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Super Conp racer Sylvie Lavaud ran her VW Beetle 'Lady Marmelade' in Super Gas and went 10.621/215kph in session one to go fifth of ten qualifiers. Her turbocharged machine is a regular visitor to the UK at VW meetings.	Super Gas racer Daniel Olic is a member of the local Hanau Auto Racing Association and didn't record a run in session one when he rolled the beams. This is his first year in the class, having graduated from Junior Dragster last year.
Super Gas racer Marcus Himmler in his 598ci Chevrolet Bel Air was no.1 qualifier after the first session with a 9.950 on the usual class index of 9.900.	Super Gas racer Eddy van den Bos with his supercharged '70 Nova ran a 10.058/202.82kph in session one to go fourth. Eddy said 'We are having fun racing here, then Tierp next weekend and Santa Pod in early September, three races in five weeks!'
Super Pro ET and Pro Mod racer Jon Tebenham admitted he would be busy at this race by running in two classes. In Super Pro ET he did a fantastic burnout before a relatively easy launch, 11.823 on a 8.9s dial.	Super Comp racer Mari Udtian has a busy race schedule with the Islanders dragster attending FIA and EDRS events. Mum Mona Kristin said 'We've been at the FIA race in Kauhava, then Sunsvall and Gardermoen. The car has been running well except for a gearbox problem which Paul Ingar managed to fix last night'. The car went better, but a little too much to a 8.704/216kph (no throttle stop) to make Mari tenth of eleven after the first session.
Super Comp racer Pascal Kohler from Hördt in Germany went to number one in the first session with a 8.980/267.10. The car, which Pascal has owned for over ten years was built by Red Line Motors and has gone as quick as 8.01.	Super Pro ET racer Billy Gane, pictured with girlfriend Harriet Davis, said 'We are racing as part of the Drag Race Union in Europe in which racers count their best four events towards points. You can only count two events at most from a track. Markus Munch organises the series which about seven UK racers compete in. Our car is running well without problems and after the Euro Finals we plan to race at Clastres the following weekend.
Super Pro ET racer István Szentesi is in a team with fellow Hungarian Péter Révhelyi running a '37 Chevy. Istvan's car is a rear engine dragster with a 496cu in supercharged engine imported from the US. He said 'I have run the car about 20 times in Hungary and this is my first time at the NitrOlympX. The engine is over ten years old but has still gone as quick as 7.3/293kph in Hungary. The two cars are named Team Fenster'. Thanks to Kinst Liskulaclaza for interpretation.	Funny Bike racer Pavel Bajer from Czech Republic has a Honda Redbird 1250 Turbo bike however wasn't able to make the call for the first session. The bike has run a best of 7.873 here in 2017.
Pro ET racer Enrico Candela from Italy was the number one qualifier with a perfect ET of 9.480 and he wins a special plaque and money from Hanau Auto Racing Association for his achievement. He said 'I have been racing for ten years and my perfect ET was a new personal best, my previous best being 9.49. The car was built in the US with a 511ci big block Mopar naturally aspirated engine putting out around 850hp through a Powerglide gearbox and 4.51 Mopar rear axle'. What is remarkable is that Enrico, whose home track is Rivanazzano Dragway, had made no launches before at Hockenheim and his perfect run was his first pass here.	Pro ET racer Phillip Daud runs a GMC Sonoma truck which he brought out for the first time in 2018, his debut at this event being in 2014. He said 'The engine is a 541ci big block Chevy with a Powerglide gearbox which has run a best of 9.84. I didn't get as good grip as I wanted so went 18th in the session with a 10.121 on a 9.84 dial in.
