The event which is run at Tierp Arena  August 23-26th 2012 is included in the FIA & UEM European Drag Racing Championship. It is round #5 for both the FIA car teams UEM Drag Bike teams. It  is also part of the EDRS European Drag Racing Series for sportsman classes which is administered by Speedgroup.  Last but not least the event is included in the Swedish Drag Racing Championship for a few classes (see further down this page.)

NUMBER OF TEAMS ENTERED: 
Close to 300 teams are currently entered for this event, please check the entry list under a separate headline.

EVENT REPORTING:


Webradio and Radio: FM94.3
Race & Rock : Interviews and music Wednesday-Saturday evenings and nights led by Henrik Modigh in the new radio studio behind the grandstands!


Reports incl. pit notes and  photo galleries  provided from Tierp Arena by Eurodragster.com www.eurodragster.com

Results data reporting from the time keeping system via www.dragracing.eu (check under results)

Live web-TV via SMART-TV



SPEEDGROUP SERVICE CENTER
The service center of Championship administrator Speedgroup  is located in connection with the media center in the start area building (access from the line up  area). 

The Speedgroup Service Center is open during race hours Thursday-Sunday.

We provide the following services on site:
- Information about drag racing and also in event- and championship matters to spectators and media 
- Continuous results data reporting via www.dragracing.eu
- Sign up for the Speedgroup Newsletters
- Contingency Program handling
- Pit Tours Guiding - service mainly to teams sponsors (max 8 in each group) continuous friday-sunday. Can be booked at the service center. First book, first serve..
- Speedgroup Drivers & Riders Club sign-up and membership service for EDRS sportsman teams
- Sales of Championship souvenir t-shirts, Speedgroup caps and Peltor hearing protection. 
- Continuous support to teams and the organizers in event- and championship related matters  

FACTS ABOUT TIERP ARENA can be found at www.tierparena.com

Media contact: media@tierparena.com

Event Manager: Emelie Carlswärd emelie@tierparena.com



EDRS European Drag Racing Series Sportsman classes run at the Sweden Internationals:

- Competition Eliminator
- Super Gas
- Stock Super Stock
- Super Street
- Super Comp
- Junior Dragster
- Super Gas Bike
- Super Comp Bike




Dragracing SM/ The Swedish Drag Racing Championship:

The Scandinavian Internationals is part of the Dragracing SM for the classes;

- Pro Modified
- Junior Dragster

Speedgroup administer the Dragracing SM on behalf of SBF Swedish Auto Sports Federation. www.dragracing-sm.se

Championship Classes briefing:

UEM Drag Bike Championship

UEM Top Fuel Bike:
7 teams entered for an 8 bike elimination ladder (may be a progressive ladder run)
Notes: Ian King (UK) leads the championship (259 points) before Nils Lagerlöf (172) and Rikard Gustafsson (130)

This event will mostly be about running quick for Peter Svensson and team STARTA. They have a good chance to advance from 4th in the championship rankings, but that will then be a bonus
 as the Svensson Bros. main focus is to run quick rather than earn points. 

Ian King is way ahead the rest in points and looks like the obvious candidate for the champions title, but the twist to the UEM Drag Bike Championship this year is the new regulation that allow max 5 out of the 6 events to be counted. However King runs at all events and can afford to to loose some points. It should not be a problem to keep the others behind. But if history from the Tierp June event repeats itself and Svensson scores highest he can hunt for Lagerlöf and Gustafssons rankings. That although he only has run at three events compared to their five. Kai Selkämma impressed at Hockenheim and will be competing at Tierp also. Otto Knebl from the Czech Republic on King´s ex-bike also entered. Gustafsson has not had the best of season´s so far but we hope he can enjoy a good and hassle free competition at Tierp next week. Lagerlöf, who is still on a learning curve in the class and on this bike have performed pretty consistent and keep earning a bunch of points event after event. It may well earn him a place on the podium at Tierp and in the championship his first year out in UEM Top Fuel Bike..

