Tommy Johnson Jr

Tommy Johnson Jr took his second win in European Championship at Nitro Nationals Alastaro and was really happy about that.

- The team is just great, said Tommy with a big smile. It just works, everyone knows exactly what to do, I give my opinions if I hear some strange noise from the engine and the guys fix it. It's so easy to come here and do my job in the team, the atmosphere is just great and we have lots of fun.  It´s also good racing here,  Anita is an excellent driver and the young Horto is going to be hard to beat in the future. It's been some struggling at the track this weekend and the weather was extreme, but I was very happy to see the junior drag bikes here. That's how I started to race at about age of 8 until I was 14. Then I got in to a 1971 Nova big block and drove Bracket. Then I climbed up to Super Gas for two years, Funny Car four years and now Top Fuel and I love it.

Right after the race in Finland Tommy flew back home for a quick stop and then to Chicago to next race. - I just been home for a few days last month, said Tommy. It's just that I can do some laundry between racing, then away again. Tommy has a tough schedule with two full seasons on each side of the Atlantic sea. But he seems to love racing, so we´ll look forward to see him at HockenheimRing in about a month.

Runner-up Top Fuel Dragster: Antti Horto (Finland)
 
Fred Hanssen

TOP METHANOL DRAGSTER:

Fred Hanssen

- De är göj, said a really happy Fred Hanssen when we caught him in the trailer preparing for the prize giving ceremony. That´s Norwegian and means that he kind of like the taste of winning. All three eliminations round has been taken on film from the back of the dragster and everyone wants to see them, so it's a bit squeezed in the trailer. It´s a great angle for the winning team to see what's happening during the race.
 

- I got a stunning team and I´m so happy I have these people around me, tells a smiling Fred. It just working, no big deals, no problems, can´t say anything else. It just feels great. I want to thank our sponsors, especially Brad Penn who's the biggest sponsor. I also want to give the other Islander team a big thanks and want them to know we're thinking of them. They couldn´t be her because one of the team members and everyone's right hand Stig Udtian is very ill. He´s the one that have control of everything so they don't know what the rest of the season looks like.

We all in Speedgroup and the whole racing community sends warm and loving thoughts to Stig and the Islander team back home. Fred ended up in the water barrel, of course, as all winners use to do in Finland. Wet and happy, Fred and Will Hanna posed for us.

Winner Ulf Leanders is now sharing the championship lead with Arvid Grodem at 169 point after taking the win of Nitro Nationals in Top Methanol Funny Car.

- It did go very well this weekend as we qualified as no1 with 5.77 sec, pretty good time but we have done better, like 5.68. First round we ran safe 5.85. But vs Groedem we had to put in some extra power and did 5.71/398. No big damage during the whole weekend. We used the  same cylinder heads all weekend. It just worked. We are thinking of doing a visit at Tierp july 29-30th when there's a NDRS sportsman series and Swedish Championship race and a test and tune for other classes. Then it´s off to Hockenheim. The goal for us is to run consistent and to reach into the 5.50´s. That´s the same as when Pro Mod went under 6.00 sec. Ulf had another reason to be happy this weekend. The son Fredrik did his first competition in the junior dragster and he did race very well. The new generation is on in the Leanders Team. Erika, the daughter, is also going to race at next race.

Runner-up Top Methanol Funny Car: Arvid Grödem (Norway)   



Mats Eriksson

PRO MODIFIED:

Mats Eriksson improved what he can do, again. A win at Alastaro was what the team needed after having been struggling with tire shakes since his great year 2009 , the whole team is now relieved and very happy. Mats managed low 6 sec. runs and was one of the team that raced consistently this weekend.

- I´m really happy for this win, said a smiling Mats. It´s been a tough weekend even though I did qualify as no 1. The track was tricky this year, and the weather has been just crazy, heavy thunderstorm and rain and awfully hot and high humidity, that makes it even harder to adjust the car. It use to be a fast track but there wasn't any really fast ET:s, except for Gullqvist last one of course in the final, where he had to catch up with me.

Mats and the team took a big step up in the FIA points, from 9th up to the third place. There is now a chance for them to take the second European Championship title in Pro Mod. But there is still two events to go and anything can happen. Mats is now leading the Swedish Championship when the final run comes up at the end of July at Tierp Arena, where also the 6th NDRS Series where Pro Mod is included is run. Then team Eriksson is off to Hockenheim in august.  

Runner-up Pro Modified: Micke Gullqvist (Sweden)

Class sponsor: BILSPORT


Jimmy Ålund 

PRO STOCK:

Jimmy Ålund is still the king of Pro Stock. We caught him when he tried to work on the engine at the same time as he was on the phone, and answered some questions from us. Busy man. He had a tough time this weekend as the rookie Thomas Lindström was right behind him in the Finals. And right before him, in the qualifying list. Jimmy qualified as no 2 this time and as in Tierp Thomas was no 1.

- I love Finland except when it comes to hockey, said a really happy Jimmy. This was a revenge from Tierp where I got beaten by Sampsa Palos. It´s fun to have new blood in the class in form of Thomas Lindström. But we can't make it too easy for him. He can´t treat us like this and beat us in the qualifying by running that fast, states Jimmy with a glimpse in the eyes. I'm sponsored by Exclusive Cars and Thomas is  by Ernryds Cars and they are kind of rivals in the car business, and Exclusive Cars have a slogan "One step ahead" and I think I fulfilled that slogan this time.  Seriously, I like Thomas very much and he´s a fresh breeze in the class, just what we old grumps' need. Now we´ll see what happens in Hockenheim.