FIA/UEM Round 2 is ‘Finnished’

The second round of the FIA/UEM European Drag Racing championship was over the course of the weekend at Alastaro in Finland in dramatic fashion. Two of those smiling the most at the end of the meeting were Andy Carter (above) and Derek Flynn. Carter snared his second event win in a row in FIA Top Fuel Dragster for the Lucas Oil team and a solid early lead in the points chase, while fellow Brit Derek Flynn (below) and the Gold RV injected nitro FIA Top Methanol Dragster took his first win in European competition.

Winners in the other FIA categories included Micke Gullquist (Pro Mod), Leif Andreasson (Top Methanol Funny Car) and Jimmy Alund (Pro Stock Car). Rikard Gustafsson (UEM Top Fuel Bike), Per Bengtsson (UEM Super Twin) and Fredrik Fredlund (UEM Pro Stock Bike) picked up the trophies in the two-wheeled categories.

The meeting was slightly marred by some very odd weather (it is worrying when, in the middle of summer, a Scandinavian mentions they smell snow in the air), and some spectacular doorslammer crashes, one of which ended up curtailing the meeting after an errant Outlaw demolished the wall in the shutdown area, although it was a relief to hear that the drivers in each of these incidents were only damaged substantially in their wallets. Complete results will be coming soon. (Ivan Sansom photos) [7/6/2009]

Halladay gets corn-fused or ‘Butter Up!’

Veteran driver Doc Halladay was match racing at Scott Gardner’s Eddyville, Iowa, eighth-mile track and made a stellar 3.90/190-plus lap on the relatively short track. He missed the chute handles and ended up cutting down about 400 feet of Iowa corn. Doc and the car are fine and even came back for the second run after getting the Iowa gumbo hosed off of the car. Bet he’ll have one hand on the chute handle the next time he goes down Eddyville’s track. (Mike Garland photo) [7/6/2009]