All four classes went to the final race of their class to decide who became the 2016 European FIM Champion. Rain, washed out Saturday’s qualifying sessions. There was a huge crowd for the Friday night qualifying session and race day on Sunday. There were a couple championship records set and some personal bests.
Top Fuel Bike.
Ian King had a slender lead coming through the gates of Santa Pod for European Finals with Rene Van Den Berg and Rikard Gustafsson tied for second. Berg ran a personal best 6.153 to top the field in qualifying. King was second 6.250 and Gustafsson third 6.590. The only other rider in the six-second zone was Filippos Papafilippou 6.872.
King saw his chance claiming his tenth title go up in smoke at mid-track against Stuart Crane when he smoked his rear tyre and was back on the trailer. Gustafsson beat first alternate Steve Woollatt (in for Lorcan Parnell) with personal best figures of 6.011-231.41mph and Berg had a bye run, after Glenn Borg broke on the start line. Semi-finals Papafilippou ran his best of the weekend to knock out Berg 6.683 to 7.746. So next up Gustafsson and another storming run of 6.022 with a jaw dropping p/b speed of 238.57mph to beat Crane best run of the weekend 7.111-185.81mph. If Gustafsson wins the event the title was his. But Papafilippou wanted to win his first FIM event and that’s what he turning the win light on 6.739 with a personal speed of 206.17mph against Gustafsson slowing 7.794-112mph. Result meant Ian King had won his tenth title and is the 2016 European FIM Top Fuel Bike Champion.
SuperTwins.
Samu Kemppainen has dominated this year’s Championship winning both opening rounds at Santa Pod and Hockenheim and only had to win the opening round of the eliminations to win the title. Kemppainen hurt his crankshaft in the opening qualifying session and made a phone call to the supplier in Canada and the new parts arrived Saturday and engine built ready for race day.
Reigning Champion Martijn De Haas was second in the championship and was the only rider who could stop Kemppainen get the title. Petr Ceska ran a personal best in qualifying 8.162 at the expense of an engine and was out of the show.
Round one and there was drama Kemppainen coming into stage and a fuel line cracked, spilling fuel underneath the bike, his race was over. Chris Hannam had a bye run to his very first final. De Haas had a bye to the semis, were he met Roman Sixta. De Haas beat Sixta 6.712 to 6.858. De Haas had to win the final to retain his title. The race was decided when Hannam engine let go just off the start line and De Haas took the win 6.665-211.82mph.
Pro Stock Bike.
There were some new names on the top of the qualifying table. Martin Bishop number one qualifier 7.466 followed by newcomer to the class Maurice Bertrand 7.487 and Martin Newbury 7.4901. Championship points leader Gert-Jan Laseur just behind 7.509.
Bishop faced Reigning Champion Fredrik Fredlund who had some problems in qualifying. Fredlund sent a warning shot and ran 7.000 at 189.74mph to trailer Bishop 7.412-179.24mph. Laseur faced Alex Hope and the winner would race Fredlund in the next round. Hope saw his title hopes go, when Laseur beat him 7.194 to 7.439. First semi and Fredlund put a holeshot over (rt032 to 120) Laseur and took the win light 7.032 to Laseur 7.150. In the other semi Newbury reached his first ever final, beating Bertrand 7.255 to 7.493. Fredlund had to win the event and set an et and speed championship record to win the title. Newbury red lit so Fredlund won the event and he set an et record of 6.978 and ran 189.72mph. The championship speed record is 190.45mph. So Gert-Jan Laseur is the 2016 European FIM Pro Stock Bike Champion.
Super Street Bike.
Mathematically five riders could win the title coming into the final round of the four round European FIM Super Street Bike Cup.
Steve Venables was the number one qualifier 7.075.
Venables ran back to back six-second passes in rounds one (6.974) and two (6.946) to set a et record. Mogens Lund ran personal best against Venables 7.158-202.60mph. Rick Stubbins had tough opponents. In the first round, title contender Thomas Granica. Stubbins won 7.087 to 7.415. Round two Stubbins beat another contender Shawn Buttieigeg who ran a p/b 7.088 in the previous round. Venables stopped Stubbins in the semi-finals with 7.012 to 7.686. The other side of the ladder had Reigning European FIM Super Street Bike Champion Garry Bowe who ran a p/b of 7.011 in round two against Daniel Lencses p/b of 7.138.
The final was a winner takes all and it produce the quickest side by side of the class. Venables got a slight lead off the start line, but Bowe powered around Venables to retain his title with his first six-second pass 6.980 to Venables losing 7.036.
ACU would like to congratulate the following Champions.
Top Fuel Bike Ian King
SuperTwins Martijn De Haas.
Pro Stock Bike Gert-Jan Laseur.
Super Street Bike Garry Bowe.
Report by Steven Moxley.