Sometimes a scenario repeats itself but is still as exciting as it was the first time around. Just as in 2007, Urs Erbacher started the European Finals outside the top three in the points standings and finished by grabbing the title on the last run of the season. This time the final elimination round was a genuine ‘winner-takes-all’. In a direct confrontation between the two last remaining title contenders, the winner of the race would also take the 2011 FIA European Championship. In the best pedalfest ever seen in Europe, Erbacher passed Risto Poutiainen just before the finish line to win the race and the title by 0.8 second

With only two days to go to the European Finals, the last race of the FIA European Championship, the 2011 Top Fuel fight was wide open again. Tommy Johnson Jr’s appeal against his licence suspension did not succeed and the championship leader remained suspended from FIA competition until June 2012. The FIA agreed there was no intention to enhance performance and the use of the medication was purely to treat his condition, but the nature of one substance included in the prescribed medication did not allow for exception. Andersen Racing, already on its way to Santa Pod, immediately turned around and went home. When the Finals started, Johnson Jr. still had his Alastaro points (101) and was in the lead with 247 points but could be overtaken by the numbers two through six in the championship, Timo Lehtimäki, Anita Mäkelä, Risto Poutiainen, Urs Erbacher and Micke Kågered, five racers separated by only 24 points.

After three qualifying runs, Erbacher led the field (4.80sec) with Mäkelä, Friday’s number one qualifier, in second spot(4.916) and Stig Neergaard in third (4.917). There were problems for Poutiainen as the Rune Fjeld Motorsport driver was still outside the ladder in tenth. But in the fourth and last session in the dark Santa Pod evening, the Finn did what he had to and, with a great 4.912sec pass (three drivers within 0.005sec!), Poutiainen jumped into the number two position and kept his championship dreams alive. In fifth, Jari Halinen was enjoying his best race of the season and was followed by Kågered (who jumped from ninth to sixth on the last run) and Lehtimäki, the two other championship contenders. Patrik Pers was the last to qualify and so Stig’s 18-year old son, Kenni Neergaard, was outside the ladder. In tenth and also not qualified was Andy Carter, the multiple European champion who had already had so many problems this year and deserved a better end to a long and successful Top Fuel career.

This qualifying result produced a ladder with Erbacher on one side and all four other championship contenders on the other, ready to eliminate each other and make the reigning champion’s work a bit easier. In the first round Erbacher made his intentions loud and clear by recording the best run of the weekend (4.795sec at 313.59mph/504.67kph) sending Pers home. The Swiss had to face Halinen in the semi-final as the Finn’s opponent in round one, Neergaard, was shut off at the start line with a fluid leak. On the other side of the ladder Poutiainen had to face Lehtimäki while Mäkelä was drawn against Kågered, so two would see their championship dreams end in round one. In a great run (4.867sec/313.80mph/505.01kph) Poutiainen showed he had hit the right form at the right moment and left Lethimäki behind while Mäkelä saw her championship dream literally go up in smoke as she span the tires on the start line. Kågered passed the finish line in a huge fireball so the Bahco team had much work to do to return for the semi-final against Poutiainen.

So into the semi-finals with Erbacher, Poutiainen and Kågered the three remaining title contenders. Since the last two had to face each other, one would make it to the final and the other would give up his title aspirations. But both Erbacher and Poutiainen received walkovers they could only have dreamed about. Kågered was pushed back before he could even start his engine with oil leaking from the car and Halinen could not get his car out of reverse following the burnout and had to shut off. In two half passes, Erbacher (5.83sec) and Poutiainen (5.75sec) went straight into the final, the Swiss handing lane choice to the slightly quicker Finn. This made it very simple: whoever won the final was also the new FIA European champion and would pass Johnson Jr. , with or without his Alastaro points.

And what a final is was, the most spectacular pedalfest ever seen in Europe, with the European Top Fuel crown as the prize. Both cars went up in smoke immediately, and repeated it four more times. Poutiainen and Erbacher each led at several points but the Swiss jumped in front at the right moment and crossed the finish line 0.8sec ahead of Poutiainen to take the win and the 2011 FIA European Top Fuel Championship. In 2007 Erbacher had come from fourth to win the title on the last run. Now he managed even better, surging from fifth to win his second championship in a row.

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