA Corvette is a former Ricky Smith rolling chassis with a new small block Chevy engine and twin turbos. The car's best time is 4.42 on the eighth. Here, the team have been hampered by ignition and turbo boost issues. Pictured, from top left, are team members Stefan Dahl, Kenneth Olsson, Peter Thörmäs, Louise Blom, Tommy Rundström and Patrik Jacobsson. More details are at www.corvette63.com