2008 FIA Main Event
Monday (eliminations)


The latest updates are at the top of the page. Click on your Browser's Refresh key to be sure of seeing the latest news.

Click here to go back to the event index


16:45

We have now posted today's pictures, which you can view from the Event Index. Simon has also posted the latest entry in Lex Joon's Racer Blog, which you can read by clicking here or by clicking on the Racer Blogs link on the left hand side of any page on the main Eurodragster.com site.

That's the end of our FIA Main Event coverage, thanks very much for tuning in. Our next Event Coverage will be from the Peak Performance Day and SPRC Summernationals back here at Santa Pod Raceway in mid-June.

Our FIA Main Event coverage was brought to you in association with American Car Imports.

14:25

Race Director Darren Prentice has just called a halt to today's racing. It is still raining heavily and the track would take several hours to dry even if the rain stopped now.

The first round of Pro Mod does not stand since the re-run of the first race did not take place. So it's qualifying and first round loser points for everyone.

Roger is putting together a gallery of today's Pro ET and Pro Mod action, and Simon has already posted a set of pit notes and is off talking to Lex Joon for today's Blog entry so stay tuned.

13:00

It got pretty close to dry here but now the rain is coming down again and it is blowing a gale.

When we restart, we will start with a re-run of the Pro Mod first round race between Micke Gullquist and Marko Lantto. Immediately after Micke and Marko's race the track was prepped some more and it transpired that the track crew were not happy with the track surface so the re-run was ordered for the purposes of a level playing field.

Stay tuned and as soon as anything changes we will let you know.

10:35

FIA Top Fuel Dragster eliminations round 1:

Micke Kågered v Jari Halinen, shut off

Micke and Jari pulled their burnouts and were then shut off for rain. We're on hold, stay tuned.

10:30

FIA NDRS Bilsport Pro Modified eliminations round 1:

Marko Lantto 7.5868/211.67 def. Micke Gullquist 7.7857/177.77 DQ

Marko away first 0.1113 to 0.1345, Micke had a much better sixty foot time 1.1953 to 1.3947, Micke hit shake but from here it wasn't obvious that Marko's tyres were shaking despite the slow sixty foot time, some tyre hazing but no shake marks on the track, Micke pedalled and the Chevy turned right, Micke pedalled and the car turned left, Marko was going straight and got to half track in 5.2101/157.87 to Micke's 5.1736/151.51, Micke's Chevy was making violent moves left and right as he tried everything to catch Marko, Marko was ahead anyway and took the stripe by 0.2221 as Micke crossed the centre line and punted the 1000 foot and top end reflectors.

Repairs effected, Mats Eriksson and Marc Meihuizen started up and did their burnouts and were then shut off for sprinkles of rain. They were pushed back to cool and the next pair ran.

Micke Lindahl 6.6882/220.95 def. Kristian Nyström 7.3073/140.22

Micke away first 0.0811 to 0.1895 and probably a good thing for him as the Kendall Camaro started to hit shake as it passed the Tree. 1.0240 to sixty feet for Kirstian to Micke's 1.0391, Kristian's tyres started to shake and the car drifted left, meanwhile Micke hit bad shake and pedalled, the Camaro made a hard move to the right and he pedalled again, then the Camaro hooked up and went, 4.4614/170.82 at half track and 0.7275 in it at the stripe.

Bruno Bader 6.5755/207.14 def. Danny Cockerill 21.2334/33.38

Danny is going to have a big headache after that one. Danny away first 0.0653 to 1.0117 then the big Chevy started moving around, up on three wheels, Danny corrected and got back on the pedal, more shake and the Chevy was up on two wheels with a hard right turn and got very close to the guardrail. Meanwhile Bruno was through half track in 4.2833/169.62 and stayed straight all the way.

Andy Robinson 6.4509/226.93 def. Freddy Fagerström 6.8068/224.28

Andy with a big holeshot 0.0664 to 0.1712, Freddy had a better sixty foot time 1.0584 to 1.0924, slight shake for Andy but Freddy's pick-up started to make small moves left and right and both the left and right doors swung open, 4.2702 to half track for Andy to 4.5690 for Freddy, Andy taking the win by 0.4607.

