Day one of qualifying for the 2024 NitrOlympX took place under clear and sunny skies, with air temperatures in the high 20s and a track temperature at one point recorded in the 40s. Such conditions would normally contrive to deprive both the air of oxygen, and thus motors of power, and the racing surface of traction but in most classes there was scant evidence that performance was affected.
FIA Top Fuel Dragster is led by Swiss local darling Jndia Erbacher with a 4.177/412.10 laid down in the first session. It was a gutsy drive from Jndia who stayed on the throttle as the car was weaving left and right with the turns getting ever more serious before the motor quit. Recently-licenced Linn Fløysvik and Susanne Callin make up an all-female 1-2-3 with current Championship leader Duncan Micallef and Dennis Nilsson in fourth and fifth spots. Reigning FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion Ida Zetterström, who is racing in NHRA in the USA this season, announced earlier this week that she will be making a pass in the Saturday Night Show. It will be almost literally a flying visit as Ida will be racing in the USA later this week.
Belgium’s Sandro Bellio is currently top qualifier in FIA Top Methanol with his 5.580/380.75, adjusted to 5.360 by the Funny Car/dragster parity index, just ahead of Jonny Lagg’s 5.384/434.26 in his injected-nitro dragster.
Norway’s Stian Rusånes leads the currently ten-car FIA Pro Modified field with a 6.002/368.17 from Michel Tooren of The Netherlands with 6.038/380.89. The chasing pack starts with Michael Winter’s 6.513/341/06.
FIA Pro Stock is currently led by Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund with a 6.618/336.42 with Michael Malmgren close behind at 6.656/335.79 and a retenue starting one tenth of a second behind. The Pro Stock tuners quickly got a hold on the track, even in the hot conditions, with very little of the tyre shake which often affects the class.
FIM Europe Super Street Bike has been the standout class on two wheels on day one. The class is hosting racers from no less than seven countries including an invasion of ten from Greece. The UK’s Jake Mechaell led after the first qualifying round with a 6.873/344.42 then in a thrilling qualifying session, which included one pair decided by 9 millimetres at the finish line, reigning European Champion Alan Morrison took the lead at 6.856/341.17 only for Jake to reply with a 6.810/350.53. The Super Street Bike bump spot, the sixteenth place and last qualifying position to go forward to eliminations, is currently 7.533 against the European bump spot record of 7.527.
FIM Europe Top Fuel Bike is led by Sweden’s Rikard Gustafsson at 6.262/371.00, at the expense of France’s Eric Richard who briefly snatched the lead away in the second session with a 6.638/349.12 on his Suzuki Funny Bike only to be demoted to second place in the next pair.
Marcus Christiansen is FIM Europe Supertwin’s equivalent of FIA Pro Stock’s Jimmy Ålund with qualifying the usual benefit for the Dane. Marcus recorded a 6.701/344.8 in the first session then, when the Czech Republic’s Roman Sixta looked to be coming close with a 7.035/255.75, Marcus consolidated his lead with a 6.418/351.04.
Jorg Lymant’s 7.182/293.43 in the first FIM Europe Pro Stock Bike qualifying session was still good for the lead at the end of the day with France’s reigning European Champion Maurice Bertrand leading the chasing pack at 7.241/297.98 and Greece’s Dimitrios Petridis a tick behind on 7.277/295.67.
The UK’s Jaxon King, one of 5 UK racers in a current field of 6, finished the day at the top of FIM Europe Junior Drag Bike +0.040 on dial-in, with the top three of six qualifiers ranging from Jaxon’s +0.040 to +0.096.
Robert Gaßner leads Super Pro ET +0.012 on dial-in, with the top 12 of 25 separated by 0.094 seconds. Alain Dürr drew cheers from the crowd with a huge burnout from his short-wheelbase Alfa Romeo followed up by a 0.007 reaction time. The top 15 of 31 in Pro ET are separated by 0.093 seconds with Martin Weikum’s leading +0.007 recorded off the trailer. Pro Comp Doorslammer’s one session of the day ended with Julian Bayer in top spot at 8.109/251.48.
Daniel Hefti at 8.912/241.40 and Oliver Krautberger at 8.973/249.43 lead the 8.90-index Super Comp field. At the end of day one 4 of 11 in Super Gas are in the 9.9s, with Oscar Scappocin at the top of the ladder at 9.935/198.97.
The UK’s Nieve Deevey leads Junior Dragster with a Reaction Time of 0.016, with the top 9 of 17 ranging from Nieve’s 0.016 to 0.070. The domestic DMV Junior Drag Bike field is led by Feline Groß +0.081 on dial-in with Hugo Leistner close behind at +0.089.
The combined domestic Funny Bike/Supertwin Gas field is led by Markus Laur at 7.293/284.03 from Stefan Hagenstein’s 7.305/295.91. The UK’s Carl Thomas is at the head of the 8.50-index Super Comp Bike field at 8.632/265.34 and Hubert Franger leads the dial-your-own ET Bike field 0.141 on dial-in.
Qualifying continues on day two of the race commencing at 09:00 tomorrow (Saturday).
