The Scandinavian Internats is included in the FIA European Drag Racing Championship and the EDRS European Drag Racing Series. It is also the final round of the Swedish Drag Racing Championship Dragracing SM for classes Stock Super Stock, Competition Eliminator and Pro Modified. At this time around 265 teams entered which is the biggest number this season.

The entry list can be found under a separate headline in this newsletter. Please note late changes may occur. 

EVENT REPORTING:


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


Eurodragster.com staff Tog, Kirste and associated photographer Patrik Jacobsson will be on site to provide live reports throughout the event. Click on the direct link to the event coverage index page here: www.eurodragster.com
 
Live results via Dragracing.eu
Results data reporting from the time keeping system Time Tree is published at www.dragracing.eu (check under the results tab)

Web-TV
Tierp Arena, Speedgroup and SMART-TV provide live web-TV streaming provided via SMART-TV services Broadcast is free of charge on Thursday August 22nd (which is the first EDRS qualification day) and can be watched  via PayPerView Friday-Sunday  » Direct link to sign up page SMART-TV
www.smarttv.se
Questions related to the event broadcast can be adressed to SMART-TV:s Robert Karström info@smarttv.se

SIMPSON TRACK SIDE SERVICE
Simpson Sweden is present at Tierp Arena to service drivers with safety equipmement if needed. The Simpson trailer contain a large stock of varied products such as chutes, helmets, harnesses and clothing. They are located in connection with the pit area in the lane nearest the grandstands.

Don´t miss the opportunity to prepare for next season; Drivers who plan to order a custom made drivers suit SFI15 or 20 can visit JP and crew to have the measurements taken down already now for order later over the winter. 



SPEEDGROUP SERVICE CENTER
Speedgroup´s service center is located in connection with the media center in the start area building (access from the line up  area). We are open during race hours Friday-Sunday.

Please note during Thursday our staff will be circulating the pit and start areas.

Speedgroup staff on site at Tierp Arena during Sweden Internats:

Åsa Kinnemar, Aila Striem, Lennart Striem, Lena Perés, Anders Magnusson, Carl-Erik Kihlman, Janne Sjöberg, Trond Höst, Lin Granlund, Kristian Nyström, Pelle Lindelöw, Patrik Jacobsson, Jonas Staflund, Kjell Brelleman and Remco Scheelings..

In addition Michael Gullqvist (CEO Speedgroup) who are on site foremost to compete, in FIA Pro Modified.  Tomas Pettersson and Kjell Pettersson (members of Speedgroup´s EDRS work group) are the race directors of this event.

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 stickers handling
- FIA Championship and EDRS stickers handling
- Pit Tours Guiding - service mainly to teams sponsors (max 10 in each group) available saturday-sunday. Can be booked at the service center. First book, first serve..
- Speedgroup Drivers & Riders Club sign-up and membership service for EDRS 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  

Contact: Speedgroup co-ordinator Åsa Kinnemar  asa.kinnemar@speedgroup.eu
mobile (within Sweden): 070-531 53 32



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

CARS:
- Competition Eliminator
- Super Gas
- Stock Super Stock
- Super Street
- Super Comp
- Junior Dragster
- Pro Modified (which is also included in the FIA and Swedish Championship series)

BIKES:
- Super Twin Bike
- Super Gas Bike
- Super Comp Bike
- Super Street Bike

Invitational classes:
Invitational classes at this event also include Top Fuel Bike, with 6 teams entered among them Europe´s quickest rider Peter Svensson and Pro Stock Bike (6 teams entered), where Elvira Karlsson has been making remarkable progress and is one of the riders who has potential to be the first in the 6-second range.  



Dragracing SM/ The Swedish Drag Racing Championship:

The Scandinavian Internationals is the final round of the Dragracing SM for the classes;

- Pro Modified
- Competition Eliminator
- Stock Super Stock

On August 18th a new Swedish Junior Dragster champion 2013 was crowned, congratulations Marcus Back-Andersson! Marcus is also on the entry list for this event.

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


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

Media contact: Patrik Larsson - media@tierparena.com Managing the media center is Nina Fjätvall.

Operations Manager: Emelie Carlswärd emelie@tierparena.com


Part of the key staff at Tierp Arena - Kjell Pettersson, race director and Emelie Carlswärd, operations manager. 

Micke Kågered (SWE) - Top Fuel Dragster

FIA Top Fuel Dragster:
11 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder, which is the biggest field for the season. Competition distance: 1000 foot

Notes: At the recent NitrOlympX Thomas Nataas and Andersen Racing won the event and took over the lead in championship points from Antti Horto. Micke Kågered enjoyed his best event in a long time being in the final in Hockenheim and it will be interesting to see if the trend will continue at Tierp. Anita Mäkelä is a strong candidate to challenge Naatas for the European Champions title and Horto, currently 3rd ranked just a few points behind Anita, can not be counted out just yet either.

RF Motorsport again entered with four cars, last to enter was Duncan Micallef from Malta, who takes a seat in one Rune Fjeld operated dragster  also in Tierp. The other drivers under RF Motorsport flag are Jari Halinen, Chris Andrews and Antti Horto. Urs Erbacher decided to run at Tierp also, while Urs other car piloted by young Noah Stutz in Hockenheim is not entered. The second Swedish Top Fuel driver Patrik Pers joins the field, where three cars will not have place in the ladder.

