“We wanted to make headlines at Tierp, on the track with new records and in the pits with our VIP area. That combination has to bring our team to the next level. Gary Stoffer did a great job performance-wise and Annica Adefors made the relationship marketing a great success,” says Fredrik Fredlund.

 

Fredlund’s 7.0486sec was by far Europe’s quickest-ever Pro Stock Bike run and, because he was able to back up his 306.12kph speed, that became the new European speed record. The only dream he could not fulfil was Europe’s first-ever 6sec Pro Stock Bike run. Fredlund made big steps performance-wise at Tierp and that had a lot to do with Gary Stoffer. “I’m using a Gary Stoffer engine at this race and Gary is around for tuning advice. I met Gary when I was racing in the States. We had some problems and, as a good friend of the team owner, he came over and helped us. We talked a while and kept in touch through Facebook and talked a lot about racing and our bikes. In the end we did the deal to race one of his engines here at Tierp and he would come over for the tuning. I think he was impressed by my driving skills because, with my height, I’m not like all the jockey-type Pro Stock Bikes riders they have in the States. I have to get used to the new engine. Owing to the higher revs level, you have to shift much later. I got used to shifting by listening to the engine but now I have to look at the shift light again,” says Fredrik.

But racing is more than performance only. To grab the momentum of his on-track performance, Fredrik wanted something special in the Tierp pits too. “Pro Stock Bike racing is expensive and to step up to the next level we had to do something to get the attention of companies and potential partners for our on-track performance. I got in touch with Annica and she worked for more than two months on this project.” Annica worked for the Honda team in the Swedish Touring Car Championship so she knows exactly how to deal with hospitality and VIP matters. “Like all sports,” she explains, “drag racing needs characters to reach a big audience and attract big companies. 

Fredrik is a character and a role model. He is easy-going, talks to everybody and is always positive. He speaks to groups about safety on public roads and wearing the right clothes when riding your bike. Because he is a racer everybody listens and the words get more value. Fredrik has kids too so he knows exactly how important safety is.” Annica invited fifteen companies to the Tierp event and a special lunch was served by Jansson’s Kök, a top restaurant from Gävle. “Everybody had a great time and was very enthusiastic. We’ll do an evaluation and talk with all the partners later but the results are already promising,” says Annica.

 

In the world of Pro Stock Bike, the name Stoffer needs little introduction. Karen Stoffer rides the Geico Suzuki in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and her husband Gary is the crewchief. “We had our first full season in 2004 and have been in the top ten of the championship every year since. At the moment Karen is the number one in the championship. We haven’t won a race so far this season but consistency is far more important to win the championship. Like so many other teams, we use Vance & Hines engines but the most important thing is the tuning of it.”



Looking at the results, Gary is ‘pretty good’ at this. “I met Fredrik in the States and we kept in touch. I’m not the American coming over to tell everybody how to do it, but if someone needs advice he can always ask me. Friends of Fredrik came over to his pits with their problems and if I could help them I did. I hope Fredrik can keep the crew he has. They are very good, listen to all the things you tell them, want to know everything and why you do it, and use the information they get. Great people. But Fredrik too, you only have to tell him once and the next run it’s okay.” Of course US and European Pro Stock Bike racing are different. “Before we go to our first race we test for at least a week and make more runs then you can do here in a season. So it’s pretty normal that we know more about adjusting the bike and the technology. And it’s disappointing to see drivers not using special parts on their bikes because they haven’t had instructions on how to use the available options.”

 

Performance-wise, Gary was pretty happy after qualifying. “We had problems with the vacuum pump but the last run was good. We only have to take care of Jesper Thiel, he’s still a bit faster. But he didn’t improve and we did so that’s a psychological advantage for us in eliminations.” That assessment certainly proved right in the quarter- and semi-final, but in the final Jesper beat Fredrik and took the win.