For Per and Karsten Andersen and their team the 2013 FIA European Top Fuel title was already number seven, but for Thomas Nataas it was the first one. In 2006 the Norwegian was already close to winning the FIA European Top Fuel title, but was beaten in the last race by Håkan Nilsson, that season the driver of the …….Andersen Racing car.



In 2009 Nataas and Andersen Racing joined forces for the first time when the Norwegian was their driver in the two American NHRA races. The always relaxed driver was in the Per and Karsten Andersen tuned car for the first time in Europe at Hockenheim in 2011, as a stand-in for Tommy Johnson Jr.. The European Finals 2012 was the next race together before they announced their combined assault to win the 2013 title. After a number one qualifying position at the Main Event and a semi-final finish, the Sweden Internationals was their first win of the season and Nataas was in the number one position for the first time. Alastaro was another semi-final and the Norwegian was the number two in the championship. But from that moment on, the Andersen Racing-Nataas combination was the team to beat. A win at Hockenheim and Nataas was back on top, and after the Scandinavian Internationals win at Tierp Arena, where Nataas ran his first European 3-seconds (he already did in the States) the championship was almost his. One qualifying pass at the European Finals was enough to clinch the title.

Thomas Nataas

“It was a great but also very competitive season. At the start of the season we were struggling a bit as the car didn’t do what we wanted it to do. We won the first Tierp race, but at that moment the car was still not perfect. After Alastaro things worked out as we wanted it. Hockenheim was the key race this season. We won in round one against the leader in the championship at that moment, Antti Horto, defeated Anita Mäkelä, the number three in the championship, in round number two and won the final. That was the best possible scenario for the championship, especially as we won the next race, the Scandinavian Internationals at Tierp too. That was the most exciting race of the year, running my first European 3-seconds and everybody recording such great numbers in eliminations”, Nataas looks back at his successful season.



The way Andersen Racing is run by Per and Karsten Andersen is one of the most important reasons for Nataas to join the team and to confirm another full season in 2014. “I really enjoy my time with the team. It’s like a family and everybody feels at home, it’s a real team, working together and everybody is involved in what’s going on in the team”, says Nataas, who is praised by everybody for his driving ability and relaxed approach. As one title makes hungry for more, to keep that number one plate is priority number one of course. “But there are more strong combination, like Anita for example, but also Stig and the Rune Fjeld cars. Top Fuel is getting more and more competitive. I really hope, we have the same weather conditions like this season. No rain-outs and I think I made 37 or 38 runs, more than ever before in one season. It would be good to do that again in 2014.”


On the podium with Anita Mäkelä, who is the runner up in this year´s FIA Championship