Top Methanol Dragster Review
Main Event

The qualifying in Top Methanol Dragster was one of the highlights of the meeting, with close and fast qualifying in all 4 sessions.


Bugeja

Manty Bugeja took the honours on Saturday morning, with an off-the-trailer 5.500/263 mph. Dennis Habermann wasn’t far behind with a 5.508 but brother Timo could only manage 5.64. Dave Wilson was left holding up the pile with a 5.777. The second session was equally competitive, with Timo (5.421), Fred Hanssen (5.468) and Dave Wilson (5.472) all improving their times and moving Manty back into 4th place. Krister Johansson clocked a 5.546, which was only good enough for number 8. This left the bump spot only two hundredths slower than the best ever TMD field in Europe !

Sunday was not one to remember for Monty Bugeja, who left hard and then had his throttle and a valve stick open. The car was all over both lanes, hitting almost all the timing reflectors and spraying oil down most of the quarter mile. That was ‘game over’ for the team, who were unable to continue this weekend due to engine damage. Paul-Ingar Udtian was unable to improve on the 5.538/253 mph from Saturday, losing his blower belt in the morning and having mild shake in the afternoon.


Hanssen

Krister Johanssen and Derek Flynn were allowed to run out of session after being shut down while staging because of rain. Krister was able to improve to a 5.5370/252.24 but Derek dropped cylinders and didn’t go quicker. He made up for it in the last session, running 5.4447/260 mph to steal the number 2 position from Fred Hanssen. Dave Wilson didn’t run, shutting down after the burnout because he wasn’t happy with the vibrations he felt coming from the motor. Timo Habermann rolled through stage, pulling Hanssen with him, so neither recorded a time in the last session and


The Habermann brothers - Dennis and Timo

Dennis went up in smoke with a really aggressive clutch set-up in the car overpowering the start-line.

Commiserations must go to Oliver Azzopardi, who was unable to make a qualifying run due to a different problem in each of the first 3 sessions. He was staging in the 4th when he rolled through the lights while shutting his visor.


FIA TOP METHANOL DRAGSTER
Winner:   Rained out

QUALIFYING:

ET

MPH

KPH

1

Timo Habermann

GER

5.4216

258.18

415.50

2

Derek Flynn

GBR

5.4447

260.97

419.99

3

Fred Hanssen

NOR

5.4460

262.69

422.76

4

Dave Wilson

GBR

5.4727

268.76

432.53

5

Monty Bugeja

|MT

5.5007

263.52

423.09

6

Dennis Habermann

GER

5.5089

253.80

408.45

7

Krister Johansson

SWE

5.5370

252.24

405.94

8

Paul Ingar Udtian

NOR

5.5383

253.81

408.47

 Low Elapsed Time of the Meet:   5.4216 seconds – Timo Habermann
Top Speed of the Meet:   268.76 mph / 432.53 kph – Dave Wilson

Link to elimination ladder


Fred Hanssen (near) from Norway and Derek Flynn from the UK


Text: Dave Alexander
Photos: Remco Scheelings & Speedgroup

This article is part of the Speedgroup Club Europe Newsletter #6/2011

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