Impossible to take a guess on a winner, but I anticipate the spectators on site at Tierp Arena and monitoring the live web-TV broadcast are in for yet another fine event from the high performing European Top Fuel Dragster teams! A 3-second run or two would of course be a bonus..

In championship points lead: Thomas Nataas (NOR)


Tethys (UK) - Top Methanol Dragster

FIA Top Methanol Dragster:
3 teams entered for this event.

Notes: First time for Jonny Lagg in competition in Krister Johansson´s car. Jonny completed the licence at Tierp in july. Under Dave Wilson´s operation Tethys will pilot the dragster, he also participated at Main Event in the UK in May. The third driver is Paul Ingar Udtian from Norway, whose team is very experienced and competitive. I gather, that with a small field and no champions title to compete for, the focus will be about perfecting performance and not least to simply enjoy entering the high quality track Tierp Arena provide.      

In championship points lead*: Tethys

* There will be no European champion 2013 in this class as regulations stipulate a driver has to participate in championship events in all the countries to become champion (and none of the drivers will have complied with this). 


Jonnie Lindberg - Top Methanol Funny Car

FIA Top Methanol Funny Car:
8 teams entered, which equals a full elimination ladder

Notes: There was a switch in points lead after Hockenheim and no less than four drivers still have the chance to become the 2013 champion. Only 15 points between leader Adam Flamholc and 4th placed Leif Andreasson. That is less than one round and whoever scores the highest points during qualifications will have an advantage that may mean all the difference.. Johan Lindberg arrive with a fresh win from Hockenheim while Jonnie Lindberg is the ET and speed record holder  in the class. And Flamholc is the points lead.. and Andreasson was before Hockenheim.. And not to forget Ulf Leanders, who is behind in points but might well snatch the event win at Tierp! No use taking a guess on who will be the winner this time. To figure out a working setup during qualifications will be crucial.

Don´t miss to read Remco Scheelings inteview with Belgian Methanol Funny Car competitor Danny Bellio and his team in a separate article!

In championship points lead: Adam Flamholc (SWE)


Michael Gullqvist - Pro Modified

FIA Pro Modified:
33 teams entered for a 16 car elimination ladder, which is by far the biggest ladder of the season.  The entry field include teams from 6 countries, with a majority from Sweden.

Notes:  To please the crowd and give the "non qualified" drivers 17-24 a chance to compete, the organizers plan for an additional "non points awarding" 8 car ladder if conditions (weather and time schedule) allows it. It will be a bonus if it can happen, but the main focus for all teams will have to be on placing themselves among the 16 quickest during qualifications. Gullqvist have spoilt us with 5-second runs and can likely repeat, but drivers like Mattias Wulcan, Roger Johansson and Marc Meihuizen also are strong competitors for the event win. And as it is crucial to be able to repeat and perform steady, it might turn out that the drivers running the quickest ET:s are not all the winning ones. Many teams have made progress this season, which is very positive for the class, among them Finnish driver Tami Brander  (who run part of the championship) and Anders Nilsson, Sweden who is in cooperation with Gullqvist for tuning, have potential to run quick in the ex-Ellis Cuda and with an ex-Gullqvist engine. Finnish driver Tero Laukkanen is new for the season and will be in competiton at Tierp. Marco Maurischat does a welcome comeback at Tierp and the Kuno/ Schneider two car team is in operation also at this event. Schneider who does his first season in the class, perfom more convincing by each round. They are joined by a number os Swedish drivers who compete in the full or parts of the Swedish Championship.

From this class I hope to see a number of new personal bests and runs in the 5-second range from the top teams.

Don´t miss to read Remco Scheelings interesting inteview with Michael Gullqvist in a separate article!

In championship points lead: Michael Gullqvist (SWE)


Christian Saglev - Pro Stock

FIA Pro Stock:
12 teams entered for an 8 car elimination ladder.

Notes: The all-Swedish Pro Stock field will continue to chase low ET:s and the final in Hockenheim between Thomas Lindström and Jimmy Ålund showed what I have been referring to before; the race can be won at the startline, and especially in this class where the performance level is amazingly close. Lindström was runner-up despite the quicker ET in Hockenheim (we also saw the same phenomena in the Pro Modified final). Maybe at Tierp it is time for Malmgren, Petersson or Callin to be in the final. Or why not Christian Sagelv, who set a new personal best in Hockenheim. Statistics say it will be Lindström and Ålund. But in reality with psychological aspects that needs to be taken into account, the "underdogs" in championship points have nothing to loose and all to win. The event win in Tierp is open for grabs by anyone, but the new European champion will more than likely be Jimmy Ålund or Thomas Lindström, with Malmgren in a comfortable third place at this time. Ålunds lead is a little more than two rounds at the moment.  

Don´t miss to read Lena Perés interview with Pro Stock driver Magnus Petersson and his team in a separate article!

In championship points lead: Jimmy Ålund (SWE)
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 described in this article!

.. and why not check out the online presentation film about Tierp Arena (voice in Swedish)