Speedgroup Club Europe

The entry field in Top Methanol Dragster for round #2 in Finland constitute of two Swedes and two Maltese drivers. Traditionally the event is the most remote for the teams to travel to, but in this case the two teams that have the longest way to get there will be on site.

Stefan Gunnarsson is the most recent addition to the class, residing in the same village as the former championship track Mantorp Park. So the interest for drag racing in general may have come natural, but fact is that Stefan is one of the few drivers joining the FIA championship who has no previous history as a drag racing driver in his CV (another one is Mikael Larsson who joined the Top Methanol Funny Car class a few years back with no previous career in drag racing).

The drivers tests have been passed and licence issued and Stefan and crew (which include mentors and veteran nitro tuners Peter Lantz and Krister Johansson) was in Sundsvall at the EDRS race last weekend doing some tesing and getting accustomed to the car.

The other Swedish driver entering at Alastaro is Jonny Lagg, who like Gunnarsson also reside in "Mantop Park" land. Jonny does his first full season in the Championship and was in England for round #1. Lagg´s current position in the championship point standings is 4th.

Jonny Lagg - at Tierp Arena 2013 in the very beginning of his career. And below the actual man behind the wheel!

Top Methanol Dragster - Preview Round #2 2014 The entry field in Top Methanol Dragster for round #2 in Finland constitute of two Swedes and two Maltese drivers. Traditionally the event is the most remote for the teams to travel to, but in this case the two teams that have the longest way to get there will be on site. Stefan Gunnarsson is the most recent addition to the class, residing in the same village as the former championship track Mantorp Park. So the interest for drag racing in general may have come natural, but fact is that Stefan is one of the few drivers joining the FIA championship who has no previous history as a drag racing driver in his CV (another one is Mikael Larsson who joined the Top Methanol Funny Car class a few years back with no previous career in drag racing). The drivers tests have been passed and licence issued and Stefan and crew (which include mentors and veteran nitro tuners Peter Lantz and Krister Johansson) was in Sundsvall at the EDRS race last weekend doing some tesing and getting accustomed to the car. The other Swedish driver entering at Alastaro is Jonny Lagg, who like Gunnarsson also reside in "Mantop Park" land. Jonny does his first full season in the Championship and was in England for round #1. Lagg´s current position in the championship point standings is 4th. Jonny Lagg - at Tierp Arena 2013 in the very beginning of his career. And below the actual man behind the wheel!	Monty Bugeja Monty Bugeja, Malta was the 2012 European Champion in the class and is back after a year off FIA competition. Both Bugeja and Polidano are accustomed to the Alastaro track, since it is not the first time they compete there. In Championship points lead Timo and Dennis Habermann, from Germany who will not attend the round in Finland. Bugeja is 3rd, Polidano 4th and Lagg 5th entering this event. Just separated by a few points. As the entry field "only" consist of four cars, the points at stake for the event is not at the level it would be with an 8 car field (one less elimination round). But the winner will be rewarded by 20 points and those points may turn out to be very important at the end of the season. Winner at Alastaro? Well, skills and "track record" points towards a winner from Malta, but in drag racing anything is possible and the newly repaved track may be a bit extra difficult to find the right recipe for.. .. No doubt the Methanol Dragsters are always interesting to watch as they are fast enough and normally very consistent. It is a bonus that they will be accompanied by a large field of their "bigger siblings" the Top Fuel Dragsters (11 drivers on the entry list). Together they will provide a great show for the Finnish nitro and dragster loving crowd at Alastaro! photo: Former drivers and veterans in nitro tuning Krister Johansson and Peter Lantz assist Stefan Gunnarsson and his crew to get the best possible start in their FIA Championship career. Pictured to the far right is Marcus Wålm, who will also be competing in the class during the FIA event (the Turtle Wax International) at Sweden´s Tierp Arena in August! Chris Polidano
Stefan Gunnarsson and wife Maria who is an important member of the crew, she drives the transporters and care for administration and logistics. They are the newest addition to the FIA Top Methanol Dragster class and we wish them a big welcome and good luck at Alastaro!
Text: Åsa Kinnemar Photos: Åsa Kinnemar, Lena Perés & Remco Scheelings This article is part of the Speedgroup Club Europe Online July Newsletter Preview Alastaro 2014 Published by Speedgroup www.speedgroup.eu All material, text, images and logtypes are the property of Speedgroup AB Any use of the above requires permission from Speedgroup email: asa.kinnemar@speedgroup.eu © Speedgroup 2014