Last year Timo Habermann and Dave Wilson (together with Fred Hanssen) were the front runners in the class, while this season they and others have had their hands full figuring out how to keep ahead of the two Maltese teams in the class, team Kalanc with driver Chris Polidano (in the nitro injected dragster run by Derek Flynn in 2011) and the Mr Whippy sponsored team owned by Joe Carabott and with skilled driver Monty Bugeja behind the wheel.

Qualifications:

At the European Finals it started well for both Maltese teams and Bugeja was low qualifier at an impressive 5.32 sec run, which he set already in the first attempt out on track. Polidano started in the 5.40 sec range and worked his way down to 5.38 sec by qualification session #3. Dennis Habermann was 3rd at 5.40 flat and retiring veteran Krister Johansson 4th at 5.45. Dave Wilsons 5.49 was good for the 5th and in a very unusual position last in the field Timo Habermann, who had problems during qualifications and were out on track during two out of the four sessions. 


Team Kalanc watching driver Chris Polidano blasting down the track..


.. Polidano back in the pits. His second season in the class resulted in second place in the championship and runner-up at European Finals. Good job Chris and team Kalanc!


Timo Habermann on track. This season Timo ended 5th, while brother Dennis took the 3rd position in the FIA Championship rankings. Well done Dennis and crew!


Dave Wilson next in line to enter the Santa Pod drag strip. Wife Linda and son David are key players in the team. 

Low qualifier Monty Bugeja interviewed by announcer Darryl Bradford. Bugeja is also the 2012 European Champion in Top Methanol  Dragster.

Eliminations:

Last in the field meant Timo Habermann faced Monty Bugeja already in the first round, a task that this time was just too much. Traction problems and a bang mid track (with clean up afterwards) ended Timo Habermanns championship season 2012 and that is not a scenario that the team is used to. Equally bad luck for brother Dennis Habermann, who was taken out of competition by Krister Johansson who managed a holeshot at the tree and won desipte a slower ET (5.50 for Krister compared to Dennis 5.46). With Dennis retreat it was clear that Monty Bugeja had won the championship.

Dave Wilson was the last man to meet defeat in the first round of eliminations, as Chris Polidano and team Kalanc had no plans to park the car for the season just yet. During this possible last run in Wilson´s career traction problems occured from the startline at the hit and the game was over. 

In the semi-final Bugeja enjoyed a planned bye run (decided by the use of a 6 car progressive ladder). 5.40 sec at 262 mph for Bugeja over the finish line and the question was just if his opponent in the final would be Swede Krister Johansson or  fellow countryman Chris Polidano. And it was a close call, but as initially indicated in this article Malta ruled.

In the final Monty Bugeja and the Mr Whippy team got to show off  and let the spectators once and for all realize why they are the new (and very worthy) European champions in FIA Top Methanol Dragster. Bugejas winning ET an impressive 5.36 sec/263 mph to a loosing 5.54 sec from Polidano (who had a reaction time advantage but not enough). Congratulations teams Bugeja and Polidano.. and congratulations Malta!

Link to Results: click to open pdf-files
QUALIFICATIONS
ELIMINATIONS LADDER

courtesy of TSÍ time keepers and Santa Pod Raceway

Check the full points table under a separate headline in this edition.

Low Elapsed Time of the Meet: 
5.325 seconds – Monty Bugeja
Top Speed of the Meet:  
268.93 mph/432.70 kph – Chris Polidano


Polidano launching