Roger Johansson 6.2873/222.16 def. Bert Englefield 7.9968/148.04

Bert away first 0.0745 to 0.1333, Roger had the much better sixty foot time 0.9898 to 1.0357, Bert hit shake and couldn't drive through it so he shut off. Very slight shake for Roger but he stayed with it, a superb 4.0920/178.16 at half track and low ET of the round so far.

Patrick Wikström 6.9909/211.82 def. Terje Håkonsen no time

Terje threw this one away by leaving before the lights ran. Patrick redlit too, by -0.3228, but he had the win. 1.0691 to sixty feet, pedalling for shake, 4.6634/163.14 at half track.

Marc Meihuizen 6.9499/204.97 def. Mats Eriksson 13.5149/86.17 red light

A big -0.2334 red light for Mats and a headache as he hit bad shake at about thirty feet and shut off. 0.1334 RT for Marc, 1.0123 to sixty feet, the Coupe then hit shake and moved to the right, Marc pedalled, 4.5799/158.44 to half track and into the next round to face Patrick Wikström.

Urban Johansson 6.2361/230.06 def. Graham Ellis 8.2917/141.10

Graham away first 0.1093 to 0.2097, 0.9991 to sixty feet for Urban to Graham's 1.0255, Urban's 'Vette started to move to the left and glanced the first eighth mile timing reflector. Meanwhile Graham hit shake and the Superbird made a move to the right, Graham got off the throttle and straightened it out. Urban was at half track in 4.0914/180.27, Graham's half track speed of 47.66 shows that the first block had been hit by Urban. Some discussion amongst the Judges of Fact as hitting track equipment can be grounds for disqualification but Urban's victory stands at the moment.

9:30

Pro ET eliminations round 1 winners: Charlie Chivers (10.69) 10.7503/128.21, Mark Bishop (9.00) 8.9736/138.84, Lee Huxley (10.48) 10.4016/130.45, Kim Bishop (10.70) 10.6864/127.50, Carl Burton (11.90) 11.8047/116.38, Neil Hunter (9.70) 9.8667/137.59, Paul Baynton (10.96) 11.1702/107.71, Simon Rowland (9.00) 9.0788/148.46, Laurie Bamford (9.69) no time, Vic Amato (9.59) 9.5968/138.84, John Atkinson (9.00) 9.1530/129.34, Dave Cherrett (10.25) 10.7488/107.99, Keith Herbert (10.99) 11.4612/89.63, Steven Anderson (10.84) 10.9072/111.23, Mick Pusey (9.67) 10.8015/115.75

Great to see Neil Hunter back out on the track after his fire in qualifying, the Capri showing little if any sign of it.

Trackside conditions are 13.2 C, 72% humidity and 1000 mb of air, track temperature is 12.1 C.

We have the #1 qualifier presentation and then we'll be into the first round of Pro Mod.

7:30

Good morning and welcome from Santa Pod Raceway. It's race day at the FIA Main Event and we're here to bring you all the news in association with American Car Imports.

The Webster Race Engineering/MPM Oil webcam is on-line and will post a picture every sixty seconds until the track closes on Monday evening.

Right now the weather is looking OK. Of course it could, and should, be bright and sunny but right now we'll take overcast but dry. Trackside conditions are 11.9 C, 84% humidity and 1000 mb of air. We still have the very stiff tailwind which caused so many breakouts during Saturday's Sportsman qualifying but as I say it's dry and that's what we want.

The traditional Raceday Good Morning to our US correspondents Ed O'Connell and Kathy Hileman who are tuned in from Rye, NH. Hello also to Rob Geiger whose excellent new web site Go2Geiger.com includes FIA Main Reports with input from Eurodragster.com. A big Hello also to Swedish Pro Mod racer Ulf Rapp who has been in touch, hope your leg gets better soon Ulf, and also to Ivar K, Viveca Averstedt and Markus Ek who have written to say nice things about the event coverage. Thanks very much guys.

We are due to start at 9:00, stay tuned and as soon as the motors fire up we'll have all the news for you.


Reports and pictures ©Eurodragster.com