UEM Super Twin Bike:
17 teams entered for an 8 bike elimination ladder
Notes: The top trio in the points standings are Nate Gagnon from Canada (!) at 163 points, Samu Kemppainen Finland follows at 135 and Job Heezen from the Netherlands is in 3rd place with  114 points

A few less bike on the entry list compared to the Tierp June event, but nevertheless many more bikes than spots in the elimination ladder. The tough reality is that more then 50% of the field will be parked after two days of qualifications. Canadian rider Nate Gagnon has his eyes set on the champions title and we can´t see anyone keeping him from it really. Heezen who is in 3rd place had tough luck at Hockenheim and hurt the engine while Gagnon was in the finals (runner-up after Jäger). But the winner of the Scandinavian Internationals may well be one that is not chasing at the top of the points rankings. In June at the same track Per Bengsston won the final (Gagnon´s bike unluckily broke just second before start) and Bengsston has been running quicker than the current European record during tests at Gardermoen just a few weeks back (Bengtsson ran 6.38 sec compared to the current 6.45 sec). Bengtsson is after the record more than anything.. It may mean he will not be as consistent as Gagnon and Kemppainen have proved to be. In this class we can not even guess who will be highest on the podium on Sunday. But as Gagnon looks like a championship winner, why not hope that it will one of the others, there are so many great performing fantastic riders and teams in the UEM Super Twin Bike class. And fingers crossed Bengtsson once and for all manages to take Anders Charley Karlings ET record that was set in 2004. Karling will most likely be at Tierp to watch it happen!

Trophies for the EDRS Super Twin Bike Nordic Challenge that was won by Samu Kemppainen will be handed out during the Scandinavian Internats. Stay tuned for photos from the occasion in the next edition..

UEM Pro Stock Bike:
8 teams entered for an 8 bike elimination ladder

Notes: The championship points situation in the class is that Ulf Ögge lead at 268 points ahead of Kalle Lyrén (265) and Fredrik Fredlund (252).

The raffling competition at Hockenheim was won by Fredrik Fredlund while Ulf Ögge had no luck at that event. At this time any of the riders in the top trio can be the next UEM Pro Stock Bike Champion and the event at Tierp is going to be the most crucial so far this season. Lyrén is the most consistent of the three while Fredlund and Ögge have equal chances to be quickest. The combination quick, consistent and with nerves of steel can be a winning one next weekend.. the question is just who will it be? Fredlund needs it most badly while Ögge can do his thing knowing he is in the lead.. at least for now.. Not the biggest field we have seen at this event, but the performance in the top compensate well for that!  
 

The impressive start area building at Tierp Arena. www.tierparena.com

Championship Classes briefing:

FIA Top Fuel Dragster:
11 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder
Competition distance: 1000 foot
Notes: In championship points lead Risto Poutiainen (284) followed by Jari Halinen (222) and Anita Mäkelä (159)

The rankings changed in Hockenheim as Antti Horto, who was previously 3rd did not enter the NitrOlympX. Anita Mäkelä advanced and now has Janne Ahonen in 4th place. Janne will definately wish to give Anita a fight for a place on the podium in this years championship. It is by now 100% certain that the 2012 Top Fuel Dragster champion will be from Finland and Risto Poutiainen is and has been the strongest candidate all along. Three Swedes on home turf, veteran Micke Kågered, whose team at Alastaro in July found and managed to cure a fault that had been present a long time. After that the damage that previously occured frequently for this hard working team, has been close to non existing, a trend which we hope will continue. Patrik Pers and Håkan Fällström are the other two skilled Swedes that will try their best to earn a spot among the top 8 to be in competition on Sunday August 26th, where three cars will be left out. 2011 champion Urs Erbacher is on the entry list and he made spectacular crowd pleasing runs under difficult circimstances in Hockenheim. It will be interesting to see where the true performance level lies for this car at Tierp. There was a preliminary plan that the Andersen Racing and pilot Thomas Nathås would make their come back in FIA competition at Tierp, but they eventually decided to only go for the last event, the European Finals at Santa Pod in september. The field at Tierp will no doubt be fast and close competition can be expected!

FIA Top Methanol Dragster:
7 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder
Notes: In the championship lead Monty Bugeja from Malta  (281) followed by Dennis Habermann (250) and Dave Wilson (248) 

The FIA Top Methanol Dragster Championship took a new turn at the last event in Hockenheim, where Dave Wilson who was 2nd decided to protest against and not to run the eliminations. The methanol dragster was the only FIA class run in elimination competition and the decision to let one out of the five classes run was controversial. But the competition was on and Dennis Habermann took the win and with that climbed the ranking into 2nd place, putting down brother Timo into 4th posistion after Wilson. Still Monty Bugeja in the lead and he will be competing at Tierp, the event looked weak to start but with the late additions of Dennis and Timo Habermman, Dave Wilson and Chris Poildano to the entry list is is back to nromal. Peter Schöfer from Germany will be there as will Krirster Johansson, the only Swede in this highly international class. Fast competition and a good show for the spectators can be expected from the contestants on site.
   
