The opening round of the 2014 European FIM Championships kicks off at Santa Pod Raceway over four days of action this coming Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, Friday 24th to Monday 26th May.
Top Fuel Bike.
Seven-time and reigning European FIM Top Fuel bike Champion Ian King will start his defence of the title. Last month King competed in the USA. He became the eighth and last member of the MTC Five Second Club at Valdosta. He ran a personal best of 5.878 and went on to win the event. Funnybike rider Rikard Gustafsson last year recorded the quickest time in the world of 6.367 at the European Finals at Santa Pod. He is also the world’s fastest Funnybike rider at 218mph. Newcomer last year Philippos Papafilippou from Greece, reached the final at last year’s European Finals and has run a time of 6.715 at 196mph. Also entered are multi-time ACU Top Fuel bike Champion Steve Woollatt, Rene Van Den Berg and Otto Knebl.
SuperTwins.
Last year was one of the closet finishes in the class in the history of the championship. Ronny Aasen came out on top, it was his third European FIM SuperTwins Championship. He will be riding for the Zodiac team again in 2014. Samu Kemppainen won his first FIM event last year and will be hoping for more success in 2014. He is the Europe’s fastest normally aspirated V Twin at 224mph. Vesa Lipponen did the full tour for the first time in 2013 and finished third in the championship on the ex Bill Furr (Dixie Hammer) bike. Job Heezen rides Europe’s quickest bike for a normally aspirated V Twin 6.477 (That was done when it was owned by Lorenz Stauble). Christian Jager has run 6.505. Martijn De Haas will be hoping to run his first six-second pass. Roman Sixta will be hoping to improve his best figures 7.402-194mph.
Pro Stock Bike.
Fredrik Fredlund raced at the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville, Florida. He rented a bike and with his own motor/transmission ran personal best 6.94 in testing. At the event he qualified for the eliminations with 6.979 at p/b speed of 193.99mph. But lost in the first round. The Three-time European FIM Pro Stock Bike Champion was the first ever European Pro Stock Bike ride to run a six-second pass. Which he achieved in Pomona at the NHRA Auto Club Finals in 2011. European speed record holder Karl-Heinz Weikum will hoping to run in the 7.0sec bracket in 2014. Gert-Jan Laseur will be the only V Twin powered bike competing at the Main Event. UK riders entered for the event are Martin Bishop, Mark Smith the reigning ACU Pro Stock Bike Champion and Comp bike rider Allan Davies who is riding Richard Gipp’s bike.
Super Street Bike.
This will be round two of the European FIM Cup for Super Street bIke. After last months superb performances from a lot of racers at the Easter meeting, which saw Graham Balchin set a new European championship record of 7.193. Malta’s Luke Farrugia also ran 7.194. Steve Venables reset the ACU et and speed records of 7.210-205.10mph and is debuting his new bike which he has tested in the States and ran 7.2sec. Joey Gladstone rode it in testing and ran 6.95secs. Reigning European FIM Cup champion Garry Bowe ran p/b figures of 7.219 at 199.80mph. Two other riders to look out for are, Pete Field who set the et and speed records (briefly) for ACU Championship and ran best figures of 7.231 at 205.06mph. Malta’s Shaun Buttigieg who recorded figures of 7.235 at 195.55mph and it is rumoured USA racer Walter Sprout will be crewing for Buttigieg.
Report by Steven Moxley.