Lex Joon's MPM Top Fueler was already in California after he tried to qualify for the races at Las Vegas and Pomona last year. When he left home a week before this year's Finals, Joon was still talking with partners to secure a deal for the Pomona race. The Dutchman wanted to be there because the last race of the season was the place to meet partners for a full 2011 NHRA campaign. In what can be called a last-minute deal, Murray Company, Manley, Koppl, Seasick Marketing, Team Dirty Girls, Autoparts Zaandam and MPM Oil made it possible for Joon to make his dream come true. As last year, Kevin Poynter was tuning the MPM Top Fueler.



On the first qualifying run (Thursday), almost everything went as planned and the 4.12sec ET was good for the number ten qualifying position in the 26-car field. "The Funny Cars were out first and most of them had problems with the track. Kevin Poynter decided to take some power out and that was the right decision. We dropped a cylinder but made it to the finish in a straight line. Back in the pits we found a broken air hose so we did not have any data from the run," said Joon.

The goal for the second qualifying session (Friday) was a run into the three-second range, good enough to stay in the top twelve. But again the engine lost a cylinder and at half-track the blower belt left the car. After two runs with two still to go, Joon was back in seventeenth position.



Saturday was not Joon's day. A big engine explosion after a part failure ended the third qualifying attempt. Joon: "I didn't know it was that bad. Of course I felt something go wrong with the engine but didn't realize what had happened until I saw the pictures. The fire didn't last too long so only one wire and the chutes were burned. But the engine was a total write-off. There was a lot of work to be done but, thanks to Kevin and the hard-working crew, we were in the staging lanes in time for the fourth run. After firing up, everything seemed to be okay, but when I wanted to start the burnout the engine didn't sound good and we decided to stop the car." Joon was now back in 25th position and outside the elimination ladder. "Of course that was a big disappointment. We want to make runs and race and show the crowd what we are capable of. The crew made some adjustments to the chassis and the car felt good. But we couldn't do any testing and you need some luck too. I'm sure it was the right decision to be here. We met companies that are very interested in our 2011 program. It will take some time but our marketing partner, Seasick Marketing, is working around the clock on this."

Of course Joon gets many questions about a return to the FIA European Top Fuel Championship. "Our main focus is the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. But if we have an American partner who is also interested in a European program we'll race that series too. When I race I want to have a chance to win. With that in mind, it's useless to do only two races in the European Championship, like we did in 2009. So you never know how things turn out. I hope to bring good news as soon as possible."


Stig Neergard

Stig Neergaard's "World Tour" encompassed the Las Vegas and Pomona races. Last year the Dane tried to qualify for both events in the Paton Racing Top Fueler. This time Neergaard shipped his whole operation to the States and, after a 2,300-mile trip from Virginia, the car arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Neergaard ended day one of qualifying in the John Smith-tuned dragster in 16th position (4.10sec). The third run was an 'up in smoke' and at the end of the last qualifying run, the engine lost power. With a 4.16sec best, Neergaard was in 21st position and outside the Vegas elimination ladder. (Remember that, in NHRA qualifying nowadays, only the quickest twelve keep their times from the first two sessions; the rest start afresh on Saturday. Hence Stig's Friday 4.10 did not count in the final analysis.)



Neergaard tried it again at Pomona and, after day one, the Dane was in 15th position. (Unlike other tracks, Pomona holds one Pro session on Thursday and one on Friday.) But on Friday, Neergaard ran into engine problems and was back in 23rd position. A 4.25sec ET was a better start for Saturday but, with an 'up in smoke' in the last qualifying session, Neergaard stayed 23rd. Like Joon, the Dane finished outside the elimination ladder.



Last year, Jöran Persåker joined Neergaard on his USA trip as a sponsor, but this time the Swede wanted to drive as well. At Pomona, in his first NHRA outing, Persåker piloted the Paton Racing Fueler that Neergaard used last year. Persåker started with 4.274sec and was in eleventh position after day one. The second run (4.113sec) was slightly better and, lying 16th, the Swede was the best-placed of the Europeans. But, as with Joon, Saturday was not Persåker's day. The third run was an 'up in smoke' and on the last qualifying run the car moved out of the groove and hit the 1000-foot reflectors. Persåker finished 24th and was outside the ladder too. But "when you have been to an NHRA race you are hooked and want more." So for sure the Americans will see these three Europeans and, of course, Urs Erbacher back in the near future.



Like Lex Joon and Stig Neergaard, Derek Flynn raced at Las Vegas and Pomona in 2009 for the first time and was back for more this year. Driving the Larry Miersch dragster in Gold RV colours, Flynn tried to qualify for the Top Alcohol Dragster field at Las Vegas. With 5.523sec from his second run, the Englishman landed in twelfth qualifying position. In the first round of eliminations Flynn had to race Mike Austin but could not improve (5.57sec) and lost to the American's 5.433sec. Shortly after his early Vegas exit Flynn decided not to race at Pomona but to take a short holiday break in the States instead.