Manty Bugeja already became a national hero when he won his first European Top Methanol Dragster race ten years back, so what will he be now as the first ever Maltese FIA European Champion? Manty Bugeja and Joe Carabott’s Mr Whippy Team received a rousing welcome at the airport by a large crowd,  the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and the president of the Malta Motorsport Federation and…..was invited to meet the Prime Minister!

At the European Finals Manty Bugeja won the 2012 FIA Top Methanol Dragster title in glorious style by winning the race. The 50 year old dragracer is the first Maltese to win a FIA Drag Racing title and very likely the first ever Maltese to win a FIA title in any kind of motorsport at all. As drag racing is by far the most popular form of motorsport in Malta, Bugeja, the Mr Whippy Team and their FIA European title were ‘hot news’ for the Island of Sunshine. At Santa Pod at least 500 Maltese fans cheered, waved their flags and had a big party for at least three days. But returning home the new crowned champion and his team were welcomed by a noisy crowd that we only see when a football team wins an European title. Even Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Clyde Puli and Tonio Cini, president of the Malta Motorsport Federation were at the airport to welcome and congratulate the champions. And a few days later the new heroes were invited to meet the Prime Minister!


Team owner Joe Carabott

Nobody deserved the 2012 championship better than Manty Bugeja and the Joe Carabott owned Mr Whippy Team. With 5.292 sec (Main Event) they set the best ET of the season, were number one qualifier five times (out of six races) and were in the final four times. Until the European Finals only a win was missing, but that issue was solved in the last race of the season. That win was the icing on the cake of their historic season and the reason for the team to go wild at the startline.

Manty Bugeja is involved in the sport of drag racing since 1985 and won several national titles. Bugeja made his first Top Methanol Dragster pass in 1996 and entered a TMD European Championship race for the first time in 2000. In the next few years he won three FIA races at Santa Pod. After a few years racing at Malta again, the team returned to the FIA Championship last year. In 2012 they did the  full tour and were the fastest and most consistent of all.

Team owner is Joe Carabott and crewchief Remic Arapa with assistance from Charlie Draper. At the Main Event the team got assistance from Norm Grimes, the American tuner who was crewchief of the Rick Santos built car when it raced in the NHRA Series.

“This championship is the result of months of hard work”, Bugeja said in a national newspaper. “This success was achieved after an all-round effort and I have to single out Joe Carabott and the Mr Whippy crew for their contribution and support. Without their passion and motivation it would have been impossible for us to fulfil our dream. I would also like to mention the numerous drag racing followers in Malta. They have always been behind us in this venture abroad. Our championship, but also Chris Polidano’s runner-up position, are a great promotion to Maltese motor sport.”