2000 NITRO OLYMPICS, HOCKENHEIM
By guest reporters Jerry Cookson and Ozzy Ewing of APIRA
The most recent reports are at the top of the page.
SUNDAY
It's been a long, fast and frantic day's racing at Hockenheim.
Rico Anthes won the Final of the Top Fuel Challenge at 5.253. Peter Beck launched a blower off the start line. Barry
Sheavills ran a best of 5.382, Fred Farndon took the low ET of the meet at 5.09. Gordie Bonin did not manage to
get down the track and must be keenly disappointed after his long journey.
Micke Kagered won the Top Methanol 'Cannonball' with a time of 6.054 to Dan Larsen's 6.274. The key to
Micke's success was his consistency, run after run in the 6.0s and a 5.96 to ice the cake.
Michael Malmgren won Pro Mod with a 7.171 to Peter Wacker's 8.291, Peter again with a huge wheelie and an out-of-shape
pass. Michael also had low ET of the class at 7.131.
FIM Comp Bike was won by Eric Teboul at 7.030. Ian King who had been running consistent sixes all weekend had an oil line
break on startup. The UK's Shaun Branch on a rare overseas excursion made it to the semis.
Roger Petterson won FIM Pro Stock Bike at 7.587 to Kenneth Stromberg's 8.412. Roger also took low ET of the class
with a 7.55.
Rob van Geffen won FIM Supertwin Top Fuel at 7.069. he was also number one qualifier and took low ET and
top speed of the class at 7.06/322 Kmh.
Riccardo Giliberto was victorious in Supertwin Top Gas, 8.477 to Janne Gustavsson's 8.954. Riccardo's 8.311 in
qualifying was good for low ET of the class.
Super Street Bike was won by Rudi Thurmayr at 8.79 after the UK's Graham Dance had his first gear break. Graham Dance
was up to that point the form if the class with several runs in the 8.3s. Tony Clark took top speed of the class
at 278 Kmh.
In other classes, Markus Habermann took the win in Junior Dragster at 9.09; Bruno Bader won Comp Eliminator;
Charly Tansley took the win in Super Street; Robert Koper won Super Gas at 10.281; and Sandra Kath won
Super Comp at 8.98.
A big shout to the FAST crew who worked very hard all weekend prepping the track, cleaning up several oildowns (including
one track-length oildown from Fred Farndon), and reacting quickly to a couple of accidents. Great work guys.
SATURDAY
Qualifying was delayed by a huge downpour at the start of the day and was then bookended by a huge
oildown from Fred Farndon's Top Fuel Dragster which curtailed Saturday night's action.
In Top Fuel, Gordie Bonin has had all sorts of problems and has not yet run. Barry Sheavills has
run a best of 6.53, Rico Anthes 5.39, Peter Beck 5.31 and Jimmy Rector 5.09 although that pass was
at the expense of his engine.
Latest times in the Top Methanol Cannonball were Micke Kagered 6.01, Dan Larsen 6.11, Peter Schofer
6.17 and Lex Joon 6.34.
Graham Dance improved to 8.38 in Super Street Bike, followed by Tony Clark at 8.51. Ian King leads
FIM Comp Bike at a personal-best 6.85. Ken Cooper of the UK is in there with a pass of 7.68.
Michael Malmgren leads Pro Mod at 7.17. Peter Wacker has again been badly out of shape on his passes,
huge wheelies and then all over the place. Marcus Hilt has also been pulling spectacular wheelstands
and recorded a best of 7.84.
John Tebenham is running in Comp ELiminator in the ex-Wayne Saunders Ford Probe and has run a best
time in the tens.
Stay tuned and there will be a report from Sunday's eliminations at the end of the day.
FRIDAY
We've arrived safely and we've had a good days qualifying, although
under extreme heat.
We'll start with Top Fuel - The Revenge match up. Rico Anthes put in a
1/8th mile blast just to check the car out at 6.46. Peter Beck driving
the second team Germany entry put in a stormer at 6.14 before backing
out at the 1000 foot mark. We all thought that American Fred Farndon was
going to blow the heads off his Hollbrook Motorsports entry. From the
launch to a 1000 foot, the engine was by passing so much fuel that we
thought that it was set to blow. A 7.62 puts him in third place so far.
Barry Sheavills and Gordie Bonin have yet to put in a qualifier.
In Pro Mod, Euro record holder for Pro Stock, Sweden's Mikael Malmgren
ran 7.17 followed by Marcus Hilt and Peter Wacker in the green '57 Bel
Air. Both pulling the wheels aloft proving how sticky the previous days
track prep was carried out by Bruno of FAST.
In Top Methanol Funny Car Mickey Kagered and Urs Erbacker have put in
some fine showings for the Cannonball together with the lone TMD of
Peter Schofer.
In Super Street Bike top Brit Graham Dance leds the pack at 8.40 on the
G-Sign Suzuki followed by the Team Cooperised machine of Tony Clark at
8.41. Pete Belline ran an 8.61 and Mark Pointer put down a good pass
9.98.
Today has mean more or less incident free except for Jahnne Gustavsson's
tank slapper after the burnout which picthed her off the machine just
past the 'tree in Top Gas qualifying. She emerged unscathed but in a bad
mood for what she did infront of a huge Friday crowd. She's fine and the
bike should be out tomorrow after being straighted out.
Well as I have said its been another hot and sticky day for both of your
guest reporters. Join us tomorrow where we hope to have a further
update with the days qualifying. It will be late as part of the Top Fuel
qualifying takes place during the Night Show.
Further reading
Nitro Olympics web site
Nitro Olympics web site (requires Flash)
Back to Eurodragster News