FIA Top Methanol Funny Car:
7 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder
Notes:  In championship points lead before the event Leif Andréasson (209) followed by Danny Bellio (194) and Ulf Leanders (150)

The ranking at the top is the same like before Hockenheim and Andréasson´s track record at his home track Tierp Arena will be hard to repeat. At the event in June he not only stood as winner, but also set new European ET and Speed Records. Without wanting to sound pessimistic it seems unrealistic he can repeat it all once more at the Scandinavian Internationals. Ulf Leanders and the Leanders Bros teams are hungry for the event win and points. Will be interesting to see if it all comes together for them at Tierp. Jonnie Lindberg is new in the class and his 5.87 sec new personal best at Alastaro in July impressed. We hope Jonnie and the Lindberg Bros. can enjoy a successful event at the venue they actually was part of constructing last year! Danny Bellio is able to run quick and win rounds, as is Arvid Grödem (who went testing at Gardermoen instead of going to Germany). Mikael Larsson is on the entry list and have by now become an established driver in the class.  

FIA Pro Modified:
31 teams entered for a 16 car elimination ladder 
Notes:  The Championship lead is held by Bruno Bader at 260 points, followed by Michael Gullqvist  (243) and Bert-Ove Olofsson (195). All three are on site at Hockenheim to compete.

The top trio before the Tierp event is the same as before Hockenheim. Micke Gullqvist had hoped to pass Bader in points at Hockenheim, but with no eliminations there was not points enough at stake. Gullqvist lost the 5 low ET points to David Vegter (who ran one hundred of a second quicker), points he wanted badly. At Hockenheim Freddy Fagerström passed Mats Eriksson in the rankings, Freddy now in 4th and Mats 5th. Freddy is after the 3rd position currently held by Bert-Ove Olofsson. 15 cars will be parked after two days of qualifications. Our guess is the top 5 ranked will be performing well enough to be in competition.. These short wheel base and heavy cars require a lot of adjusting in tuning in between rounds if conditions changes and we will not be surprised if some of the lower ranked teams hit jackpot at Tierp and see that the top contenders game for the championship points and event win is interferred with. If we are to name a few that has the capability it would be Niclas Andersson (winner of the Tierp june event) and Mattias Wulcan who has a very competitive car and tuner. 

Don´t miss to read editor Robin Jacksons article about the FIA Pro Mod championship under a separate headline!

FIA Pro Stock:
12 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder
Notes: Thomas Lindström is in championship lead (263 points) before Jimmy Ålund (224) and Michael Callin in 3rd with 178 points

Nothing changed in the rankings at Hockenheim and if Lindström continues to score high (and nothing indicate he can´t) we will have a new Pro Stock champion this season. A few cars less on the entry list than at the Tierp June event. New in the class and for the first time in FIA competition Swede Magnus Pettersson. Finnish team Österberg Racing with  Sampsa Palos behind the wheel, did not travel to Hockenheim but will be back at Tierp and so will Christian Sagelv. German driver Harry Sturhan followed the FIA tour up to Sweden and is the other non-Swedish competitor in the class at this event. Ålund and Malmgren will want to do all they can to take out Lindström early in the eliminations. Top 8 cars will be competing on Sunday while two will be parked after the qualifications. Ulf Wagnhester was low qualifier at Hockenheim, will he be able to stay in the top qualification ranking at Tierp as well? On Saturday evening we will know..
 
Don´t miss to check the point standings and entry list for more information and follow the event as we proceed through any of the different option of event coverage (see under separate headline in this article)!


Per Bengtsson, UEM Super Twin Bike will be out to set a new European ET record. The speed record already belong to Bengtsson..


Top Fuel Dragster pilot Micke Kågered has his two seat dragster on site in Tierp.


The Stock Super Stock class association plans for a parade to let the spectators enjoy the great looking race cars that has record many entries this time, where 40 cars are entered for a 32 car field