Troxel’s opening 6.18sec pass set the trend. Her six other passes all registered 6.0’s. Her last shot, a semi-final defeat of Urban Johansson, secured Low ET and Top Speed of the Meet at 6.007/241.93mph/389.35kph. What more is there to say?  Well, quite a bit, actually.The other semi-final, Gullqvist (6.042) versus Mats Eriksson (6.087), produced the quickest side-by-side Pro Mod race seen in Europe. It’s worth recalling that it was only a year ago on this track that Eriksson ran Europe’s first 6.0. The defending FIA champion, qualified third, seems at last to have shaken off his early-season lethargy, clocking 6.091 in his second elimination match to beat Andy Robinson and hitting his best speed of the weekend (239.31mph/385.14kph) during qualifying.



Robinson made an encouraging return to competition in a car rebuilt from the chassis up since his finish-line fire at Alastaro. The familiar Studebaker shape is there but now it’s adorned in red livery, after so many years of flamed purple. Marc Meihuizen also returned in his handsome, Robinson-built Firebird, relieved, no doubt, to have avoided the engine damage inflicted on him here last year and at Santa Pod in May.

And Robert Joosten at last began to get some sense out of his troublesome new Camaro. His 6.516 best was only good enough for 17^th on the qualifying list but was the first decent number dredged out of the recalcitrant machine, earning Joosten the bonus of a first-round shot against Troxel (some bonus!) after 16^th qualifier Patrik Wikström withdrew, broken.



Johan Lindberg, so brilliant at the season’s start with his pulverising string of 6.0’s to win the Main Event, has gone off the boil since then. Lindberg and his Rockstar/’New Generation’ team arrived at Hockenheim leading Michael Gullqvist by a scant 44 points. In the event’s key confrontation, Gullqvist beat Lindberg in round two on his way to the rained-off final. As a result, the two Swedish racers departed Hockenheim dead even on points, each with 329.



Urban Johansson, Mats Eriksson and Roger Johansson all remain in mathematical contention for the FIA championship but, in reality, Santa Pod’s European Finals will witness a Lindberg-Gullqvist shootout for the title – the last man standing dons the crown. It promises to be a thrilling climax to an extraordinary season. And what part might that burgundy-red Camaro and its American superstar driver play in the outcome?

FIA PRO MODIFIED - final qualification standings after 4 sessions

	QUALIFYING:		ET	MPH	KPH	best kph
1	Melanie Troxel	USA	6.045	241.58	388.79
2	Michael Gullqvist	SWE	6.107	234.62	377.58
3	Mats Eriksson	SWE	6.132	239.31	385.14
4	Urban Johansson	SWE	6.181	233.44	375.68
5	Mikael Lindahl	SWE	6.188	233.00	374.97	381.36
6	Andy Robinson	GBR	6.198	230.33	370.68
7	Johan Lindberg	SWE	6.211	210.21	338.30	368.73
8	Jan Gunnarsson	SWE	6.221	231.48	372.53	377.12
9	Roger Johansson	SWE	6.234	226.39	364.34
10	Adam Flamholc	SWE	6.304	226.39	364.34
11	Marco Maurischat	GER	6.306	225.18	362.40
12	Bruno Bader	SUI	6.312	222.73	358.45
13	Fredrik Fagerström	SWE	6.314	224.28	360.95	365.75
14	Marc Meihuizen	NED	6.357	228.58	367.86	368.61
15	Norbert Kuno	GER	6.454	226.01	363.73
16	Patrik Wickström	SWE	6.465	220.87	355.46
	Alternates:
17	Robert Joosten	NED	6.516	194.13	312.42	341.76
18	Rolf Ammann	SUI	6.542	217.04	349.29
19	Henri Joosten	NED	6.596	215.10	346.17
20	Jean Dulamon	FRA	6.896	206.51	332.35	334.24
21	Jöran Persåker	SWE	7.310	164.69	265.04
22	Marcus Hilt	SUI	7.693	140.45	226.03
	Withdrawn entries:
	Graham Ellis	GBR
	Johnny Sand Jorgensen	DEN
	Robert Koper	NED
	Marko Lantto	FIN
	Rolf Vogel	SUI

ELIMINATIONS:

Round 1:

Roger Johansson 6.216, 226.28-364.16 def. Jan Gunnarsson 6.291, 229.94-370.05
Urban Johansson 6.100, 231.96-373.30 def. Fredrik Fagerström 6.991, 142.12-228.72
Mikael Lindahl 6.135, 234.82-377.91 def. Bruno Bader 6.194, 229.47-369.30
Michael Gullqvist 6.113, 234.54-377.45 def. Norbert Kuno 6.378, 226.17-363.98
Mats Eriksson 6.105, 235.68-379.29 def. Marc Meihuizen 6.484, 215.52-346.84 DQ R/L
Johan Lindberg 8.683, 95.68-153.98 def. Adam Flamholc 7.108, 149.74-240.99 DQ crossed C/L
Andy Robinson 6.168, 231.04-371.83 def. Marco Maurischat 6.268, 224.43-361.19
Melanie Troxel 6.045, 241.15-388.10 def. Robert Joosten alt. 8.607, 78.31-126.02

Round 2:

Urban Johansson 7.148, 178.45-287.19 def. Mikael Lindahl 6.186, 233.48-375.75 DQ R/L
Michael Gullqvist 6.128, 234.65-377.64 def. Johan Lindberg 8.636, 94.75-152.49
Mats Eriksson 6.091, 236.38-380.42 def. Andy Robinson 6.249, 230.73-371.32
Melanie Troxel 6.082, 240.55-387.13 def. Roger Johansson 6.509, 199.44-320.96

Semi final:

Michael Gullqvist 6.042, 236.55-380.69 def. Mats Eriksson 6.087, 235.19-378.50
Melanie Troxel 6.007, 241.93-389.35 def. Urban Johansson 6.363, 234.05-376.66 DQ R/L

Final

Race abandoned. Rain stopped play.

Low Elapsed Time of the Event:  6.007sec. – Melanie Troxel
Top Speed of the Event:  241.93mph / 389.35kph – Melanie Troxel

Personal-best performances (in FIA competition) set during event:

	ET	MPH	KPH
Bruno Bader	-	229.47	369.30
Jean Dulamon	6.896	207.69	334.24
Jan Gunnarsson	-	234.33	377.12
Henri Joosten	6.596	215.10	346.17
Melanie Troxel	6.007	241.93	389.35