NitrOlympX
Hockenheim, 8th-10th August 2014

Friday


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Latest update 17:50


Eurodragster.com sponsor Hauser Race Cars had on display their dragster kit which we featured earlier in the year after their Open Evening. The car features chrome moly chassis to SFI 2.5 spec, four link suspension and is based on a ultra consistent, proven design. Scott Hauser in the Hauser Racing Super Pro dragster ran a 7.707 on a 7.62 dial in to go seventh after two sessions.


Pro Stock racer Thomas Lindström, who is leading qualifying after one session, said that at the next FIA event in Tierp he will be joined by NHRA racer Allen Johnson and wife Pam. Allen has been linked with Mopar for many years.


Our favourite pit vehicle of the weekend is this imaginative use of a red plastic crate. The carburettor air filter is admittedly in a potentially difficult position.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Urs Erbacher and crew chief Robin Grice were examining the graphs from their data logger. Whilst Noah Stutz ran with a throttle stop Urs chose to run without one but using the hand brake as a tool to attempt to prevent wheelspin. Unfortunately for the team after the handbrake was released the graph shows wild fluctuations on the amount of wheelspin.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Thomas Nataas was able to drive down the track with little or no tyre spin. Comparing the graphs of Urs Erbacher and Thomas is illustrative of a much smoother run. Car owner Per Andersen (pictured) said 'Thomas was able to apply full throttle down the track without cylinders going out and we got a good time for the conditions.' Thomas ran a 4.598/415.01kph to go no.1 after the first session.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Anita Mäkelä had, like a number of racers, to lift the throttle on her first qualifying pass due to tyre spin and smoke. Crew chief Sami Lehtimäki said 'We tried the same settings as Alastaro but the starting line is trickier at the moment so the car smoked the tyres'.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Micke Kågered also had to lift. Crewman Rob Inglis said 'It is not much better than two years ago and we are running out of ways to back off the power. It is hard to know what to do and difficult when the teams work had to get the cars down the track. It becaomes a competition of who can back the cars down the most'.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Chris Andrews is back after taking two races off with the after effects of a dislocated shoulder. He said 'We deliberately decided not to go out in the first session and are making modifications to the car's setup to get it down the track in the tricky conditions without spinning the tyres. We need to get a respectable qualifying time'.


Top Methanol Dragster racer Peter Scöfer has returned after missing last year's event and was pleased to run the only five second pass and to go no.1 after the first session. Crewman Kirsten Krause said "We are happy to be back and feel we handled the track conditions well and the team haven't forgotten things. Peter's driving and judging the shift points is an important part of the car's performance.The only changes we have made are the shut off system and a new Racepak Pro 3A computer. We hope to step up in the next session but don't know what will happen.


Top Fuel Dragster racer Thomas Nataas has this billet aluminium block, with damage sustained in a firey explosion at Alastaro, on display.


Super Twin Top Gas racer Bernd Foit has a Harley prepared with parts by Swedish manufacturer Hogtech. More information and photos can be seen at www.v-twin-dragracing.de. Bernd is qualified seventh with a 9.635.


Super Twin Top Gas racer Herman Jolink, who has been racing since 1976, runs a Ducati 999RS in a 2003 frame made by himself with Dutch Ducati dealer Star Twin. Herman is qualified fourth with 8.606.


Super Twin Top Gas racer Miia-Maria Vepsäläinen from Finland runs a Kosman bike with 1966cc engine and is qualified eleventh. More information and photos are at www.miiamariadragracing.com.


Super Street Bike racer Shaun Buttigieg qualified no.1 of 30 racers in the first session with a 7.493. Track conditions at this stage precluded quick times but there are signs of an improvement in the times so far in the second Pro session. US racer Walter Sprout is advising on the tuning of Shaun's bike.


Comp Eliminator racer Michael Vogt has had his '55 Chevy Bel Air with rust coloured flames.


Team Orange Country from the Netherlands on display on Thursday. From right to left we have Stevan Reffeltrath (Super Gas), Marc Heijman (Pro ET), Cas de Mosselaar (Super Gas) and Arnold Hol (Pro ET). After session one, Arnold was leading Pro ET qualifying with a 9.901 on a 9.90 dial in.


Junior Dragster racer Joe Kellett is one of nine UK competitors entered for the track. Joe's multi championship winning car has a prominent 'For Sale' notice alongside it.


Pro ET racer Thomas Brandes has 427cu in big block engine in his Ford three window coupe. After the first session he was qualified sixth with 10.104 on a 9.95 dial in.


Pro ET racer Manni Grässer is running this Beetle in yellow paint and titled 'The Flying Lemon'. He was placed 24th after the first session with a 12.683 on an 11.99 dial in.


Pro ET racer Mario Thau with his FWD VW Polo broke out with a personal best of 8.797 on a 9.00 dial. This car has been seen at SPR in Bug Jam and VW Action and is Germany's quickest and one of Europe's quickest FWD cars with its VR6 engine.


Pro ET racer Ulrich Kegelmann races a '41 Ford Pickup and broke out with a 9.175 on a 9.50 dial. This is his second year and his times with the supercharged machine are getting lower each event.


Pro ET racer Roger Vögeli from Switzerland in his '68 'Cuda broke out with a 9.225 on a 9.30. The car has a larger 609ci engine resides under the hood.


Pro ET racer Udo Becker has this smart '62 Beetle which ran 10.661 on a 10.00 dial to go no. 23 in the first session. Udo runs a VW based tuning business which has a web site at www.udobeckertuning.de


Super Comp racer Marcus Ochsner placed his '89 Dodge Ram pickup in third place with a 9.175 in the first session.


Pro ET racer Robert Rauch from Austria was seventh after session no.1 with a 9.844 on a 9.65 dial in his '67 Mercury Cougar.


Pro ET racer Philip Mäser from Switzerland is in 22nd after the first sesion with a 10.502 on a 9.85 dial-in in his '66 Nova.


Pro ET racer Reinhard Garbers runs a '62 Plymouth Savoy with 498ci big block engine and was 21st with a 10.15 on a 9.50 dial in.


Pro ET racer Horst Koch runs this rare American Motors AMX with 427ci engine. Followers of early UK racing may remember the late US serviceman Ed Shaver campaigning such a car as part of the Hot Wheels team in 1971.


Top Fuel racer Noah Stutz has announced that he will be making licensing runs in the US in September with Dom and Bobby Lagana and will be contesting NHRA Las Vegas and Pomona races. He said 'I hope we can get a sponsorship deal which may be easier in the US right now.'


Super Comp racer Martin Friedschröder from Austria runs the Mexxspeed VW Karmann Ghia which recorded a time of 9.637 to go 8th in session one. A blog on the build of this car is at mexxspeed.blogspot.de.


Super Gas racer Ronald Huis is here with his supercharged '55 Chevy Handy Wagon.


UK Super Comp racer Richie Webb is at his first NitrOlympX and the eight second car ran close to the centre line on its first pass, Richie lifting off.



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