Pro ET racer Andre Nahler is in his second race here. He said 'I had spectated for 25 years abd then finally decided after that 'I must buy a car to race'. That was in 2017, The car was built and originally raced by my team mate Sven Lawitschka (pictured right), who was a member of Marco Maurischat's Pro Mod team. The engine is a type 4 2.8 litre with OEM VW housing and naturally aspirated fuel injection making 297 hp and shifted at 8500rpm. Our gearbox is a VW dog-shift gears in a Reneault housing, the next step will be installing an ignition cutout on shifting. Part of the work on the car's exhaust was done by Marco Maurischat. My sponsor is Rektol oil company, at 125 years old the oldest in Germany, which is now developing a special drag racing oil which we are excited to be helping to develop. We ran a 10.07 at the Santa Pod Main Event, here though our 11.137 on a 10.20 dial in resulted in an ignition trigger wheel breaking with some damage to the engine hood and rear wings'.	Pro ET racer Jan Lukes, previously based in the UK has returned to his native Czech Republic, brother Jiri and his Funny Bike remaining in the UK. Jan said 'It's still around 400 miles to travel to races in central Europe and we race in Hungary as well as here. Jiri's Escort Mark 1 has a 383ci SBC naturally aspirated engine and PG gearbox, but suffered fuel starvation issues off the line. The Two Brothers team has been added to by two junior dragsters, a JS driven by niece Kristyna Lukesova and a JM driven by family friend Ladislav Lepsa. Jan commented 'There is no championship in Czech Republic currently so we go to Kunmadaras and Hockenheim to race'.
Super Comp racer Julian Rose is running an altered built in the UK and formerly raced by Roy Morris (father of Tony Morris). Julian said 'When I bought it in 2002 it was a show car with a 300hp engine but I put in a SBC Chevy and 8-71 Littlefield supercharger which now makes about 800hp through a PG gearbox. It ran a 7.6 last year so I need to lift early '. He ran a break-out 8.630/253.36 to go 11th in the class. He finished 'Dragstalgia is on my bucket list'. Thanks to Tony Morris for contacting us and adding: 'This was originally The Incredible Hulk which was campaigned in the UK up until the late seventies. In 1980 my dad purchased it and imported it into Germany just in time for him to run it at the first big International drag race held at Mainz Finton. He ran it until around 1982-3 and then sold the car to Elijah Davis, an American who lived in Germany, who ran the car for a few years and then it disappeared until Julian appeared with it'.	Super Comp racer Tina Olsen Frog races with parents Hilde Frog and Trond Olsen maintaining the 'Sharpener' dragster. She said 'I started racing in 2008 when I was nine years old and in 2016 bought this car from Finnish racer Antti Kivinummi, who had raced it in Comp Eliminator. We made no changes to it and have been competing in Super Comp without a throttle stop, doing two races in 2016, the EDRS races in Norway in 2017 and the whole EDRS championship in 2018 when we achieved fourth place. This year we are running the races we can manage, as it's a family thing for us. Hockenheim has been a dream for us for many years'. Tina is currently qualified fourth with a 9.08.
Competition Eliminator racer Manuel Kreiter has a new car this year following many years with a '55 Chevy Bel Air. He said 'I've been racing for 20 years now and we bought this Firebird from Sweden as a roller and put my running gear in from the old Bel Air. I ran some roll out passes in Italy, and hope to run sevens in the car here. The engine is a 434ci nitrous SBC. We only race in Italy and Germany as I have no budget to go to other countries, but the new car became essential as we were finding it difficult to go quicker with the old car and its setup, and had not improved on my PB since 2015'. You can read more about Manuel's new car on dragracing-bodensee.de, and he thanks his main sponsors Laserpoint Sprint of Salem.	Super Street Bike racer Erich Gruber is the oldest competitor here at 67 and many happy returns to him because it is his birthday today! He said 'It's been a good year, I ran a new PB at Santa Pod at the Main Event and am proud to have been the first Austrian in a FIM final round. The bike is running perfectly and we are looking for consistencye here too'. Thanks for interpretation help to crew man Manuel who also helps tune the Kawasaki ZX-12R Turbo bike.
Pro Stock racer Stefan Ernryd was fifth with a 6.755/330kph and the six racers will all be appearing at the Euro Finals at SPR in a few weeks' time, with Jimmy Ålund heading up the points once again. One point for discussion was the grip available and track surface at the new Kauhava track, the doorslammer classes were affected by more issues than the dragsters.	Pro Mod racer Andreas Arthursson ran a 5.94/402 to go number two in the first session of qualifying, the team bringing both the Chevelle and the Camaro driven by Jere Rantaniemi, which was DQ'd on his first run.
Pro Mod racer Mats Eriksson from Sweden suffered mechanical problems in the engine not getting up on the chip before the launch and idling through as a result. We send our best wishes to Micke Gullqvist for a speedy recovery after falling ill and needing an emergency operation on the way to the track.	Pro Mod racer David Vegter was top in qualifying in session one today, running a 5.92/391 with very little shake.