The second and final day of qualifying for the 2024 NitrOlympX again took place under clear skies and in high temperatures. This afternoon’s final qualifying sessions of FIA Pro Stock, FIA Top Fuel Dragster and all of the FIM Europe Drag Bike Championship classes had to be cancelled after France’s Jean Dulamon suffered a high-speed crash in the final FIA Pro Modified qualifying session. Jean’s Camaro made a move left and then right and rolled over, impacting the right guardrail with its roof at half track and then righting itself. In the latest practical demonstration of the necessity and efficacy of drag racing’s strict construction and safety regulations Jean got himself out of the car and made his own way to the ambulance to be checked out at the Hockenheimring’s Medical Centre. (Update, 25/08/2024: Jean did not suffer any serious injuries).
Jndia Erbacher’s wayward 4.177/412.10 in yesterday’s first qualifying session was still good for top qualifier in FIA Top Fuel Dragster after today’s third session. In difficult conditions, courtesy of 30+ C heat and 50+ C track temperatures, Sweden’s Susanne Callin was still able to improve to 4.778/255.21 to take second place from Linn Engan Fløysvik who went third with current Championship leader, Malta’s Duncan Micallef, in fourth and Sweden’s Dennis Nilsson in fifth.
In an overnight shock FIA Top Methanol top qualifier Sandro Bellio withdrew from the event with severe engine damage and his participation in September’s FIA European Finals is also in doubt. After a nightmare day yesterday not being able to record a time in either session Germany’s Silvio Strauch more than redeemed himself today with a best of 5.565/405.56 good for third place behind Swede Jonny Lagg’s best of 5.386/434.36 set yesterday. Sweden’s Tony Bryntesson is fourth with an improved 5.590/418.45 in his nitro-burning dragster and Germany’s Jurgen Nagel improved and went into the fives with a 5.971/387.13.
Estonia’s Andres Arnover took over top spot in FIA Pro Modified, into the fives with a 5.963/401.22 in this morning’s first session and Sweden’s Roger Johansson went from bottom place to second also in the fives at 5.984/393.16. Norwegian Stian Rusånes’ 6.002/368.17 from yesterday was still good for third place. Fifteen cars qualified for tomorrow’s eliminations although fourteen will actually be racing after Jean Deulamon’s unfortunate accident.
Placings in FIA Pro Stock have not changed since yesterday although most racers improved their ETs. Sweden’s Jimmy Ålund is top with yesterday’s 6.618/336.42 and Michael Malmgren remains second with yesterday’s best. Robin Norén remains third although improved to 6.754/331.95, Simon Ekengren fourth with an improved 6.752/329.63, Lasse Britsmar fifth after improving to 6.805/326.21 and Stefan Ernryd in sixth with yesterday’s best.
The anticipated new European record was set in this morning’s qualifying session of FIM Europe Super Street Bike when the bump spot – the sixteenth and final qualifying place guaranteeing participation in tomorrow’s eliminations – was lowered to 7.400 seconds, beating the previous European best of 7.527 coincidentally also set at Hockenheim. The lucky sixteenth of twenty five was Germany’s Clemens Walleit. In a close-fought session the UK’s Jake Mechaell held on to his lead with yesterday’s best of 6.810/350.53. Two more racers, The Netherlands’ Margot Schmidt and Greece’s Christos Agapidis, made it below seven seconds making a total of five in the sixes and seven racers recorded speeds over 200 mph (321.87 kmh).
All eight contestants in FIM Europe Top Fuel Bike will take part in tomorrow’s eliminations. Top qualifier from yesterday, Sweden’s Rikard Gustafsson, improved to consolidate his lead with a 6.086/364.71 from his nitro-burning bike whilst France’s Eric Richard also improved to hold on to second place with 6.510/349.85 and the UK’s Mark Smith moved up to third at 6.746/306.04 ahead of Finland’s Kari Rautanen, The Netherlands’ Mike Olie, Sweden’s Thomas Pettersson, The Netherlands’ Rene van den Berg and The UK’s Stuart Crane.
Sweden’s Per Bengtsson made his first pass of the weekend in FIM Europe Supertwin and went straight into second place at 6.701/288.85 behind Marcus Christiansen’s 6.418/351.04 from yesterday which was still good for the lead. Belgium’s Chris van Nimmen also went into the sixes with a 6.847/318.23 ahead of Roman Sixta, local hero Christian Jäger, Anders Hörnström and Marc van den Boer.
The UK’s Jaxon King, Brad Morrison and Richard Willcox held on to first, second and third places in FIM Junior Drag Bike with yesterday’s best runs whilst The Netherlands’ Anouk Burgering improved to fourth +0.121 on dial-in ahead of the UK’s Hollie King and Leah Morrison and The Netherlands’ Geeuwke Siersema.
With large fields of cars, Super Pro ET and Pro ET started their eliminations this afternoon although not before Switzerland’s Christian Schneebli took top qualifying position in Super Pro ET with a perfect to the thousandth 7.350 on his 7.35 dial-in in this morning’s session. In the same qualifying session Alex Halter took second place +0.003 on dial-in. Both Christian and Alex made it through this afternoon’s first round of eliminations.
The 8.90-index Super Comp class remained headed by Switzerland’s Alex Halti with yesterday’s 8.912/241.40; Germany’s Gerd Habermann took over second spot from Oliver Haltberger at 8.950/220.10. Philip Daudd took over the lead in the 9.90-index Super Gas at 9.906/224.48 with Oscar Scapoccin’s 9.935/198.97 from yesterday good for second.
There were big improvements and a number of personal bests in Pro Comp Doorslammer. Marcus Welte ended the day in the lead at 7.389/299.58 in his VW Golf 2; second, third and fourth paces are closely bunched between 7.583 and 7.591.
Lille Erichsen took over top spot in Junior Dragster with a reaction time of 0.003 in the first pair of today’s first session. From not qualified in today’s first of two sessions, Felix Schmid moved up to second with a reaction time of 0.014 ahead of Nieve Deevey’s 0.016 from yesterday. The top ten of the sixteen Junior Dragster qualifiers ranged in reaction time from 0.003 to 0.070. Hugo Leistner took over the lead in DMV Junior Drag Bike +0.048 on dial-in whilst yesterday’s +0.081 by Feline Groß was still good for second place ahead of Luis Schuh and Leif-Erik Braune.
The Netherlands’ Maarten Zijlstra finished number one qualifier in the combined Funny Bike / Super Twin Top Gas class at 7.060/300.00 with yesterday’s leader Marcus Laur in second at an improved 7.092/302.46 and Stefan Hagenstein third at 7.134/291.86. A chasing pack including stalwart Funny Bike racer Thomas Joswig is bunched between 7.413 and 7.473.
Torben Frahm finished the day in top spot in the 8.50-index Super Comp Bike, his 8.552/263.85 overhauling the UK’s Carl Thomas whose 8.632/265.34 was good for second spot ahead of Trevis Merite’s 8.689/253.60. Lutz Kreutzpeintner took over the lead in the dial-your-own ET Bike class +0.016 on dial-in with Marc Quattelbaum moving up to second at +0.109 and Hubert Franger in third place with yesterday’s run +0.141 on dial-in.
With qualifying fields all set, eliminations will take place tomorrow (Sunday).
