European Finals predictions

[Jon C]

Well, Avon Park is over, and it sounds like a good time was had by all. Now that the Open Shorts Nationals is complete, we can legitimatly turn our attention to the European Finals.

Well, I am notoriously cack at predictions, but I will throw out some open questions:

Will we see an all 4 second Top Fuel field? (Pity Siw and JW arent coming out to play, makes a 4 second bump marginally less likely, but still all to play for). I can certainly see Kim's 4.64 going at last.

Another all six second Pro Stock field could be on the cards. 6.7?

Will God (A.K.A. Krister Johansson) finally get a handle on the reduced Nitro percentage and finally run that 5.30?

Pro Mod in the 6-zeros? Real bugger that Danny Cockerill seems to have withdrawn though.

Tom Tindahl to get a 7.0 on PSB?

Comp Eliminator improving all the time, is it the future of sportsman car racing? Discuss...?

Still no sign of Patrick Pers on the entry sheet. How many years has it been since Knut Soderquist didnt have at least one fuel car at a major SPR event? (I think it may have been the 1998 finals?)


(Anyone mentions the 'R' word gets to sit next to 'you-know-who' all weekend)

[Flying Toilet]

My predictions:

TF: Andy Carter.
TMD: Dave Wilson.
TMFC: Fast Freddy.
PS: Jimmy Alund.
PM: Andy Robinson.

STTF: Anders Karling.
TFB: Steve Woolatt.
PSB: Tom Tinndahn.

Comp Eliminator: Yes it is a great class and has a lot of potential. Watching it at Mantorp reinforced my love for it.

Patrik Pers: Saving the car for trips to Bahrain?

[anonymous-user]

Jon C said:

Pro Mod in the 6-zeros? Real bugger that Danny Cockerill seems to have withdrawn though.

He was all set to show up but there's a shortage of blocks in north America at the moment and I don't think his engine builder could source one in time.

[peterwalters]

TF: Tommi Haapanen
LOW ET: 4.682
HIGH MPH: 322.12

TMD: Timo Habermann
LOW ET: 5.416
HIGH MPH: 261.23

TMFC: Fast Freddy
LOW ET: 5.647
HIGH MPH: 255.34

PS: Jimmy Alund
LOW ET: 6.798
HIGH MPH: 204.45

PM: Andy Robinson
LOW ET: 6.133
HIGH MPH: 231.42

[cougarracing]

hmmm dificult one

TF - Erbacher
TMD - Wilson
TMFC - Fast Freddy
Pro Mod - Robinson
Pro Stock - Malgram

TFB - Woolatt
STTF - Koedam
PSB - Tindahn

comp eliminator....i predict i still wont understand how it works LOL...but ill try, plus it will just be interesting to see what frosty can run!

another side not...ill turbo finally get into the 200mph bracket. his 1/8th miles were the best hes ever had at the open sports nationals and after runing 7.4 at 198 at the bulldog he could well do it.

[Furyous]

Looks like Im going to go with the flow for the majority then......

TF - Lex/Andy final......Andy to win 4.69 @ 322

TMD - Grumpy all the way

TMFC - Reckon on Freddy, unless something breaks, then Ulf.

PS - Malmgren gets my money.

PM - Could be anyones, but I reckon on Robert J to win,but low et to either Andy Robinson or Mikeal Lindahl.

And Im keeping my fingers crossed to see how deep Mr.Frost gets into the 7.s/190 area.

Weather looks like it could hold.If it does, I foresee a lot of new european records.

Im more excited then a 5 year old on xmas day.

[MotorPsycho]

TF: Urs Erbacher
Low ET: 4.71
Top Speed: 321mph

TAD: Krister Johansson (I've got to be right one day!)
Low ET: 5.43
Top Speed: 264mph

TAFC: Freddy
Low ET: 5.68
Top Speed: 255mph

PS: Jimmy Alund
Low ET: 6.82
Top Speed: 202mph

PM: Micke Lindahl
Low ET: 6.12
Top Speed: 233mph

Jon C said:

Comp Eliminator improving all the time, is it the future of sportsman car racing? Discuss...?

To be honest, no, at FIA events it just seems like a place for Street Eliminator cars to have a run out. Due to weight breaks most of the Super Pro cars would be way too light with the large engine combinations that prevail, for example - Kenneth Feldthussen's AA/A altered with a 464ci Hemi has to weigh in the region of 2300lbs, the average altered running in the UK is 1800-1900lbs.

Edited by MotorPsycho on Thursday 30th August 18:01

[The Enthusiast]

Because it is the Finals I was really looking foward to seeing at least another 2 fuel funnycars. This is a great shame plus another one in methanol funnycar has withdrawn aswell!!

Edited by The Enthusiast on Thursday 30th August 20:10

[topnitro]

I always get these wrong so I'll go with the popular votes on who the winners will be.

BUT, in Top Fuel, watch out for Mr. Joon. I know we need to watch out for ALL the big players (and good luck to each and every one of 'em), but the last qualifier Lex ran at Mantorp was just incredible. It was not the fact that he ran a .83something 60 foot, nor was it the fact that Lex gave it a quick slap at around 150 feet OR the fact that he popped both burst panels (and tossed the belt) just past 1000 feet OR EVEN the fact he crossed the stripe in 4.81something seconds. No. Up to this point, I was in awe of Andy Carter's multiple 4.73 second passes (and well done Andy and the team), but the thing that really made me sit up and pay attention, was that the speed sensor on Lex's front wheel recorded a speed at the 1000 feet marker of... 317mph!. That's definitely a tune-up to try Friday or Saturday afternoon at the finals!

[Tet]

MotorPsycho said:

Jon C said:

Comp Eliminator improving all the time, is it the future of sportsman car racing? Discuss...?

To be honest, no, at FIA events it just seems like a place for Street Eliminator cars to have a run out.

Currently, yes. But if the class grows, then we'll start to see cars being specifically built for Comp Eliminator, at which point they'll become much more competitive. At the moment, the class is being used as a catchall for things that don't really fit in any other category (like the RSSE cars, for example), so obviously they're not well suited to the class. To do well, you need to have a car that runs half a second below the index, and if you look at racing elsewhere in Europe, you see that's what's happening.

Will it take off here? Well, that's a good question. In many ways, I hope so. But Pro ET and Super Pro ET are pretty well entrenched as the alternatives to the super classes over here, so I don't see it happening any time soon.

[BennettRacing]

TF: Lex
Low ET: 4.73
Top Speed: 318mph

TAD: Grumpy
Low ET: 5.45
Top Speed: 261mph

TAFC: Freddy
Low ET: 5.72
Top Speed: 251mph

PS: Malmgren
Low ET: 6.80
Top Speed: 203mph

PM: Robinson
Low ET: 6.16
Top Speed: 232mph

Edited by BennettRacing on Monday 3rd September 13:25