Bengtsson showed Gagnon and the rest of the field what he was capable of already during qualifications. 6.48 sec for Bengtsson (!) which was set during the second attempt (where the remaining two sessions had to be cancelled due to rain). Gagnon second quickest 6.54 sec. Team mate Samu Kemppainen Finland 6.72 which was quicker that Samu had run before. It was good for the 4th position after Christian Jäger who ran 6.70 sec (Jägers capacity also lies in the low 6.50´s).

As 18 riders qualified for only 8 positions in the ladder many capable riders was left outside, among them Trond Jostein Höiberget who won the Super Twin Bike Nordic Challenge at the same track just a month ago and also Greger Johansson who was runner up at that event.

Riders that we don´t see frequently in the eliminations included Ulf Ledström Sweden and Joachim Acka Riemer from Germany. The two got to face Bengtsson (Riemer) and Gagnon (Ledström) in the quarter finals and was taken out from further competition by the two quicker riders.


Kemppainen 

Samu Kemppainen lost his quarter finals to Jan Sturla Hegré. Hegré 6.77 sec vs Kemppainens 6.79 sec in a close and great race.


Greger Johansson 10th quickest and outside the elimination ladder this time

Nate Gagnon - points leader in the UEM Drag Bike Championship after the Sweden Internationals.. 

Christian Jäger (Germany) took on Job Heezen (the Netherlands) in the quarter finals. Holeshot and great run by Jäger at 6.702 sec while Heezen shut off early seemingly loosing power.

Bengtsson clean win over Riemer 6.48 sec Bengtsson, 7.75 Riemer. Same thing with Gagnons win over Ledström. Gagnon 6.54 sec, Ledström 7.32 sec.

The Semi-finals was between Bengtsson and Hegré, where Bengtsson won at 6.40 sec (!) which is a new personal best ET and the first leg of a European record! A big ball of fire came from Hegrés engine right off the startline and that was it for team Rolfstad/Hegré for this event (Rolfstad himself non-qualified after having struggled with replacing a crank the night before the qualifications)

Jäger´s 7.84 in the semi-finals did not do the job against a Gagnon who flew down the track run after run. 6.44 sec in the semi final for Nate Gagnon, which the quickes t he has run so far and also touching the current European ET record. Well done Nate and crew! In the final against Bengtsson Gagnons luck failed after the burnout  and he shut off and got off the bike before staging. To a brief question soon after he explained problems with a rocker arm as cause.

Bengtsson got the sign from the starter the final was going to be only about him. Tyre shake and an early shut off at that point was risk free, he had already won the Sweden Internationals independent on what time the score board showed. Well done Per and crew!

A new European speed record was also set and backed up by Per Bengtsson 360 km/223.70 mph. The ET record at 6.458 set by Anders "Charley" Karling in 2004 still remains intact but just barely as both Bengtsson and Gagnon have produced ET:s quicker now (but not backed up to count as established records).

After two events non-European lead in the UEM Drag Bike Championship. Gagnon 153 points, before Per Bengtsson 91 points and Job Heezen third at 86. Check the full points table under a separate headline in this newsletter!