We stated in the preview for the race thatPaljakka and
Salakari at their home track Alastaro might be worth watching out
for!
And they were.. although it was Sverre Dahl who took the lead
during qualifications with 6.57 sec followed by Ian King at 6.62
sec.
Team Paljakka who tells the team have been struggling with
electrical problems all season, started modest and qualified as no 5,
which looked like a not so desireable position as it meant facing Ian King
already in the first round.
But this is drag racing and most often things do not
turn out as anticipated, at least not in the nitro burning classes, like
Top Fuel Bike. With King getting a reg-light indication Paljakka could
cruise down the track without being punished. He commented
afterwards he has some good luck at Alastaro, well maybe it was Paljakka´s
time
As he had not had much luck up to that point.
Jaska
Salakari looked confident during qualifications and
continued consistent to take out Petri Mattsson in the first round
before the winning streak was broken and Salakari pushed back from
the start area before taking on Paljakka.
Both Dahl and
King experienced a less successful event, but it is King who stays in
the championship lead and we have a feeling he won´t let that go
easily. His new Puma Engineering Bike will have more to achieve
when entering the next round at Gardermoen Norway or the one after that in
Hockenheim.. or why not at both?
Check the full points table
under a separate headline.
Round #5 of
the UEM Drag Bike Championship is held at Gardermoen Raceway on
august 5-7th
Stay tuned for the next edition of the
Speedgroup newsletter which will include an interview with Canadian rider
Nate Gagnon, who participated in round #1 in Hungary riding
Kemppainen´s bike. Gagnon returns and joins the championship at
the next two events!
Top Fuel Bike Review FHRA Nitro Nationals
With the
two Finnish riders Jaska Salakari and Samu Kemppainen doubling in Top Fuel
Bike and Super twin, the level of excitement in Top Fuel Bike
was kept high, but it was another fellow country man who did
what he should and walked away with the biggest
trophy..
Petri Paljakka - No.1 at this event and the
season 2010
Kemppainen looks a bit
worried - and with two bikes to operate, the heat and rain to fight things
could have been easier..
TOP FUEL BIKE Qualifications
#
Driver
Home Base
ET sec
Speed km/H
1
Sverre Dahl
Åsheimveien, Norway
6.573
332.500
2
Ian King
Litlington, UK
6.626
342.730
3
Jaakko Salakari
Ylöjärvi, Fin
6.823
294.810
4
Petri Mattsson
Märynummi, Finland
6.989
312.420
5
Petri Paljakka
, Finland
7.646
263.770
6
Samu Kemppainen
Vantaa, Finland
8.132
266.840
ELIMINATIONS
Top Fuel Bike round #1
Sverre Dahl no show / Samu Kemppainen no time. Kemppainen drifted towards the centerline and just narrowly missed the photo cells. No time shown for the run.
Timing system check and Paljakka who had started the engine was shut off
Jaska Salakari winner 6.86 sec/289 km / Petri Mattsson 7.33 sec/285 km
Petri Paljakka winner 19.99 sec/61.72 km / Ian King redlight shut off at the starting light. Don´t know what happened there really. Paljakka cruises and barely makes it to the finish line while King get a redlight and stays at the line..
Top Fuel Bike semi finals
Samu Kemppainen BYE Run. Parts comes from the bike 50 meter out and Samu comes to a standstill at the track. No time but on to the final.
Petri Paljakka BYE RUN. Petris bike moved slow from the start and continues the same way ET 10.57 sec/182 km is however good for a place in the final against Kemppainen / Jaska Salakari broke before the start and pushed back
Top Fuel Bike Final
Petri Paljakka winner 7.947 sec/ 305 km / Samu Kemppainen broke/noshow.
Samu Kemppainen launching - he doubled in Super Twin and Top Fuel Bike and went home with a runner-up trophy in Top Fuel Bike.
Kemppainen and Paljakka earned important points at Alastaro
Text: Åsa Kinnemar
Photos: Kjell Brelleman, Lena Perés, Åsa Kinnemar and Aila Striem for Speedgroup
This article is part of the Speedgroup Club Europe Newsletter #10/2011
Published by Speedgroup www.speedgroup.eu
All material, text, images and logtypes are the property of Speedgroup AB
Any use of the above requires permission from Speedgroup
email: asa.kinnemar@speedgroup.eu
© Speedgroup 2011