Unfortunately, ‘slam-bang’ became the operative expression when Marc Meihuizen – who would surely be a champion by now if luck ever came his way – shook, swerved, sideswiped the right-lane wall, bounced off into the left lane and then trickled back across his own finish line to an almost 13-second disqualification. Opponent Mattias Wulcan, already secure as the FIA European Pro Mod Champion, also suffered a fit of the shakes and had to move smartly aside to avoid Meihuizen’s incursion. His winning time was a shade over 10 seconds. It was spectacular, in its way, but not as we had expected.


Mattias Wulcan (SWE)

Wulcan had sewn up the FIA title in a sizzling second elimination round. First, low qualifier and closest challenger Michael Gullqvist had fallen from contention losing a wild, swerving pedalfest against David Vegter. Then Wulcan had delivered his quickest ET of the weekend to beat Bruno Bader by a whisker, 5.968 to 6.028. Andy Robinson despatched Marcus Hilt in another fine contest before Roger Johansson ended his own quest for the crown by losing the closest match of the day to Marc Meihuizen, 6.061 to Meihuizen’s 6.052. In the two seasons he has spent in pursuit of the FIA Championship, Wulcan has finished second and, now, first.


Michael Gullqvist (SWE)

The event’s biggest performance numbers came right at the start, in Friday morning’s opening qualifying session. Michael Gullqvist clocked the first 5.8sec ET on British soil – 5.893, low qualifier and Low ET of the Meet – and was nearly as quick on Friday afternoon – 5.899. For the record, his Saturday times were 6.047 and 5.957, and he could have done with that sort of performance on Sunday, when the force plainly deserted him.


Roger Johansson (SWE)


Tero Laukkanen (FIN)


Marcus Hilt (SWI)


David Vegter (NED)

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On the podium at Santa Pod: Champion Mattias Wulcan (left) and Marc Meihuizen
What Gullqvist was doing with elapsed time, ‘Turbo’ Tero Laukkanen was doing with terminal speed. The Finnish driver’s very late entry was gladly received after his 250mph, race-winning heroics – with a first 5sec ET into the bargain – at Tierp two weeks earlier, and he began at Santa Pod as he had left off in Sweden, planting the first 250mph/400km/h terminal on the scoreboard (250.99/403,93) to be seen in Britain. Then his mojo started to peter away, first into the 6’s, then into the 8’s, with a ‘mere’ 234mph being his next-best speed along with three sub-200mph terminals. David Vegter beat him comfortably in Sunday’s opening elimination match and went on to knock out Gullqvist in that hair-raising second-round encounter.


Andy Robinson (UK)

Home favourite Andy Robinson’s red-letter day came on Saturday. In the fourth qualifying session, his second-season Camaro at last showed its true potential as Robinson booted it beneath the 6-second barrier, clocking 5.968 at a personal-best speed of 239.05mph/384,71km/h to qualify second – the first 5sec pass by a British driver. Unfortunately, Sunday became Robinson’s red-light day, but the cherry didn’t gleam until the semi-final against Meihuizen. In all, three of the semi-final cars were products of Andy Robinson Race Cars, Meihuizen’s and David Vegter’s along with Robinson’s own. Race-winner Wulcan’s Firebird was built in the USA.


Bruno Bader (SWI)

Saturday also provided a special moment for Bruno Bader. Having spent seemingly the last few years hitting metronomic 6.0’s, Bader at last slipped into the 5’s, qualifying fourth at 5.987. His five other timeslips – three in qualifying, two in eliminations – all registered (you guessed it) 6.0sec ETs.


The Isaacs & TrammPro Mod Plymouth Duster

Two British newcomers enjoyed promising weekends, Chris Isaacs and Bobby Wallace. Isaacs and his turbo Plymouth Duster have steadily chipped away at their personal-best times and speeds with each appearance, and qualified on the bump spot here with fresh PBs. Unfortunately, the Duster’s transmission played up and Isaacs was forced to miss eliminations.


Bobby Wallace (UK)

Bobby Wallace and his family team from nearby Bromham – south-east across the fields from Santa Pod and probably within earshot – have not so much ‘chipped away’ as hammered straight in. Wallace obtained his Pro Mod licence in his nitrous Willys just one race earlier, qualifying at July’s Mopar Euro Nationals but missing eliminations with an oil system problem. In four qualifying sessions this weekend, the 21-year-old lopped a clear half-second off his personal-best ET and added almost 20mph/32km/h to his terminal speed PB. Losing to Andy Robinson in the first round of eliminations was no disgrace.

So now there is a new challenger for the status of Britain’s quickest, fastest nitrous car. Roger Moore reclaimed that title this weekend from Rick Garrett. Both achieved new PBs, Moore’s 6.457 ET best just .002 quicker than Garrett’s, but Wallace, at 6.570/210.84/339,31, is closing on them fast.

All told, nine drivers set new personal bests during qualifying (see details below).

Santa Pod was graced with a rare visit from Sweden’s king of the burnout, ‘Fast Freddy’ Fagerström. The ancient Chevy truck, which seems to grow more ‘rat-look’ rust with each passing season (it is painted on, isn’t it?), has run as quick as 6.049, by some miracle of engineering, but has not matched that pace on its few appearances this year. Qualified 11th, Freddy failed to make his Sunday first-round appointment with Roger Johansson but came out late in the day with three, quick-turnaround test passes, a 6.23/221/355 the best. Fagerström professed that he loved to race at Santa Pod. Perhaps, then, we might see more of him in the future, and we shouldn’t mind a visit from Niclas Andersson either.

Link to results from the timing system:

- ELIMINATION LADDER
- QUALIFICATION RANKINGS

Courtesy of TSI Timers (Europe) and Santa Pod Raceway