Of course Urs Erbacher doesn’t need any further introduction. The popular three times FIA European Top Methanol Funny Car and three times FIA European Top Fuel champion is always a favourite for the win, even this year, although it’s the Swiss first race of the season. For Noah Stutz Hockenheim is even more exciting, as after licencing at Santa Pod a few weeks ago, it will be the first ever Top Fuel race for the now 18-years-old rookie.

Noah Stutz started the traditional way, in Junior Dragster, stepping up to Super Comp when he was 16-years-old. For 2013 the idea was to race Super Pro ET with the same car (and he did at the Main Event), but what other drivers takes many years, the Swiss youngster did in one big step, going to Top Fuel.

You can drive my car
Where did it start? “I was 8-years-old when I saw the Junior Dragsters. I said to my dad, ‘look dad, Juniors’ and he replied, ‘okay, bring me thousand Swiss Francs and we’ll see. Four years later I had the thousand Francs and we bought a Junior Dragster.


Noah in the junior dragster

We already knew Urs Erbacher and I became a part of his team. That was the start of my new life”, Noah remembers very well. Last year pictures were published of a Pro Mod car that should be race-ready next season, the next step after this Super Pro ET season in the dragster. “Yes, that was the original plan. But last December Urs came to me and said, Noah, why the step to Pro Mod? I have a second Fueler and you can drive it! Who would say no to the offer to race a Top Fueler? It’s really nice of Urs to give me that chance.”


Noah in Super Pro ET at Santa Pod


Urs Erbacher, Noah and family


Robin Grice, skilled crew chief of Erbachers Fat Attack team

Noah Stutz

Hit
The first time in the car and the licence runs were of course a once in a lifetime experience. “The first time I was in the cockpit and we fired up the car, my head hit the roll cage when Robin hit the throttle. Before the start of my first run, I was really nervous at the startline. But after the burnout everything was okay and I was focussed for the run. The feeling when I hit the throttle for the first time was unbelievable. It kicks your ass so hard and you have to concentrate on a point where you have to go to. But the licence runs were good. In the fourth run the car went to the left, close to the middle of the track. I tried to steer it back to the right, but it still went left. That was a bit scary.


Urs Erbacher at HockenheimRing

The acceleration in a Top Fuel car is really extreme. The first run my head hit the cockpit, but I love this car and it’s a great feeling to sit inside. A Top Fueler is a completely different car from what I was used to drive. I have a handbrake and clutch pedal, and it’s so much faster of course. But I already feel comfortable in the car, as the team gives me a perfect car in every detail”, says Noah about his first experiences as a Top Fuel driver. His best run during licencing? A great 4.41 seconds, a time many drivers would be jealous about in a normal qualifying session.

Now Hockenheim
But what are Noah’s expectations for the NitrOlympX? “After a great holiday in Sweden, I’m really looking forward to Hockenheim. I want to be in the semi-finals, or maybe final when the weather is okay. Like all the years before, we’ll have many guests in the Erbacher Racing VIP-area. I’m really looking forward to that too, as it’s a good chance to show so many people that drag racing is a very professional sport. We hope at least one or two other sponsors will see the opportunities of this sport and will join us for the European Finals in England. And for next year, I would like to do the full FIA European Championship of course, but I definitely need more sponsors for that.” And of course Noah wants to say a big ‘thank you’ to some people. “I want to thank my family. They support me every time at the track and in my non-drag racing life. And of course Urs and Robin for the very good car they give me and the work and many hours they put into it. And not to forget my team. Again and again they work hard so I can drive, ‘guys thank you for making this possible for me’. And last but not least, Midland Oil and Move it fitness.”



The Erbacher Fat Attack pit area at Hockenheim, where one part is for the racing operation and one part is reserved for in invited VIP-guests



*the NitrOlympX is run August 9-11th2013 - read more at www.nitrolympx.com